PGN July 22-28, 2011

Page 1

��������������������

The newest A-Lister is Miss Africa USA

Professional Portrait: Darryl DePiano

PAGE 27

PAGE 30

We’ll tell you not only how good the QFest films were, but also how gay.

PAGE 12

July 22-28, 2011

����������

��� ������������ �������� �����������������������������������������

Vol. 35 No. 29

Senior-housing project not selected for tax credit By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com Backers of the proposed William Way Senior Residences announced this week that the project was not among the list of housing programs selected for tax credits from the state. Had it been selected, the tax credit could have generated about $12 million in equity for the program, which would offer lowincome LGBT-friendly senior housing in a building adjoining the William Way LGBT Community Center. Organizers will have the opportunity to apply again in the coming months. The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency awarded eight projects in Philadelphia County with the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit. Among the local awards were two for projects geared toward the elderly, the 64-unit St. Maron Hall at Ninth and Ellsworth streets and the Westminster Senior Apartments in the 500 block of North 52nd Street. Approximately 55 percent of the PHFA tax credits are set aside for six specific regions, with the rest going to fund areas such as preservation, supportive housing and strategic investment. Of the regional set-asides, approximately 18.73 percent is allocated to Region 1, which includes Philadelphia and the four surrounding counties. The regional set-asides are further divided statewide by purpose, with 55 percent of the allocation devoted to general housing and 45 percent for senior occupancy, although PHFA cautioned that those numbers can be adjusted based on need. Thirty-three projects were selected for the credits throughout the state, with 12 devoted to the elderly, approximately 36 percent. The Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld Fund, which is spearheading the William Way project along with development company Pennrose Properties, will have 90 days to reapply. Jacob Fisher, Pennrose development officer, said projects often have to apply three times for the tax credit before they’re approved. “We know that it’s a highly, highly competitive resource,” he PAGE 22

THE REEL WINNERS: WMMR’s Pierre Robert unveiled the films that garnered the top prizes at this year’s QFest, which featured 108 films, in an awards ceremony July 19. The Jury Award Winners were “The Queen” and “The Kiss” in a tie for Best Short Film, “Romeos” for Best First Time Director, “Wish Me Away” for Best Documentary and “Tomboy” for Best Feature Film. The audience selected a different slate of winners: “I Don’t Want to Go Back Alone” for Best Short Film, “Married in Spandex” for Best Documentary, “Eating Out — Drama Camp” for Best Comedy and “Gun Hill Road” for Best Feature Film. Photo: Scott A. Drake

PA students unite for empowerment

BUMP IN THE ROAD: Mark Segal (left), PGN publisher and president of the Dr. Magnus Hirschfield Fund, and William Way LGBT Community Center executive director Chris By Jen Colletta Bartlett briefed the community last week on the proposed William Way LGBT-friendly jen@epgn.com senior residences. Organizers recently learned the project was not selected for state tax credits that could have afforded it $12 million in equity. The proposal, which Within a 24-hour span last weekend, Jason would create approximately 70 LGBT-friendly low-income residences in a new building Landau Goodman traveled from Pittsburgh attached to the William Way, can be resubmitted for the credits in October. The center’s to Harrisburg to Philadelphia to Reading board will discuss the matter at its July 26 meeting. Photo: Scott A. Drake

New antigay leadership for Archdiocese By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com There was a shift in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia that will bring an outspoken antigay religious leader to the helm of the city’s Catholic community. Earlier this week, Pope Benedict XVI accepted the resignation NEWLY of current Philadelphia ANNOUNCED Cardinal Justin Rigali PHILADELPHIA a n d n a m e d D e nve r ARCHBISHOP Archbishop Charles CHARLES Chaput as his succesCHAPUT

sor. Chaput, 66, will be installed Sept. 8. Church law required Rigali to submit his letter of resignation when he turned 75 last year, although some have questioned whether the pope’s appointment of a successor was expedited by the highly publicized sex-abuse scandal in the local archdiocese. Chaput comes to Philadelphia after a 14-year run as Archbishop of Denver, during which time he espoused myriad antigay positions. Chaput made headlines last year for his diocese’s decision to bar two children, whose parents are lesbians, from continuing their education in a diocesan school. In a statement, the dioPAGE 21

and back to Philadelphia. But heading from one side of the state clear to the other is just all in a day’s work for the head of an organization looking to bring together young people throughout the Keystone State around issues of LGBT equality. “Pennsylvania’s a very big state, but it’s definitely feeling a lot closer as we become more connected,” said Landau Goodman, the executive director of the new Pennsylvania Student Equality Coalition. Launched this spring, the coalition is the first of its kind in the nation — a statewide LGBT youth agency run solely by youth and for youth. Landau Goodman, a student at the University of Pennsylvania, became involved with social-justice issues on his campus and recently was a leading force in the successful push to ban LGBT discrimination in his hometown PAGE 5


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.
PGN July 22-28, 2011 by The Philadelphia Gay News - Issuu