pgn Philadelphia Gay News LGBT NEWS SINCE 1976
Vol. 41 No. 41 Oct. 13-19, 2017
Dept. of Justice rolls back LGBT rights PAGE 2
Family Portrait: Séamus Egan Tyler still walks the Walk
HONESTY • INTEGRITY • PROFESSIONALISM
LGBT History Month
Salutes to Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin, Kay Lahusen and ally John Lewis
PAGE 35
PAGES 14, 15, 19
LGBT flicks take center stage at Philadelphia Film Festival PAGE 29
Sheriff’s directive aims to advance trans safety By Jeremy Rodriguez jeremy@epgn.com A n ew d i r e c t iv e f r o m the Philadelphia Sheriff ’s Department strives to ensure the safety of transgender individuals. Sheriff Jewell Williams signed “Interaction with Transgender Individuals” during a press conference Oct. 6 at City Hall, making his the first sheriff ’s department in Pennsylvania to implement such a policy. The order establishes guidelines for Sheriff’s Department employees to interact with transgender individuals during apprehension, arrest, custody, housing and transport. It requires officers to address individuals by their chosen name, rather than the name
listed on their government ID, and by their chosen pronouns. Additionally, it requires that all personnel, “when uncertain,” ask the individual which pronouns are preferred. Trans-identifying inmates and arrestees will fill out a “Transgender/Gender-Variant Statement of Search” form, which includes questions about gender identity and whether they prefer to be searched by a male or female officer while in custody. At last Friday’s event, Deputy Sheriff Dante Austin thanked the members of the LGBT community who helped move the directive forward. Among those in attendance were Commission on LGBT Affairs members Deja Lynn Alvarez, Barrett Marshal PAGE 24 and Kae
By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com
EYEWITNESSES: Sheriff Jewell Williams signs the “Interaction with Transgender Individuals” directive Oct. 6 in out Judge Dan Anders’ courtroom as staff, advocates and proponents look on. The directive sets protocol for interaction with trans individuals by Sheriff’s Department officers. The directive went into effect immediately. Photo: Scott A. Drake
OutFest proves strong, despite rain and protests By Jeremy Rodriguez jeremy@epgn.com Despite sporadic rain showers, more than 25,000 people attended Outfest Oct. 9, said Philly Pride Presents Executive Director Franny Price. “The rain didn’t dampen anybody’s spirits,” she said. Price added that while 174 groups registered to have a table for the 27th-annual event, only 28 did not show up. “I’m sure there were some people who woke up, saw rain and went back to sleep,” she added. “But all of the performers showed up as well. Everybody was just wonderful.” However, Price also noted what she called the “worst-ever” anti-LGBT protesters. She said they were initially in front of Mazzoni Center’s Washington West Project Rapid Testing Clinic but the police asked them to move across the street to not interfere with conversations between workers and clients. Officer Troy Brown told PGN in an email that no arrests were made. “To sit there and see the signs and hear the things they were saying — about con-
Boxers accepts $47,500 to settle federal case against city
THE REV. JEFFREY JORDAN OF WHOSOEVER MCC DELIVERED A MESSAGE OF CHRISTIAN LOVE AND ACCEPTANCE TO PROTESTER’S CRIES OF HATE AND CONDEMNATION. MORE OUTFEST PHOTOS ON PAGES 12-13. Photo: Scott A. Drake
doms; they had signs that said ‘Got AIDS yet?’ or ‘Go to Hell Homosexuals and Muslims’ — was so terrible,” Price said.
Conversely, Price said the onstage entertainment was uplifting. Among the PAGE 12 highlights were the
Boxers PHL, a Gayborhood sports bar that claimed anti-LGBT bias motivated city officials to order the removal of its roof deck, recently agreed on a $47,500 city payment to settle its federal lawsuit. On Sept. 26, the case was officially resolved after a settlement conference with U.S. Magistrate Judge Marilyn Heffley. “It was in the parties’ best interests to settle on mutually agreeable terms,” said Mike Dunn, a spokesperson for the Kenney administration. Wally Zimolong, an attorney for Boxers, said his clients are happy with the settlement. “We always prefer to resolve these matters amicably,” Zimolong said. “And that’s what happened in this case. Both parties reached an amicable resolution. Hopefully, the city will improve its practices, and other business owners won’t find themselves in a similar situation in the future.” Located at 1330 Walnut St., the popular LGBT venue’s owners claimed they were treated in a homophobic manner when city officials ordered the building’s roof deck removed. Boxers filed suit in April, contending that non-LGBT bars in the area weren’t subjected to similar treatment. Numerous city officials were named as defendants, including city Department of Licenses and Inspections Commissioner David Perri and various members of the city’s Zoning Board of Adjustment. Prior to the settlement, city attorneys asked U.S. District Judge Juan R. Sanchez to toss out the case as meritless. The request was pending when the settlement was announced. n