pgn Philadelphia Gay News LGBT NEWS SINCE 1976
Vol. 42 No. 47 Nov. 23-29, 2018
Family Portrait: Welcome to the jungle PAGE 27
No Place like Rehoboth for the holidays PAGE 28
HONESTY • INTEGRITY • PROFESSIONALISM
More Mazzoni Center
Jingle bell rock! Your holiday event gift guide PAGE 23
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Trans woman pleads guilty in firefighter incident
Threat to gay nightclubs shakes community
By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com Kate Lynn Blatt, a Pottsville trans woman, last week pleaded guilty to assaulting two firefighters during a dispute on her property last year. On Dec. 23, Blatt got into an altercation with the firefighters on the 400 block of Claude A. Lord Boulevard in Pottsville. The firefighters were there to extinguish a fire inside a garage on property owned by Blatt. Blatt told PGN one of the firefighters touched her breasts inappropriately after the fire was extinguished, and that she acted in self defense by pushing him away. A fracas with other firefighters ensued that wasn’t her fault, she added. “These men acted like a group of hoodlums and thugs,” Blatt said. “I still fear for my life.” The plea agreement was approved by Schuylkill County Common Pleas Judge Cyrus P. Dolbin during a Nov. 14 court proceeding in the county courthouse. Blatt initially was charged with two felonies and five misdemeanors including aggravated assault and resisting arrest. Under the terms of the agreement, Blatt pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors. She was sentenced to 18 months of probation and must report to a probation officer on a regular basis, according to court records. “I had no other choice other than to accept the plea agreement,” Blatt told PGN. “I was faced with at least 10 years in a male prison if I didn’t plead guilty to the two misdemeanors.” PGN obtained police body-cam footage of Blatt’s arrest, which shows police and firefighters repeatedly misgendering Blatt, though she promptly identified herself as a female. Police officers and firefighters referred to her as “he-she,” “him-her,” “dude” and “that.” One of the responding officers told Blatt to “shut the fuck up,” adding “you move, you’re getting fucking tased.” Spokespersons for the Pottsville Fire Department and the Pottsville Police Department had no comment for this story. n
By Adriana Fraser adriana@epgn.com
RAISING THE ROOF: Nasir Fears, a Project HOME resident, addressed a crowd of more than 350 people at Project HOME’s “Raise the Roof” fundraiser Nov. 14 at the construction site of the Gloria Casarez Residence, located at 1315 N. 8th St. Proceeds will go to the residence, expected to be move-in-ready by January. “I am excited that Project HOME is opening Pennsylvania’s first LGBT-friendly youth building,” Fears said. “I know the Gloria Casarez Residence will give other people the opportunities that I had.” For the full story, go to Page 2.
Khalif announces candidacy for a seat on Philadelphia City Council By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com Asa Khalif, a local activist who recently declared his candidacy for a seat on Philadelphia City Council, said one of his first official acts if elected will be to introduce a resolution calling for public hearings in the Nizah Morris case. “It’s one of the top priorities for me,” Khalif told PGN. “We’re going to find out what happened to Nizah Morris — whether the police like it or not. They have the information and we’re going to get it from them.” He noted that City Council has subpoena power and can require police and other authorities to participate in the hearings. In December 2002, Morris, a trans woman of color, died under suspicious circum-
stances after receiving a Center City courtesy ride from Philadelphia police. Khalif said he was a friend of Morris who remains concerned about her unsolved homicide for almost 16 years. “If the police gave Morris such a loving, courteous ride, why are we having so much trouble getting information from them?” he asked. “You’d think they’d be transparent and release everything.” On Nov. 13, Khalif announced his candidacy for one of five Democrat “at-large” seats on City Council. His announcement received a significant amount of local media coverage. Khalif is busily preparing for the May 2019 primary election, which will determine whether he gets a seat on council. City Council, which is Philadelphia’s governing body, is composed of 17 seats. All PAGE 14
A threat to “shoot up” Woody’s and Voyeur Nightclub is leaving community members questioning their safety while they enjoy the Gayborhood’s night life. A screenshot of a text message about the threat from an unknown sender was shared on various social-media sites Nov. 15. The message, in part, read: “I just got a call from my cop cousin saying they received intel about a white male [who said] he was going to shoot up Woody’s or Voyeur. He used the term ‘mass shooting.’” The Philadelphia Police Department notified Woody’s management Nov. 12 that a patron reported the threat — made by his ex-boyfriend — to the Central Detectives Unit. The suspect, 22, was a regular at Woody’s and Voyeur who was banned from both establishments for “rude, disruptive and inappropriate behavior,” according to a joint Facebook post Nov. 16 by both bars. The Facebook post also mentioned that Woody’s management team was working with the PPD and Homeland Security and “determined through a preliminary investigation that the individual in question was not in possession of firearms … and was not an immediate threat to the community.” No arrests were made. After being notified of the threat, Woody’s and Voyeur closed Nov. 12 to “ensure the safety of customers and staff,” the statement said. Both establishments reopened the next day following extensive police surveillance of the 13th Street corridor. Undercover police officers were also on patrol in the area. “In such uncertain times, you wouldn’t think a threat would come from a member of our community, but now the unthinkable has happened. A hollow threat was made by a former customer and it’s spreading through social media,” the Woody’s and Voyeur joint statement read. Jesse Cohen, an attorney who represents Woody’s, told PGN that the bars have always had PAGE 19