Walking the antibullying message into Philly
Local LGBT victories prove key
Family Portrait: Mark Beyerle says it’s all in the details
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Alex Newell on coming out, “Glee” and The Attic PAGE 5 Nov. 8-14, 2013
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Vol. 37 No. 45
PA gets first gay mayor
ENDA clears key vote with Toomey support By Angela Thomas angela@epgn.com
By Angela Thomas angela@epgn.com
RESTORING, RENEWING: Hundreds assembled at 22nd and Ellsworth streets Nov. 2 for the unveiling of the restoration of Keith Haring’s “We the Youth” mural, spearheaded by the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program. Haring, a native of Reading who grew up in Kutztown, was an openly gay pop artist who focused much of his work on the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Haring died in 1990, and his “We the Youth” work is his only collaborative effort still intact at its original site. For more coverage of the restoration, see p. 15. Photo: Scott A. Drake
Veto saves partner-benefits proposal By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com Lehigh County is on the cusp of joining the handful of Pennsylvania municipalities that offer same-sex spouses of government employees benefits equal to those of heterosexual married couples. The latest turn in the debate came last week when Lehigh County Executive Matt Croslis overturned an earlier action by Republican county commissioners that stripped the benefits proposal from Croslis’ county budget. It would take a vote by six of the nine commissioners to override Croslis’ veto, which does not appear likely, as the original benefits proposal was rejected by a 5-4 vote. The board will meet again Nov. 13. �� Croslis first proposed the benefits plan earlier this fall. It was included in the 2014 budget as a $219,000 line item, although Croslis told PGN he expects the actual cost
for the program to be much lower. The measure would mandate that the county provide the same benefits to married same-sex partners of county employees that it currently provides to married opposite-sex partners. Lehigh County has approximately 2,000 employees. Along with vetoing the amendment stripping the benefits proposal, Croslis also vetoed three other amendments, which would have cut staff from the county court and technology department and funding for a regional crime center. Currently, Philadelphia, Allentown, Easton, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg and State College offer benefits to same-sex partners of employees, although those programs extend to non-married same-sex domestic partners; the proposed Lehigh County measure would be limited to same-sex couples married in jurisdictions that sanction samesex marriage. ■
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2013
This week, the U.S. Senate took the country one step closer to ending LGBT workplace discrimination. On Nov. 4, the Senate voted for cloture for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, legislation that would protect Americans from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in public and private workplaces. Debate on the bill began the following day, and a full Senate vote is expected by today. Currently, it is legal in 33 states for a worker to be fired based on his or her gender identity and legal in 29 states for someone to be fired for sexual orientation. Pennsylvania does not offer LGBT workplace protections. The bill, which was co-sponsored by Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, passed the cloture vote with support from all Senate Democrats and seven Republican supporters — including Pennsylvania’s Sen. Pat Toomey. The final vote was 61-30. Supporters needed 60 votes to achieve cloture and effectively block a potential filibuster. On Wednesday, Toomey introduced an amendment to strengthen and expand the bill’s already-existing religious exemption. Toomey, who opposes marriage equality, was pressed by local LGBT advocates through in-person visits, phone calls and electronic communications in the past few weeks. In an open letter to Toomey last week, out state Rep. Brian Sims (D-182nd Dist.) asked for his support, stating that the bill “does not create special rights, but simply includes hardworking LGBT people among the categories of Americans which the government is already protecting from employment discrimination.” In a statement Monday night, Sims applauded Casey and Toomey for their support. “I have long believed that civil rights cannot be a one-party issue. Sen. Casey has supported LGBT civil rights from nondiscrimination to marriage equality, and I am PAGE 25 proud to see him continue
Check out this year’s winners! — page 29
Tuesday’s election saw a number of LGBT firsts — including the first out mayor in Pennsylvania. Ron Strouse of Doylestown defeated Republican opponent Bruce Rutherford to become the Keystone State’s first openly LGBT mayor. Strouse, 65, is a native of the Doylestown area and has lived in the borough for more than a decade. He is a chef and manages two local restaurants and also chairs the Doylestown Human Relations Commission. “Electing LGBT candidates is incredibly important,” said Equality Pennsylvania president Adrian Shanker. “It means we have a seat at the table and that when local issues related to LGBT equality come up, we know NEWLY ELECTED DOYLESTOWN we have an advocate. MAYOR RON Ron Strouse will be STROUSE an excellent mayor for Doylestown and it was an important win for the LGBT community for Doylestown to elect their first openly gay mayor.” In New Jersey, Republican Don Guardian unseated longtime incumbent Lorenzo Langford to take the helm of Atlantic City. Guardian is the city’s first openly LGBT mayor. Other LGBT mayoral candidates weren’t successful, with losses for New Hope’s Donna Deely, Lansdale’s Doug DiPasquale and Hatboro’s Bill Godshall. Out Harrisburg City Controller Dan Miller ran on the Republican ticket after losing to Democratic challenger Eric Papenfuse in the primary, but Papenfuse defeated Miller this week. In Loyalsock Township PAGE 25