pgn Philadelphia Gay News LGBT NEWS SINCE 1976
Day to End Violence set to illuminate trans sex-workers’ plight
Vol. 42 No. 50 Dec. 14-20, 2018
HONESTY • INTEGRITY • PROFESSIONALISM
Family Portrait: Chad Harp offers hope for the holidays
2018 holiday gift ideas
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Man turns himself in after allegedly assaulting lesbian By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com A man turned himself in to authorities Dec. 10, three days after police issued a wanted alert for his arrest via social and news media. Shurland Millington was charged this week with simple assault and reckless endangerment stemming from a January 2018 incident with Ronnessa Edwards, who says she is the victim of a hate crime. Millington, 39, was released on his own recognizance Dec. 11 without having to pay any bail. His next court date is set for Jan. 10, according to court records. Last month, Edwards reached out to PGN, expressing concern that as a lesbian, she was victimized by a violent hate crime, yet her assailant hadn’t been arrested. “I’m grateful that once PGN started asking questions, the police took more action,” Edwards said this week. “Other victims whose justice is being delayed should consider going to media outlets to get the police to do their jobs.” In a Dec. 7 email, a Philadelphia police spokesperson said numerous attempts had been made to arrest Millington prior to
police issuing a wanted alert. “Since obtaining the arrest warrant [in April], detective personnel have made numerous attempts to apprehend Mr. Millington,” wrote Capt. Sekou Kinebrew. “In addition, the warrant information has been provided to various patrol and special patrol components within the [police] department, including the Highway Patrol Unit. These entities have also made multiple attempts to locate and apprehend Mr. Millington.” Ben Waxman, a spokesman for the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, confirmed that a warrant for Millington’s arrest was approved in April. “Our office did approve an arrest warrant” for Millington on April 7, Waxman said. “Beyond that, this is still an active investigation and therefore I am unable to comment further.” Edwards, 36, an investigator with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, provided the following version of events leading up to the alleged assault: On Jan. 27, she attended a dance party at DeLink Social Club on the 4100 block of Germantown Avenue. Millington also was in attendance and allegedly punched Edwards twice — on the left and right sides of her face — after she took a sip from a bottle of water that she thought belonged to a relative. Millington “walked up to me and said something to the effect that it was his water,” Edwards told PGN. “I told him I could get him another bottle of water. The next thing I remember, he punched me twice in the face.” PAGE 13
PASSYUNK PARTY: Queers On The Avenue (QOTA) partied at Urban Jungle on Passyunk Avenue on Dec. 6, bringing more than 100 people to the landscaping center for holiday foods, Christmas spirits, Pin the Tail on the Reindeer and a DIY ornament craft table. Open to everyone, the QOTA parties continue regularly throughout 2019 and information can be found on Facebook under QOTA. Photo: Scott A. Drake
More moves at Mazzoni Center as board loses two members By Kristen Demilio editor@epgn.com Mazzoni Center’s board of directors has lost two more members, with the secretary recently ousted in a majority vote and a second member resigning Tuesday, PGN has learned. The departures from the board are the latest in an ongoing drain of institutional
memory from the beleaguered agency, the largest LGBT-focused health facility in the Philadelphia area. CEO Lydia Gonzalez Sciarrino resigned last month after just seven months on the job. COO Ron Powers also announced his departure at the same time after more than 20 years in the position. Both resignations are effective Dec. 28. The board of direcPAGE 13
Philadelphia comedian Kevin Hart in Oscars controversy By Victoria A. Brownworth PGN Contributor Philadelphia actor and comedian Kevin Hart was named to co-host the upcoming 91st annual Academy Awards, but within 48 hours withdrew after outcry over his past history of homophobic comedy routines and postings on social media. One such tweet, posted in 2011 reads, “Yo if my son comes home
& try’s 2 play with my daughters doll house I’m going 2 break it over his head & say n my voice ‘stop that’s gay.’” The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which awards the Oscars, has not explained the vetting process in choosing the host, nor whether Hart’s prior comedy routines and social-media posts were reviewed before making the choice. Hart had long expressed his
desire to host the Oscars. When the Academy initially requested he delete past tweets, he began to do so on Dec. 6, the day after he was announced as host. Hart and the Academy had hoped to ride out the backlash. Hart put up a video on social media in which he said, “My team calls me, ‘Oh my God, Kevin, everyone’s upset by tweets you did years ago,’” he said in the video. “Guys, I’m
nearly 40 years old. If you don’t believe that people change, grow, evolve as they get older, I don’t know what to tell you. If you want to hold people in a position where they always have to justify the past, do you. I’m the wrong guy, man.” That apology only served to further inflame those angry with the comedian. As the controversy grew, and videos of Hart’s past routines with homophobic
content surfaced, the comedian finally withdrew as host. In a second video the same day as the first, Dec. 6, Hart said the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had told him to issue a real apology or withdraw. Hart chose to withdraw. In the video, Hart said, “I chose to pass on the apology. The reason why I passed is because I’ve addressed this several times. This is not the first PAGE 17