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Family Portrait: Norma Beard squares off
BACK COVER
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Delaware Pride returns to Dover
EEOC makes historic ruling on LGBT rights
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July 24-30, 2015
Since 1976
PGN Philadelphia Gay News HONESTY • INTEGRITY • PROFESSIONALISM
Vol. 39 No. 30
Danny’s owner: Shooting was a hate crime
Parents, alums speak out against school firing By Ryan Kasley ryan@epgn.com Concerned parents and alumni are speaking out and taking action following last month’s firing of a lesbian teacher at Waldron Mercy Academy. In a letter to Waldron Mercy principal Nell Stetser and Sisters of Mercy president Sister Patricia Vetrano, a group of angered alumni stated it will withhold any future donations to the school until former director of religious studies Margie Winters is reinstated. “Until an offer to reinstate Margie Winters is made, and we are confident that the school is once again a place of tolerance and inclusion, we will not be contributing any donations to the school and we will be urging others to do the same,” the letter stated. “We are confident that there will be many who join us.” The Merion school declined to renew Winters’ contract in June after a parent, with whom Winters had an unrelated conflict regarding school curriculum, complained about her same-sex marriage. Winters said school officials knew of her 2007 marriage when she was hired and only moved to fire her after the aggrieved parent raised the issue to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. A spokesperson for the archdiocese said the termination decision was made by the school. According to Waldron Mercy parents PGN spoke with, who wished to remain anonymous, some parents have chosen to withhold their tuition payments, which were due earlier this month. “We are choosing to protest peacefully and respectfully,” one parent said, noting that a coalition of Winters’ supporters plans to continue writing letters and pushing “the board and the principal to act courageously in their efforts to answer our questions and concerns on the future of our beloved school — or simply resign.” School officials held meetings for parents concerned about the situation, moderated by a third party, July 21 and
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By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com
BEACH BOYS: Sand Blast revelers sought respite from the soaring temperatures last Sunday under canopies, and with cocktails. The Beach Party, the weekend’s main event, featured dancing on the beach, with music by DJs Mike Reimer and Phil Romano. Events were held throughout the weekend, including pool parties and a drag “race.” The event, organized by Brad Hurtado and Bruce Yelk, moved from its native Asbury Park to Atlantic City last summer. Photo: Scott A. Drake
First-ever federal antibias bill intro’d By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com First-of-its-kind federal legislation to ban discrimination against LGBT people in a number of sectors was scheduled to be introduced this week, following the announcement of two pro-LGBT bills last week. The Equality Act was slated to be submitted to both the House and Senate July 23. The House version is being led by Reps. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), and the Senate version by Sen. David Cicilline (D-R.I.). A full list of cosponsors was not available by presstime. The legislation would amend a number of federal laws to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in public accommodations, public education, employment, housing, federal funding, jury service, legal protections and credit. The bill is a significant expansion of the long-stalled Employment Nondiscrimination Act, which would outlaw LGBT workplace discrimination. Among its aims, the Equality Act would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to add
sexual orientation and gender identity as classes protected from discrimination in employment, leaving intact an exemption for religiously affiliated organizations hiring for positions directly connected to a religious activity. “No one in our community should be at risk of being fired, evicted from their home, or denied services because of who they are or whom they love,” said Human Rights Campaign president Chad Griffin. “There is an unacceptable patchwork of state-level protections for LGBT people, and more than half of LGBT Americans live in a state that lacks fully inclusive nondiscrimination laws. The time has come in this country for full, federal equality and nothing less.” Pennsylvania is one of several-dozen states that lacks discrimination protections for LGBT people. The Equality Act comes on the heels of two other pro-LGBT bills submitted last week. Reps. Mark Pocan (D-Wisc.) and Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), along with Sens. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), reintroduced the Restore Honor to Service Members Act PAGE 16
An employee of an adult store in the Gayborhood was shot last weekend, and the shop’s owner says the incident was motivated by antigay animus. The shooting happened around 3:40 a.m. July 18 at Danny’s Midnight Confessions, 133 S. 13th St. Danny’s owner Danny Liss said a man entered the store and made a derogatory comment about its LGBT merchandise to one of the two employees working at the time. He left, then returned a moment later inquiring about heterosexual materials. When the employee began walking toward that section, the man pulled out a silver revolver and spun the victim around by the shoulder. The employee attempted to push away the man’s arm and he shot him in the back. The shooter fled and the 31-year-old victim was transported to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. He was released Monday night. As of presstime, the culprit remains on the loose. Multiple calls to the police LGBT liaison were not returned by pressstime. Nellie Fitzpatrick, the city’s director of LGBT Affairs, called the shooting “appalling,” and said initial reports do indicate that it was motivated by antigay bias. “Gleaning from the information we have at this point, this was an act of bias and hate. To make derogatory slurs under these circumstances and then moments later return and shoot this victim, in this store, in this area, in this manner, sends a message — a terrifying message that LGBT people provoke rage that is deserving of death,” she said. Philadelphia adopted an LGBT-inclusive hate-crime law this past fall, following an alleged gay bashing of a same-sex couple. Fitzpatrick cautioned that a potential hatecrime charge would add PAGE 16