Family Portrait: Tiffany Thompson’s youthful work
Out singer-songwriter will let fans be his editors
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Gayme on! PAGE 27
Judge rules against Morris open-records request PAGE 5 May 22-28, 2015
Since 1976
PGN Philadelphia Gay News HONESTY • INTEGRITY • PROFESSIONALISM
Vol. 39 No. 21
Arrest made in murder of trans woman By Ryan Kasley ryan@epgn.com
GUEST OF HONOR: Franny Price (center), executive director of Philly Pride Presents, accepted the inaugural Gloria Casarez Activist Award from Mazzoni Center executive director Nurit Shein at Mazzoni’s Elixir gala. Emceed by CBS3’s Jim Donovan, the gala was held May 15 at Fairmount Water Works and marked Mazzoni Center’s 35th anniversary. The guest list included Gov. Tom Wolf and Democratic mayoral nominee Jim Kenney, and organizers also presented an award to HIV/AIDS advocate Michael Tambón. Photo: Scott A. Drake
A transgender woman was killed on Monday in North Philadelphia. Londyn Kiki Chanel, 21, was stabbed inside an abandoned home in the 2200 block of Ingersoll Street. Chanel was stabbed twice in the back and once in the neck around 12:40 a.m. Raheam Felton, 31, was arrested later that day and charged with murder and possession of an instrument of crime. Felton was denied bail and will face a preliminary hearing at 9 a.m. June 3 in Room 306 of the Criminal Justice Center, 1301 Filbert St. Deputy Commissioner Kevin Bethel, the department’s LGBT liaison, said Felton and Chanel knew one another and lived in the abandoned house with two other transgender women, one of whom was Felton’s partner. The stabbing took place in a third-floor bedroom after an argument that Bethel said
may have arisen from a domestic dispute. “There was some conflict, some allegation, between Londyn and the offender and he stabbed her repeatedly, which resulted in her death,” Bethel said. “The was not an issue where the decedent was killed because she was transgender.” Felton flagged down School District authorities outside the house while he performed CPR on the woman, and they contacted police. Chanel later died at Hahnemann University Hospital. Felton has confessed to the crime, Bethel said. PAGE 17
Pennsylvania marks Kenney wins, mixed results for out candidates By Ryan Kasley one year of marriage ryan@epgn.com equality Results from Tuesday’s much-anticiBy Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com One year to the day after they nervously gathered to await news on their court case, plaintiffs in Whitewood v. Wolf again assembled — this time to toast to equality in Pennsylvania. May 20 marked the one-year anniversary of a ruling that brought marriage equality to Pennsylvania. “It was thrilling,” plaintiff Maureen Hennessey told PGN this week about learning of the ruling from U.S. District Judge John E. Jones 3d last spring. Hennessey was one of several plaintiffs who waited for news at the Philadelphia office of the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania, which, along with firm Hangley Aronchick, represented the nearly two-dozen plaintiffs. “One of the attorneys PAGE 21
CLOSING THE CAMPAIGN: Paul Steinke delivered his concession speech Tuesday night at Reading Terminal Market, surrounded by about 50 supporters. Steinke and Sherrie Cohen, both out candidates running for City Council-at-Large, were not victorious in Tuesday’s primary, although voters did elect two out Court of Common Pleas judges. Photo: Scott A. Drake
pated primary election have been finalized, with several progressive and LGBT candidates securing ballot positions for November’s general election — but a few LGBT candidates narrowly missing the mark. Long-time City Councilman and LGBT ally Jim Kenney easily secured the Democratic nomination for mayor by a margin of 2-1 over other front-runner state Sen. Anthony Williams. The other candidates — former District Attorney Lynne Abraham, Nelson Diaz, Doug Oliver and Milton Street — trailed far behind. “It has been a long journey to get here,” Kenney said in his acceptance speech, referencing the LGBT community among his “broad and unprecedented coalition” of supporters. Out City Council-at-Large candidates Sherrie Cohen and Paul Steinke placed eighth and 10th, respectively, in their race; PAGE 21 if either had been one of