Philadelphia Gay News Nov. 26 - Dec. 2, 2010
Honesty Integrity Professionalism
Power shift to impact Philly, LGBTs
Settlement on hold in Scouts case By Timothy Cwiek PGN Writer-at-Large Last spring, when former city official Joyce Wilkerson was asked if she would support the Scouts’ eviction from a city-owned building even if it meant Philadelphia losing $65 million annually in federal assistance, she answered affirmatively. “The city has a clear policy, a city ordinance, that prohibits discrimination,” Wilkerson said. “It doesn’t say, ‘Prohibited unless it’s going to cost the city some money.’” Wilkerson, who once served as chief of staff to former Mayor John F. Street, was testifying at the federal jury trial about the Scouts’ contention that their eviction is unconstitutional. Now, some LGBT activists are criticizing the city for not adhering to that same principle with a settlement plan that was made public last week. Instead, they say, Mayor Nutter is willing to sell a building to the Boy Scouts Cradle of Liberty Council so they can discriminate on private property — partly in reaction to the Scouts’ threat of a $1-million legal bill. “The mayor said [earlier in the litigation] that there are certain principles on which the city would stand, and those principles have been abandoned,” said Andrew A. Chirls, a member of the LGBT Working Group, which has been trying to resolve the dispute for years. In September, the city Law Department and the BSA Cradle of Liberty Council reached a tentative settlement of the federal lawsuit. They agreed that the property at 231251 N. 22nd St. is worth $1.1 million, and should be sold to the Scouts for $500,000; in return, the Scouts would relinquish their right to seek attorneys’ fees from the city. But the sale requires City Council approval and, so far, no council member has introduced legislation to finalize the sale. City Councilman Darrell L. Clarke, whose district encompasses the building, said he won’t introduce legislation enabling the sale until more of his constituents convey their views. “I have 150,000 bosses: the people in my district,” Clarke told PGN. “They’re the ones who can tell me what to do.” The deal, if consummated, would mark
Vol. 34 No. 47
By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer
HATRED HITTING HOME: The University of Pennsylvania’s LGBT Center hosted its first-ever Transgender Day of Remembrance memorial service Nov. 20 on Penn’s campus, where LGBTs and allies came together to pay tribute to transgender community members who’ve been victims of violence. Malik (standing), the boyfriend of Stacey Blahnik, a local transgender leader who was murdered last month, spoke to the crowd about the true impact of transphobia. Photo: Scott A. Drake
Lancaster disbands Human Relations Commission By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer
Despite months of backlash by civilrights activists, the Lancaster County Commission last week voted to disband the county’s panel that investigates discrimination complaints. The commission voted 2-1 Nov. 17 to repeal the law that authorized its Human Relations Commission, which accepted discrimination cases involving race, color, religion, creed, ancestry, national origin, sex, age or disability. Activists had recently been pressing for the law to be expanded to include sexual orientation and gender-identity protections, but two of the commissioners announced their intention to disband the commission shortly after that effort began. The county operated a joint Human Relations Commission with the city of Lancaster from 1962-91, when the city moved to include sexual orientation in its nondiscrimination law and the two split into separate commissions. Commissioners Scott Martin and Dennis Stuckey, both Republicans, advocated for the shuttering of the commission, claiming it would save taxpayers $500,000 a year. Martin and Stuckey argued that those who See SETTLEMENT, Page 26 faced discrimination could file complaints
with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, located in Harrisburg. Commissioner Craig Lehman opposed the shuttering of the commission. The commission held a series of public hearings in the past few months, during which the vast majority of public witnesses testified against the closing of the agency. Adanjesus Marin, an organizer of the effort to oppose the closing, said the two commissioners appeared to be unwavering in their intent to close the agency since the inception of the plan. “When this proposal was first made, it became clear that the commissioners had little concern with what public opinion was,” Marin said. “This proposal was made in a way that was very different from other proposals that have been made to save money since these commissioners have been in office. Generally there are a number of investigations, but this was the first one made without any study or deep discussion. From the beginning, their goal was to eliminate local civil-rights enforcement.” Marin said that during last Wednesday’s hearing, only two audience members spoke in favor of closing the commission, and both referenced the need to prevent the nondiscrimination ordinance from becoming See DISBANDING, Page 17
Following the midterm election earlier this month, Pennsylvania legislators cast their own ballots for a series of leadership positions over the last few weeks, setting up a state legislature that is going to look decidedly different next year. Republicans gained control of the Pennsylvania House in the election, joining the already-Republican-controlled Senate. In the House, GOP lawmakers elected Rep. Sam Smith (R-66th Dist.) to serve as Speaker and Rep. Mike Turzai (R-28th Dist.) as majority leader. House Democrats selected Rep. Frank Dermody (D-33rd Dist.) as minority leader and Senate Democrats chose Sen. Jay Costa (D-43rd Dist.) as that chamber’s minority leader. The power shift in the state legislature swung away from Philadelphia with the election, as the House Speaker, majority and minority leaders and Senate minority leader all hail from the western part of the state, as does Gov.-elect Tom Corbett (R). Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission chair Steve Glassman said balanced representation from around the state is best for the legislature, but the local community will have to work with what has been presented. “I think it is wise to have geographic See CHANGES, Page 27
World AIDS Day supplement Pages 33-40