On the edge of another Fringe
Family Portrait: Edward Strojan
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Incoming Archbishop Chaput: Gay marriage “doesn’t make any sense.”
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Sept. 2-8, 2011
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Vol. 35 No. 35
Hurricane hinders weekend in gay Philly Although Philadelphia was spared much of the destruction of Hurricane Irene, the storm inflicted countless headaches for the more-than 1,600 LGBT travelers in town for two national events and largely closed down the Saturday night club scene in the Gayborhood.
Gay journos see jump in attendance for Philly event
By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com Hurricane Irene blew through town Saturday night, leaving flooding, downed trees and throngs of deserted LGBT tourists in its wake. While Philadelphia was spared the brunt of the storm, the heavy rains and high winds forced the near shuttering of the Gayborhood and a barrage of LGBT event cancellations. The rain started coming in earnest Saturday afternoon and by 6 p.m., 12th Street Gym had closed up shop, with Woody’s following at 9, and Tabu closing around 11 p.m. Voyeur didn’t open for the night, while Venture Inn and ICandy remained operating throughout the storm, although the latter cancelled its Sunday brunch. Stephen Carlino, owner of Tavern on Camac and Uncles, closed his venues between 11 and 11:30 p.m. Despite the hurricane, both bars were pretty crowded Saturday night, Carlino said, and the closures cut the bars’ typical revenues by about 50 percent. PAGE 18 Before the storm,
By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com Reporters, bloggers, public-relations professionals and many more packed into Philadelphia’s Loews Hotel last weekend for an annual convention examining the intersection of LGBT and media issues. The National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association convention drew 355 guests from around the country, an increase of about 20 percent from last year’s conference. Michael Tune, NLGJA executive director, said there were likely numerous factors that influenced the attendance influx, including CALM DURING THE STORM: The Gayborhood looked like a ghost town Saturday night its location. PAGE 7 as many bars and businesses closed their doors early when Hurricane Irene made landfall in Philly. Aside from street flooding and downed trees, no major damage was reported in Center City from the storm or at local LGBT venues. Photo: Scott A. Drake
Phillies debut ‘It Gets Better’ video By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com
PHABULOUS PHILS: More than 850 LGBTs attended the ninth-annual Gay Community Night at the Phillies Aug. 26, with Bob Lenahan (left), commissioner of the City of Brotherly Love Softball League, throwing the first pitch. While the night, which included the premiere of the team’s “It Gets Better” video, was a win for the community, the Phils continued a tradition of gay-day losses, being defeated by the Florida Marlins 6-5. Photo: Scott A. Drake
The nearly 900 LGBT Phillies fans who attended Gay Community Night at Citizens Bank Park Friday were treated to the premiere of the team’s “It Gets Better” video. The LGBT-positive message was delivered on the big screen by Phillies celebs Chase Utley, John Mayberry Jr., Roy Halladay, Michael Stutes and Hunter Pence. The team joined a handful of other Major League Baseball clubs who have participated in the project, which collects videos that encourage LGBT youth to have hope for the future. The project was launched last fall amid a wave of LGBT youth suicides and has been gaining traction with professional sports
clubs in recent months. In the 30-second video, the players each delivered a few lines of the message: “There’s nothing easy about being young, about being yourself, about being an individual. Every day brings changes, challenges and emotion that helps define who you are. But something you should never experience is being bullied, intimidated or pressured to be someone or something you are not. The Philadelphia Phillies are proud to join ItGetsBetter.org to let all LGBT young people know that life gets better. We promise.” Jerome Hunt, a longtime Phillies fan, launched a petition this summer on Change. org to urge the team to participate in the project and welcomed its completion. “I think it was a great video,” Hunt said. “And I’m glad they delivPAGE 18
Philly comes out on top in women’s softball By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com Last weekend’s hurricane didn’t keep away the hundreds of lesbian softball players and their friends and family who braved the weather for a national softball competition. The world series of the Amateur Sports Alliance of North America brought 52 teams to Philadelphia, drawing a total crowd of about 1,300 people. Philadelphia’s City of Brotherly Love Softball League was dominant in the series, with local teams taking the top places in all three divisions. The NJ Gems won the B Division, Sunday’s Hangover tied with Atlanta’s Gamma for the top spot in the C Division and Simon’s 369ers came out on top in the D Division. Fort Lauderdale’s New PAGE 6