Philadelphia Gay News Honesty Integrity Professionalism
Sept. 3 - 9, 2010
PennDOT revises trans rules
LGBT biz protections coming By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer A loophole in the city’s nondiscrimination law that could expose LGBT business owners to antigay bias may be closed later this year. Currently, the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations, which investigates and adjudicates cases of discrimination, is permitted, by the city’s Fair Practices Ordinance, to accept employment, public accommodations and housing cases. The last category, however, has been interpreted to refer to residential housing and not commercial property, which could include an instance such as a business facing discrimination by a landlord. While the state nondiscrimination law does cover commercial-property cases, unlike the city law, it doesn’t include sexual orientation and gender identity, leaving the See LGBT BUSINESS, Page 8
Vol. 34 No. 36
By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer
BOOGIE OVER THE RAINBOW: Sixteen participants of this year’s Rainbow Boogie practice Aug. 28 before attempting to beat last year’s record of 12 LGBT skydivers in a single formation. The jump, which did not ultimately break the record, was in memory of Steve Harrington, one of last year’s jumpers who died in a skydiving accident last November. More than 45 LGBT jumpers and allies performed at least 400 jumps last weekend, and set a site record with 64 planeloads in a single day. The event is the world’s only organized gathering of LGBT skydivers and will return next August. Photo: Scott A. Drake
Out candidate wins grassroots nod By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer
THIRSTY THURSDAY: More than 50 volunteers were on hand at a dozen area bars and coffeeshops Aug. 26, as the LGBT and ally communities started their weekends early to support Philadelphia’s inaugural Bar AIDS. A portion of each participating establishment’s proceeds will be split among organizing groups ActionAIDS, Philadelphia FIGHT, Mazzoni Center and the Pennsylvania AIDS Law Project. Fundraising dollars are not yet finalized, but a raffle that was held at each of the locales brought in $5,000, which ActionAIDS executive director Kevin Burns said bodes well for total fundraising. The executive directors of the four beneficiaries, along with WMMR host Pierre Robert, stopped by each of the 12 venues on a bar crawl, and Burns said the crowds were impressive at each. “Everyone was having a great time at all the places we went to,” Burns said, noting that organizers are expecting to make Bar AIDS an annual event. Photos: Scott A. Drake
generate more votes than 11 other candidates from Pennsylvania. As a result of her win, Fern Kaufman, an openly lesbian candidate running for Kaufman is now listed the State House 26th District among the All-Star winners seat in Chester County, on the DFA website, and got a boost of support last her victory was announced week when she received the through an e-mail blast sent out by DFA chair endorsement of Jim Dean to all national grassPennsylvanians roots agency who voted in the Democracy For competition. America. Kaufman said DFA, founded her campaign by Howard applied for the Dean, launched D FA e n d o r s e its Grassroots ment several All-Stars contest months ago and last month that she was surprised allowed constituwhen she saw ents to mobilize for their choFERN KAUFMAN her name in the running for the sen candidates, with the highest vote-getter Pennsylvania Grassroots Allfrom each state garnering Star. the organization’s endorseSee KAUFMAN, Page 13 ment. Kaufman was able to
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation moved last week to relax its gender-marker rules, making it easier for transgender people to update their identification cards so they accurately reflect their gender identity. The new policy will require transgender individuals to present medical verification that they are living full-time as a certain gender in order for the “male” or “female” designation on their license or identification card to be changed. Previously, trans people had to have undergone sex-reassignment surgery in order for such a change to be implemented. Amara Chaudhry, legal director at Mazzoni Center, initiated the discussion with PennDOT last year when she oversaw the legal services at Equality Pennsylvania, and Ted Martin, Equality PA executive director, said his agency continued to press for the policy change for the past few months. Martin noted that PennDOT was very receptive to the concerns of Equality PA. “PennDOT was great to work with,” he said. “They were very open and very willing to talk about it. This was made much simpler because of their cooperation. They knew the issue, they did their homework and were very willing to listen to our points.” Craig Yetter, PennDOT spokesperson, said the department was motivated to act on this issue in light of similar regulation changes made at the federal level and in state agencies across the country. “The policy change follows a similar change implemented June 10, 2010, by the U.S. Department of State concerning gender markings for transgender persons issued a passport,” Yetter said, also noting that “26 other states and the District of Columbia currently do not require documentation of a sex-reassignment surgery before they will correct the gender marker on a transgender person’s driver’s license or identification card.” Martin said Equality PA stressed to PennDOT the need for Pennsylvania to remain on par with the current trends in the transportation industry. “If Pennsylvania were to stick with the old policy, transgender people would just no longer use their Pennsylvania drivSee PENNDOT, Page 9