Philadelphia Gay News July 31 - Aug. 6, 2009
Honesty Integrity Professionalism
Vol. 33 No. 31
‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Community rallies behind tour launches in Philly Giovanni’s Room By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer
The nation’s oldest LGBT bookstore is beginning to show its age. One of the brick walls that borders Giovanni’s Room, at 12th and Pine streets, is in dire need of replacement, the store’s owner says, and a construction project expected to begin in the next two weeks will provide a much-needed facelift for the building — but not without a hefty price tag. Ed Hermance, Giovanni’s Room owner, said the 12th Street wall will need to be entirely torn down and replaced, which he expects will cost about $50,000. About 30 people attended a planning meeting July 28 at the William Way LGBT Community Center to brainstorm about fundraising for the project. “I personally just don’t have the HOMETOWN HERO: U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania Patrick Murphy (D-8th resources to be able to afford this and Dist., center) discusses the effort to repeal the military’s ban on openly gay service- it just brings the day closer that I can’t members during a July 27 press conference in Philadelphia to kick off the national afford to run this place,” Hermance said. Voices of Honor tour. The tour features such former servicemembers as Human Rights “So I’m hoping people will help out Campaign’s public-policy advocate Jarrod Chlapowski (left) and Servicemembers United executive director Alex Nicholson, who, along with other LGBT and ally cur- just as they have for more than 30 years rent and former servicemembers, will visit a dozen cities in the next two months, now.” speaking to the public about the importance of repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Since Murphy took over as prime sponsor of the Military Readiness Enhancement Act — the bill to repeal the ban — two weeks ago, he’s been able to garner more than 20 new cosponsors. Photo: Scott A. Drake
By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer Philadelphia this week was the first stop on a national tour aimed at raising awareness about the importance of repealing the military’s ban on openly gay servicemembers. The Human Rights Campaign and Servicembers United’s Voices of Honor tour launched July 27 and will travel to more than a dozen other cities in the next two months, utilizing the voices of LGBT and ally servicemembers themselves to educate the public about “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” The local event began with a press conference in the morning, in which U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-Pa.), the prime sponsor of the legislation to repeal the law, was joined by tour participants and former servicemembers Jarrod Chlapowski, Alex Nicholson, Joe Soto, Anuradha Bhagwati and Stephen Vossler. The servicemembers also met that evening with about two-dozen people at the WHYY Studio in Center City for a town-hall discussion on the law and the effort to repeal it. Murphy told PGN before the press conference that since he signed on as the lead spon-
sor of the Military Readiness Enhancement Act two weeks ago, he’s recruited more than 20 new legislative cosponsors, bringing the total cosponsorship number to 164. “We’re making progress every day,” Murphy said. “Besides the 164, I also got some commitments from people who weren’t willing to cosponsor it but who said that when it comes up for a vote, they will be willing to vote for it.” The bill will need 218 affirmative votes to pass. Murphy also announced during the press conference that the Senate Armed Services Committee agreed this week to hold hearings on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” this fall — the first time the Senate will hear testimony on the law since its 1993 implementation. A repeal bill has not yet been introduced in the Senate. Murphy, a Philadelphia native and Iraq War veteran, said the selection of this city as the first host of Voices of Honor holds special importance to him, not just because it’s his hometown, but also because of its rich history.
ED HERMANCE AND ARLEEN OLSHAN Photo: Scott A. Drake
Hermance said that so far Butch Cordora has agreed to host a fundraising poker tournament and openly gay writer Christopher Rice, son of author Anne Rice, has offered to be a guest of honor for a “Famous Authors Dinner.” Hermance said the store is looking to launch a series of fundraising dinners with other well-known writers and is working on securing the talent. And the local community has already begun to show its appreciation for the See GIOVANNI’S ROOM, Page 9
NJ gov picks LGBT advocate as running mate By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer
New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine (D) announced his running mate last weekend, a choice that was met with praise by LGBT advocates. Corzine selected state Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D) to run alongside him N.J. LT. GOV. as lieutenant govCANDIDATE ernor in his bid for reelection in LORETTA WEINBERG November, marking the first time in New Jersey history that a governor will be joined on the ticket; the lieutenant governor position was created by a constitutional amendment approved by voters in the 2005 election. Weinberg, 74, was elected to the New See VOICES, Page 6 Jersey Assembly in 1992 and the Senate in
2005, representing Bergen County in North Jersey. She has garnered a reputation for her strong voice on LGBT issues in the legislature, most recently cosponsoring the 2006 bill that amended New Jersey’s Law Against Discrimination to include protections based on gender identity. She also served as the prime sponsor of the 2006 law that created civil unions for same-sex couples in the state, and of a bill currently in a Senate committee that proposes the legalization of same-sex marriage. Steven Goldstein, chair of Garden State Equality, called her the “prime force” behind the push for marriage equality and the strongest legislative ally the New Jersey LGBT community has ever had. “Loretta is quite frankly and simply the greatest civil-rights champion for the LGBT community that has ever held public office in this state,” he said. “She has been the architect of every single LGBT civilrights law enacted in New Jersey in this See WEINBERG, Page 9