Skinny Puppy gives the skinny on new U.S. tour
The PGN staff gives thanks
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Family Portrait: William Brawner on overcoming secrets, stigma PAGE 35
DVLF gears up for TOY change PAGE 5
Nov. 28-Dec. 5, 2014
Since 1976
PGN Philadelphia Gay News HONESTY • INTEGRITY • PROFESSIONALISM
Vol. 38 No. 48
Milano killer says abusive childhood a factor in his crime By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com
WORKING FOR CHANGE: Spencer Brown (from left), Rusty Doll, Anthony Pinkney and Mary Ragland were among the guests at a fundraiser for Change Philly Today Nov. 21 at William Way LGBT Community Center. The event featured a silent auction to benefit the organization’s work with LGBT homeless youth. The previous night, as temps dipped to the mid-20s, Change Philly Today supporters spent the night camped out at Love Park to raise awareness about the experiences of homeless youth and the services available to them. Photo: Patrick Hagerty
Richard R. Laird, the twice-convicted killer of gay artist Anthony V. Milano, says jurors weren’t fully informed of his abusive childhood before resentencing him to death in 2007. Laird claims his father, who is deceased, molested him on a regular basis between the ages of five11. Laird wants another trial, partly on the basis that jurors in 2007 weren’t provided enough facts about the alleged molestation. But prosecutors insist the jurors had sufficient facts about all extenuating circumstances that could have lessened Laird’s penalty,
Local couple overcomes hurdles to build family By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com Many parents spend the requisite nine months preparing their homes and lives for a baby. But, for Stephen Wagner and husband Brian Sedor, the wait for their son, Colton, was many years, and many challenges, in the making. The family will celebrate Colton’s first birthday next month. The Norristown couple adopted Colton through a domestic adoption that was facilitated by A Baby Step Adoption, a local nonprofit private adoption agency, which works with many same-sex couples. Wagner, 32, a clinical social worker, and Sedor, 39, an automotive technician, have been together since 2006. Wagner said they discussed children early on. “We always knew we wanted
including the alleged molestation. In 1987, Laird and Frank R. Chester escorted Milano from a Bristol Township tavern and brutally slashed him to death in a nearby wooded area. The following year, a Bucks County jury convicted Laird and Chester of first-degree murder and sentenced them to death. But in 2001, a federal judge ruled that Laird merited a new trial due to faulty jury instructions by the trial judge. Laird admits killing Milano but says he acted with “diminished capacity,” due to excessive alcohol consumption, post-traumatic stress disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and organic brain disease due to repetitive head inju-
PGMC makes Thanksgiving history By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com
STEPHEN WAGNER (FROM LEFT), BRIAN SEDOR AND SON, COLTON
kids,” he said. “But we wanted to make sure to go through all the proper steps first.”
They bought a house in 2008, got engaged in 2009 at Niagara Falls and were PAGE 20
ries. But when Laird was retried in 2007, a Bucks County jury rejected his diminished-capacity defense and resentenced him to death. Laird is appealing in state Supreme Court, claiming his retrial attorneys should have hired an expert on the effects of childhood sexual abuse, such as Dr. David Lisak. Lisak, a clinical psychologist, was hired by Laird’s current attorneys. He interviewed Laird for about six hours and conducted other in-depth research on the Milano case. In 2012, Lisak submitted a lengthy report about the effects of childhood sexual abuse on Laird’s behavior. According to PAGE 20
The Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade has entertained audiences for nearly a century. And this year’s festivity was a lot more historic. The Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus was among the dozens of entertainers that graced the stage in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art Thanksgiving morning for the 6ABC/Dunkin’ D o n u t s T h a n k s g iv i n g D a y Parade. This was the first time that an LGBT group participated in the 95-year-old tradition. About 60 PGMC members performed a rendition of “Jingle
Bells” about halfway through the parade at Eakins Oval. The group did not march in the parade, which was broadcast live on 6ABC, although artistic director Joseph Buches did not rule that out in the future. This inaugural opportunity arose earlier this year, suggested by parade producer Todd Marcocci. “He emailed us asking if we’d be interested in performing so, of course, I said, ‘Yeah, sure!’” Buches said. “I thought it would be great exposure for us and for the city, and it was really cool to be asked.” The chorus spent the last few weeks rehearsing. Fourteen PAGE 18 m e m b e r s
The Philadelphia Gay News and ActionAIDS World AIDS Day supplement
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