pgn Philadelphia Gay News LGBT NEWS SINCE 1976
Vol. 41 No. 33 Aug. 18-24, 2017
Family Portrait: Kristyn King is a renaissance woman
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Court news:
Current and former employees of a local LGBT health and wellness organization voiced frustrations at a community forum last Thursday. The Office of LGBT Affairs and the Commission on LGBT Affairs hosted its second Community Conversation at Broad Street Ministry, focusing specifically on Mazzoni Center. The organization has been in the public eye in the past few months since former medical director Dr. Robert Winn resigned following allegations of sexual impropriety with patients. Days later, more than 60 staff members contended that former CEO Nurit Shein covered up these allega-
tions and staged a walkout demanding her resignation. Mazzoni Center issued a statement that Shein stepped down soon after. ‘We are Mazzoni Center and we are united’
About 15 Mazzoni staff members presented a poster stating “We are Mazzoni Center and we are united,” bearing at least 70 signatures. The employees said they are partnering with SEIU Healthcare PA to form a union “to collectively bargain a contract that is equitable and prioritizes desperately needed reforms that will enable us to provide the highest quality care for our patients and clients.” The union is “respectfully” requesting that the board of directors recognize the union and prepare to negotiate a contract “in good faith.” Following the presentation, interim CEO Stephen Glassman publicly said he “will absolutely consider that process.” Brett Volkman, MEMBERS OF THE MAZZONI CENTER STAFF STOOD who is involved IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE PRIDE COMMITTEE, with the unionizing WHICH IS COMBATTING RACIAL DISPARITIES efforts, spoke with AT THE ORGANIZATION, DURING THE AUG. 10 PGN about what COMMUNITY CONVERSATION. Photo: Scott A. Drake
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• Former partners locked in federal suit • Hershey wants to shield legal documents • Judge considering anonymity in antibias case
Mazzoni Center staffers move to unionize By Jeremy Rodriguez jeremy@epgn.com
HONESTY • INTEGRITY • PROFESSIONALISM
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One-woman show turns a new spotlight on ‘Fun Home’ star PAGE 17
LGBT community reacts to violence in Virginia By Jeremy Rodriguez jeremy@epgn.com LGBT individuals and groups held and attended vigils and rallied last weekend after a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va., ended in violent riots, three deaths and dozens injured. Early Saturday, hundreds of demonstrators —including alt-right members and white supremacists — protested the city’s plan to remove a statue memorializing Civil War confederate Robert E. Lee. That afternoon, a car drove into a group of counter-protesters, killing 32-year-old Heather A CHARLOTTESVILLE VIGIL AUG. 13 AT THOMAS PAINE PLAZA D. Heyer. Police are holding Photo: Malcolm Kenyatta 20-year-old James Alex Fields for us to remember. Whether it’s a microaggresJr. on a second-degree murder charge for her death. Virginia State Police Lt. H. sion, whether it’s a policy that isn’t inclusive, Jay Cullen and Trooper-Pilot Berke M. M. Bates whether it’s an organizational leadership structure also died in a helicopter crash outside of the city that doesn’t actually represent the population — those are small little blocks that build up into this limits as they tried to arrive on scene. A number of vigils sprang up the next day, culture of hate and the president has condoned including one in Thomas Paine Plaza, which it with his words and actions, but also with his Malcolm Kenyatta, the co-chair of the Liberty inaction.” City Director of LGBT Affairs Amber Hikes City LGBT Democratic Club, attended. was also in attendance at the vigil at Thomas Kenyatta told PGN he feared more deaths would occur under President Donald Trump’s Paine Plaza. In an email to PGN, Hikes said the scenes she viewed of Charlotte were similar to leadership. “We really need to recognize the severity of those she saw while growing up in Georgia. Hikes what happened,” Kenyatta said. “Somebody died. said she was in high school as the Georgia State Somebody was murdered and the president of the Assembly debated the possible removal of the United States is complicit in that death. This is the Confederate flag from the Georgia state flag and PAGE 14 natural progression of hate and that is important the response was “essentially,
LGBT-friendly youth home gets green light By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com After weeks of potential roadblocks, planning is again moving forward for an LGBT-friendly youth-housing facility. At a bankruptcy hearing last week, North Philadelphia Health System selected Ironstone Real Estate Partners’ $8-million bid for its defunct Girard
Medical Center and adjoining properties. As part of the deal, Project HOME will pay $1.75 million to purchase two parcels — one for an LGBT-friendly youth residence and the second for a future residence for adults and youth. Ironstone’s bid wasn’t the highest — another company offered $10 million — but the winning offer came with no conditions on the sale.
Project HOME had been slated to break ground on the first building earlier this year but NPHS declared bankruptcy at the end of 2016, casting doubt on the project’s future. A judge earlier this summer exempted NPHS from its sale agreement with Project HOME and allowed the matter to proceed to the bankruptcy hearing. At the time, Project HOME told PGN it had already
invested $700,000 on environmental consultants, engineers, architects and attorneys relating to the project. The LGBT-friendly housing will feature 30 units for young adults at 1315 N. Eighth St. The project has a price tag of about $13 million, and Project HOME has lined up millions in city and state grants, tax credits and bond financing. n