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A coming-out-late story of a man and his father
Family Portrait: Shizz Elegance Smith
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20 years after being convicted of murder, two men continue to profess their innocence.
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June 17-23, 2011
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Vol. 35 No. 24
Q Lounge closes
LGBT olderadult study launches By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com LGBT older adults and service providers that work with this community are invited to an open house this weekend to learn more about a new effort to collect data about the health needs of this population. Public Health Management Corporation will host an information session from 24 p.m. June 18 at the William Way LGBT Community Center, 1315 Spruce St., to share details on the LGBT Older Adult Health Needs Assessment. The project is funded by a grant from the state Department of Public Health. “We do a lot of work with HIV prevention, and our team was really interested in looking at the broader health issues within LGBT communities,” PAGE 6
PREVENTION IN PHILLY: Hundreds of guests toured the resources available at the 12th annual Prevention and Outreach Summit as part of Philadelphia FIGHT’s AIDS Education Month activities June 15. The event, held at the Convention Center, featured workshops on myriad HIV-related topics, such as the latest efforts for prevention medication, the incorporation of faith communities into the dialogue on HIV and the transition from adolescent to adult care. FIGHT will host AEM events through the end of the month. Photo: Scott A. Drake
Voter ID bill may impact trans community By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com
FAN FAVORITE: Comedian Aisha Tyler got the crowd going Sunday with her headlining act at the Pride festival at Penn’s Landing. A record 10,000 people attended the event, which also featured a boost in the number of vendors. No problems were reported at the festivity, save for a few minutes of rain. For more Pride coverage, see pages 2, 3 and 21. Photo: Scott A. Drake
A bill is wending its way through the Pennsylvania legislature that would require voters to produce a government-issued photo each time they hit the polls, but opponents say the measure could create many more problems than it could fix. The Pennsylvania House is expected to vote on the measure, submitted by Rep. Daryl Metcalfe (R-12th Dist.), this month, but civil-rights advocates have said the measure could further discriminate against marginalized communities. “There is research that indicates that there is a significant percentage of U.S. citizens who don’t have government-issued identification,” said Pennsylvania American Civil Liberties Union legislative director Andy Hoover. “This bill runs the risk of disenfranchising U.S. citizens who are eligible to vote. When you look at the research on who doesn’t have IDs, PAGE 5
JUSTLY MARRIED: Local couple Brian Andersen and Anton Tanumihardja wed June 12 in the nation’s capital. The two are mired in an immigration conflict, as Indonesian native Tanumihardja was granted an emergency stay that prevented his Valentine’s Day deportation and now waits to hear if his case will be reopened. On Wednesday, Andersen filed an I-130, an application to sponsor a spouse for American citizenship, which is largely symbolic.
After months of speculation, Q Lounge officially closed its doors this week. The bar, at 1234 Locust St., has been in business since July 2009, but a judge earlier this month ordered the venue shuttered after owners defaulted on rent payments to building owner Hersha Hospitality, which also owns the adjoining Independent Hotel. In May, Hersha filed suit for backpayments of nearly $80,000. On June 3, a judge ordered the defendants to pay Hersha $73,654.50 and close the bar by June 15. Named as defendants in the case are Q owners Stavros and Alexandros Vasiliadis, along with William Weiss, who leased the space when the venue operated as Bump. According to court documents, the landlord, identified as Inn at Locust, notified the defendants in December that the company was in breach of its lease, for defaulting on its rent payment since September 2010 and accruing “repeated and continued noise violations and disturbances of hotel guests.” Jim Evans, general manager of the hotel, confirmed that Q Lounge is closed, but would not comment on the reason. According to the agreement handed down earlier this month by Municipal Court Judge Marsha Neifeld, the defendants were ordered to pay $8,000 by June 13 and return the keys to the premises to the landlord by June 15. Q Lounge manager John Caputo said the staff was told Monday that the locale was closing immediately, and said they were told the shuttering was prompted because the building owner did not want to renew the lease because of a conflict over noise complaints. The agreement stipulates that by June 16, the plaintiff was entitled to change the locks and the tenant must have surrendered all “rights, claims, interest and ownership” of all property in the premises, except for a dishwasher, cash register and ice maker, owned by defendants. The liquor license, valued at approximately $65,000, will now be transferred to the plaintiff. ■ — Jen Colletta