O Holi Night
Family Portrait: Monique Costa PAGE 23
Homeless LGBT youth program in dire straits
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Dec. 21-27, 2012
Vol. 36 No. 51
Antigay rep to intro marriage amendment
Second alleged assailant of gay inmate identified By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com Justin O’Brien, an inmate at the Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia, was named by the government last week as the alleged initiator of last year’s brutal assault on fellow inmate Kenneth Houck. O’Brien’s alleged role in the assault was detailed in a Dec. 12 motion filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania that opposes bail for Kevin Hannig — another man who allegedly participated in the assault. On Nov. 10, 2011, Houck was reading a gay novel in his cell at the center when O’Brien and Hannig allegedly beat Houck and stomped on and kicked his leg, breaking it. “Less than one minute after entering Houck’s cell, O’Brien came out of the cell and motioned for PAGE 12
By Angela Thomas angela@epgn.com
GAY BLADES: Kenny Gambone (left) and Zeus Kain took to the ice Dec. 15 at Blue Cross River Rink at Penn’s Landing for the second annual Qventures ice-skating outing. About two-dozen LGBT skaters laced up their blades for the occasion. Qventures offers the LGBT community social alternatives to the bar scene, and the ice-skating event marked its last of the year. Photo: Scott A. Drake
EQPA joins boycott against Amway By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com
HOLIDAY BUSINESS: Independence Business Alliance president Evan Urbania (left) mingled with fellow members of IBA and the Greater Philadelphia Professionals Network at the groups’ Dec. 19 holiday party at Ruth’s Chris Steak House. About 100 LGBT professionals participated in the celebration, which honored accomplishments in the organizations and community this year. Photo: Scott A. Drake
Pennsylvania’s statewide LGBT organization has gotten on board with a growing boycott of a global marketing agency whose leader made a major donation to a group that fights against LGBT rights. Equality Pennsylvania this month backed the boycott of American Way Corporation, a direct-selling company whose product line includes health and beauty items such as Artistry cosmetics and cleaning products such as Legacy of Clean items. Amway’s North American operation, based in Michigan, is bolstered by a number of subsidiaries and does most of its business overseas. Forbes named it among the 30 largest private companies in the nation. This past summer, blogger Zach Ford revealed that company president Doug DeVos made a personal donation of $500,000 to the National Organization for Marriage, which has led the fight for antigay-marriage amendments in a number of states, among other initiatives. In August, Rights Equal Rights, led by former out Republican presidential candidate Fred
Karger, launched a boycott of the company, which has since drawn support from everyday LGBTs and allies to elected officials to out celebs such as Jane Lynch. Karger said he’s ultimately hoping Amway will donate an equivalent amount to an LGBT cause, which has happened in previous boycotts he has led. “This is now our fifth boycott and we’ve been successful in two, so it is our hope to sit down with Doug DeVos and try to work out an amicable resolution for both parties in this debate,” said Karger. EQPA is the first statewide organization to endorse the campaign. EQPA president Adrian Shanker hopes the organization’s support educates LGBT consumers. “Amway has been worse than many companies in being active against gay rights,” Shanker said. “Amway has a presence in Pennsylvania, so we want to make sure our members know where to spend their money.” Karger said DeVos’ contribution to NOM is thought to be the agency’s largest single family donation ever. While he acknowlPAGE 13
The long-proposed Marriage Protection Amendment will rear its head in the Pennsylvania state legislature again next year. In a Dec. 12 memo, state Rep. Daryl Metcalfe (R-12th Dist.) announced his plan to introduce an amendment next legislative session that would define marriage in the Pennsylvania constitution as being between one man and one woman. Metcalfe first introduced the bill in 2011 and rallied 35 cosponsors, but it died in committee. Similar legislation was introduced in the Senate the previous two sessions but failed. The bill had previously been in the House in 2006, where it was approved. The Senate also approved a similar measure that year, but the effort to conjoin the legislation for final approval failed. Pennsylvania adopted a law in 1996 REP. DARYL that defines marriage METCALFE as between one man and one woman, but the constitutional amendment would make that statute even firmer. Ted Martin, executive director of Equality Pennsylvania, said that Metcalfe’s proposal is based on fear. “He is a tenacious man,” Martin said. “I think people who believe in what he believes in see that they are losing this fight, especially with this past election and four states supporting marriage equality.” Metcalfe did not respond to a request for comment from PGN. In his memo, Metcalfe said it was important to defend “traditional” marriage. “Marriage is a common good, not a special interest. Special interests should not have the right to redefine marriage for all of us,” he wrote. Martin said Equality PA has worked to inform its network about PAGE 12