World AIDS Day photos
Bucks for the holidays PAGE 33
PAGE 6
Family Portrait: Rusty Doll shines light on LGBT youth homelessness PAGE 35
Night of 100 Qweens aims to break Guinness World Record PAGE 5
Dec. 5-11, 2014
Since 1976
PGN Philadelphia Gay News Vol. 38 No. 49
HONESTY • INTEGRITY • PROFESSIONALISM
Family alleges HIV discrimination at PA practice
City seeks dismissal of police brutality suit By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com The city has asked a federal judge to dismiss the lawsuit of Luis A. Berrios 3d, a gay man who says Philadelphia police arrested him in a brutal and homophobic manner. In December 2010, police were summoned to Berrios’ Hunting Park residence, where Berrios was involved in a domestic dispute with his then-boyfriend. Rather than calming the situation, police allegedly hurled anti-LGBT slurs at the couple and used excessive force when arresting them, according to Berrios. In 2012, Berrios filed suit against the city, two police officers and a detective — alleging false arrest, false imprisonment, assault and battery, malicious prosecution and other charges. But last month, the city asked U.S. PAGE 23 District Judge C. Darnell
Center gears up for 40th anniversary
By Ryan Kasley ryan@epgn.com
BACKSTAGE BASS: Out NSYNC member Lance Bass (second from left) readied for his Pink Pub Crawl appearance Nov. 27 backstage at Trocadero Theatre. Before taking the stage, he met and greeted fans Brooke Robertson (counter-clockwise from left), Pink Pub Crawl organizer Bruce Yelk, Jen Colletta, Ashlee Turturro, Samantha Harris, Micheal Ward and event host Brittany Lynn. Bass performed in Philadelphia’s Thanksgiving Day Parade the following day. Photo: Scott A. Drake
By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com The William Way LGBT Community Center held its last public board meeting of the year last week, discussing plans for the organization’s upcoming 40th anniversary. The meeting was held Nov. 25 at the center, 1315 Spruce St. Board members in attendance included Steve Brando, Anh Dang, Chris Durr, Rudy Flesher, Amber Hikes, Adam Hymans, Mandeep Jangi, Bob Lenahan, Jeff Sotland, Paul Steinke, Leona Thomas, Candice Thompson and Laurie Ward. Members Jocelyn Block, Tricia Dressel, Kim Keegan and Marshall Siegel were absent. Executive director Chris Bartlett reported on the center’s upcoming anniversary. The center was incorporated in 1975, so it will celebrate its 40th anniversary in the New Year. The organization will launch its anniversary logo and materials at the Cornerstone Brunch and Annual Meeting Jan. 10, as well as unveil 40 stories from constituents that capture the center’s long-term impact. Bartlett also announced the hiring of Will PAGE 21 Jordan as the center’s
A NEW AUDIENCE: The Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus made history last week as the first-ever LGBT contingent to participate in the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade. The chorus performed “Jingle Bells” outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art, a performance that was telecast live on 6ABC. The chorus, which stages its holiday concert this weekend, is now in talks with parade organizers to participate in this year’s Fourth of July parade. Photo: Scott A. Drake
A local HIV/AIDS agency filed suit on World AIDS Day against a private Lancaster County medical practice for its refusal to treat an HIV-positive man. The AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania brought the suit against Stephen G. Diamantoni, M.D., & Associates Family Practice, co-owned by the Lancaster County coroner, Dec. 1 on behalf of a man, his wife and daughter. In the suit, the family chose to be identified as Husband Jones, Wife Jones and Daughter Jones, to protect the identity of their underage daughter. The suit contends the practice violated the Americans with Disabilities Act, specifically by denying the husband and wife public accommodations based on his HIV status, as well as intentionally inflicting emotional distress on all three. AIDS Law Project executive director Ronda Goldfein said the agency hoped to bring attention to the fact that discrimination is still alive and well by filing the complaint on World AIDS Day. “One of the components of why AIDS is still such a problem is discrimination,” Goldfein, co-counsel on the case, said. “The stigma that people with AIDS face fuels the epidemic. “Jones is just a conscientious family man,” Goldfein added. “He never expected to get shut out of a doctor’s office because he is HIV-positive.” According to the complaint, Dr. Jeffrey Trost delivered a letter to Husband Jones Oct. 8, 2013, four days after the patient had blood drawn for the first time at the office. The letter stated that Jones left large amounts of blood in the office bathroom, “all over the sink, walls and floor,” and proceeded to ask him and his family to leave the practice. “It seems you may not have appropriate concern for those who would like to take care of you and those around you,” the letter concluded. It was signed by one of the practice’s owners, Dr. William Vollmar. “This outrageous story is just a false PAGE 12 pretext for denying care