pgn Philadelphia Gay News LGBT NEWS SINCE 1976
Vol. 40 No. 38 Sept. 16-22, 2016
HONESTY • INTEGRITY • PROFESSIONALISM
Faith has many forms
Faith leaders share a good word
John Bright brings church history to life PAGE 28
PAGE 21-25
PAGE 23
High court appears receptive to LGBT rights By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com
GAYBINGO! OPENED ITS 21ST SEASON SEPT. 10 WITH AN “ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS” THEME AND PLENTY OF ENTHUSIASM. Photo: Scott A. Drake
AIDS Fund revamps structure to focus on individual, not agencies “We looked at the current environment and this is where we want to head moving forward.” By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com The Philadelphia AIDS Walk marks its 30th anniversary next month, with a new fundraising strategy in place that mirrors a change at the organization that stages the annual event. Proceeds from this year’s walk, on Oct. 16, will support organizer AIDS Fund’s revamped focus on emergency assistance for people with HIV/AIDS. Previously, HIV/AIDS organizations could put forth a team to raise funds earmarked for their agencies. The change in the fundraising structure is in line with the organization discontinuing its grantmaking for HIV/AIDS agencies in
the region. Instead, AIDS Fund executive director Robb Reichard told PGN, all efforts will be focused on providing emergency funds directly to people impacted by HIV/AIDS. “This is an unmet need in our community we want to address,” he said. “We looked at the current environment and this is where we want to head moving forward.” The organization is in the process of creating a committee that includes medical-case managers from several organizations to help develop policies and procedures for the fund distribution. “We want it to be flexible. That’s our goal,” Reichard said about what
types of emergencies people could use the funds for. “Typical things we’re hearing are things like assistance with rent or utilities. Also, there’s a huge need for people to get just $50 to get a state ID so they can access services. Unless you have a state-issued ID, you can’t get services, so for some people, $50 can change your life.” The emergency-fund plan will roll out in 2017. When asked about how the change will impact organizations that previously benefitted from their teams’ walk proceeds, Reichard referenced the evolving environment for HIV/AIDS agencies. “Here’s the reality: When the AIDS Walk started 30 years PAGE 13
All seven members of the state Supreme Court appeared supportive of LGBT rights during this week’s hearing on an antibias dispute involving SEPTA. The region’s mass-transit agency doesn’t want to be under the jurisdiction of the city’s Human Relations Commission, which enforces the city’s LGBT-inclusive antibias law. Instead, it claims that, as a state agency, it’s under the jurisdiction of state and federal civil-rights agencies, whose antibias law don’t extend to LGBTs. The city claims SEPTA is a major part of the city, and should comply with its
laws. The litigation has ensued for seven years. The city received a favorable ruling in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court but two unfavorable rulings in Commonwealth Court. During a 40-minute hearing Sept. 13, the high court appeared receptive to the city’s position. City attorney Richard G. Feder said SEPTA has 9,000 employees and 600,000 riders daily, all of whom deserve comprehensive antibias protections. He said SEPTA shouldn’t minimize its role in city affairs. “The city comes to a halt without SEPTA [running],” Feder said. Feder also noted the city’s vanguard role in protecting civil rights.
He said the city established its Human Relation Commission years before the state established its own. “The interests of the city would be tremendously damaged,” Feder said, if the court exempts SEPTA from the city’s antibias jurisdiction. Speaking on behalf of SEPTA, attorney Patrick M. Northen said: “The [state] General Assembly didn’t intend to subject SEPTA to local anti-discrimination ordinances.” If the court rules against SEPTA, Northen said, the city could interfere with SEPTA’s operations by ordering it to deploy sufficient resources in minority communities. But the just i c e s d i d n ’t PAGE 20
Hearing on LGBT antibias bills postponed The Senate State Government Committee has postponed a public hearing on the Pennsylvania Fairness Act and a separate bill to extend LGBT nondiscrimination protections in public accommodations. Gwenn Dando, executive director of the committee, said members have not yet selected a new date for the hearing, which had been set for Sept. 26 in Harrisburg. “We want to look at the testimony that’s already been given and see what holes need to be filled,” she told PGN this week. “We want to make sure we have good panels put together. We don’t want to repeat exactly what Labor and Industry did.” The Labor and Industry Committee held a hearing last month at which 18 people testified and more than 700 people sent written comments. Several times during the Labor and Industry hearing, committee chair Sen. Lisa Baker (R) reminded panelists not to discuss trans people’s access to restrooms and instead focus on employment. Because public accommodations include bathrooms, it’s likely the State Government
Committee hearing will include a fair amount of talk about the issue, particularly from conservative groups that oppose adding LGBT-nondiscrimination protections to the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act. When asked if the committee was worried about long and heated discussions about bathrooms, Dando said, “We haven’t brought up that concern yet.” She said the committee wants to figure out what focus the hearing should have, noting the Pennsylvania Fairness Act proposes protections in public accommodations as well as housing and employment. Dando said her boss — Sen. Mike Folmer (R), who chairs the State Government Committee — mainly has concerns about religious liberty. She said the committee has been conducting ongoing stakeholder needs assessments to make sure all viewpoints are represented by invited panelists. A Senate committee approved an LGBThousing antibias bill in June, and it awaits action from the full Senate. n — Paige Cooperstein