Philadelphia Gay News Vol. 34 No. 38
Honesty Integrity Professionalism
Sept. 17 - 23, 2010
Investigation continues in N. Philly killing
Historic church OKed for demolition By Timothy Cwiek PGN Writer-at-Large An historically designated Catholic church owned by a local AIDS service agency is about to become history itself. Siloam wants to raze the Church of the Assumption, 1133 Spring Garden St., on the basis that the building isn’t economically viable and in danger of potential collapse. In a 6-5 vote Sept. 10, the City’s Historical Commission granted the request, saying it would be unreasonable to expect Siloam to continue trying to sell or rent the building. Siloam provides alternative treatments for HIV/ AIDS, including yoga, massage, nutritional counseling and stress-reduction therapies. It serves about 1,000 clients with an annual budget of about $700,000. Joseph A. Lukach, Siloam executive director, said he was grateful for and relieved by the commission’s vote, but he also expressed sadness that a beautiful structure will be demolished. See DEMOLITION, Page 22
By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer
See SENIORS, Page 14
See KILLING, Page 15
GAY FOR GAGA: The day before Lady Gaga took home a host of moonmen at the MTV Video Music Awards — and wore her now-(in)famous “meat dress” — the Bingo Verifying Divas put on their own Gaga garb for the season’s first GayBINGO. AIDS Fund stages the monthly event, now in its 15th year, to raise money for area HIV/AIDS organizations. During the event, Philly AIDS Thrift presented the agency with a check for $8,000, bringing the store’s total contributions to AIDS Fund in its five years in business to more than $200,000. Photo: Scott A. Drake
Senior center project takes next step By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer
RESULTS AND RESOURCES: Brian Benton (left) and Luis Hernandez signed up for free HIV testing, offered during the COLOURS Organization’s Community Education Night Sept. 14 at the COLOURS office. In addition to testing services, the event offered HIV-prevention and treatment information and the screening of the film “Life Support.” COLOURS will stage another testing event and mini-ball from 5:30-9 p.m. Sept. 27 at the William Way LGBT Community Center, 1315 Spruce St. Photo: Scott A. Drake
tions for selection to OHCD. Accompanying the OHCD proposal were letters of support from U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and U.S. Rep. Bob Brady (D-Pa.). “I’m pleased to see that this project continues to move forward and am doing what I can to help,” Casey said. “There is a true need for safe and supportive housing for older Philadelphians in the LGBT community. This project can be a major step toward filling that need.” Karen Warrington, Brady’s communications director, said the congressman believes “the housing project is important because the LGBT community’s need for affordable housing has long been ignored.” Warrington said Brady is working to release an additional $1.5 million in federal stimulus funds for the project. The initiative has also seen support from city and state elected officials. First District City Councilman Frank DiCicco, whose territory encompasses the Gayborhod, said
No arrests had been made as of Wednesday in connection with the death of a local woman outside an LGBT party earlier this month. Alisha Moore, 27, was killed when a car driven by two women struck her and several other people standing outside Club Motivation, Eighth and Dauphin streets, around 4:30 a.m. Sept. 4. The club, also known as The Breakfast Club, stages ballroom events every Friday. Police spokesperson Sgt. Ray Evers said investigators are still waiting for toxicology reports and reinterviewing witnesses. “This is definitely not on the backburner,” Evers said. “There is a lot of evidence and some things that will come out after the investigation is completed that will shine light on why this is taking a little longer. We don’t want to make a quick arrest and have some things come out through interviews and testimony that should have come out earlier. We want to make sure things are nice and tight, and then the chips will fall where they may at that point.” The women in the car were reportedly prevented from entering the club, and a fight ensued before they allegedly drove the car into the crowd several times. Both were detained at the scene but later released. The club’s owner, Kadella Davis, aka Mother Breakfast, who was injured in the incident, has hosted the event for several decades in locations throughout the city. The city’s Department of Licenses & Inspections reported no violations against the establishment. It is unclear whether the suspects were involved in the ballroom community, but Brian Green, executive director of The Safeguards Project, said he has noticed tensions building among members of different houses throughout the summer. He said the problems often stem from “highschool stuff” that all teens experience, but it has led to numerous verbal and physical altercations on 13th Street in the past few months. “It starts by someone saying something that’s taken as offensive, something about so-and-so having sex with someone else and then there’s talking behind their backs. The youth are interacting with each other across the house lines, so gossip spreads among people that aren’t in the group they hang out with,” Green explained, noting that the verbal and physical confrontations that follow are reflective of a larger pandemic. “Young people aren’t raised today
Organizers of the city’s proposed LGBT senior housing project filed their first application for funding last week. The Dr. Magnus Hirschfield Fund, which is spearheading the project, submitted the proposal to the city’s Office of Housing and Community Development Sept. 10. OHCD spokesperson Paul Chrystie said the agency received about 20 filings in response to its request for proposals for affordable rental-house development. Several of the proposals could be selected to share the $8.5-million funds available through the program. The $20-million LGBT project would establish the nation’s second housing complex for lowincome LGBT seniors in the building adjoining the William Way LGBT Community Center. Chrystie said the approval process consists of an inter-agency review, incorporating representatives of several city departments who will then make recommenda-