Older Americans Month Section: Helping our LGBT elders age in place PAGES 25-32
Stripping down with Judy Tenuta PAGE 37
Temple students win Emmy
Family Portrait: The ABCs of Harry Adamson PAGE 39
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May 2-8, 2014
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Vol. 38 No. 18
Giovanni’s Room to close May 17
City settles trans case for $382K
By Angela Thomas angela@epgn.com
By Timothy Cwiek timothy@epgn.com City officials have agreed to pay $382,500 to settle the federal antibias lawsuit filed by transgender city worker Bobbie E. Burnett. The settlement was reached April 29, after the involvement of U.S. Magistrate Judge David R. Strawbridge. The city is expected to pay the money by July 31, according to court records. Burnett, a city library assistant, filed suit in 2009, claiming pervasive anti-LGBT workplace bias. She contended the city began mistreating her in 2002, shortly after she transitioned to the opposite gender. Coworkers allegedly hurled slurs at her, including “freak,” “monster,” “devil,” “nigger” and “man in women’s clothing.” Her managers allegedly limited Burnett’s ability to interact with the public, prevented her from using gender-appropriate restrooms and cited her for frivolous workplace infractions. “I’m very grateful that it’s over,” Burnett said. “The settlement is substantial, and I feel a sense of personal vindication.” She’ll continue working as a library assistant for the city, she added. In agreeing to the settlement, the city acknowledges no wrongdoing in the matter. Burnett, 58, said she wants to put the litigation behind her. “It’s been a long journey, and the city threw mud at me throughout the entire process,” Burnett said. “They trashed my good name, and I hope this settlement will at least stop that part of it.” She expressed appreciation for her attorneys, John W. Beavers and Kristine W. Holt. Burnett said a significant portion of the settlePAGE 23
TRIUMPHANT RETURN: Mayor Michael Nutter welcomed Edie Windsor back to Philadelphia and to her alma mater, Temple University, April 26. Windsor was the guest of honor at a Temple Homecoming celebration, where she spoke to a packed audience about her fight to dismantle the nation’s ban on same-sex marriage. Windsor, a Philadelphia native, sued the federal government after being forced to pay inheritance taxes on her late wife’s estate, resulting in last summer’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling that invalidated a key portion of the Defense of Marriage Act. Guests were treated to a screening of documentary “Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement” and an interview session with Windsor, led by local attorney and fellow Temple alum Angela Giampolo. In his remarks, Nutter compared Windsor to a modern-day Rosa Parks. Photo: Patrick Hagerty
A longtime staple in the Philadelphia LGBT community is closing its doors. The country’s oldest LGBT bookstore, Giovanni’s Room, will close May 17. Ed Hermance, who has owned the store for 38 years, announced his plans for retirement in the fall and planned to sell both the business and the two buildings it encompasses. He announced a potential sale agreement several weeks ago, but said the buyer could not come up with enough money to finalize it. Hermance said he made the difficult decision to close the store several days ago. Since the beginning of the year, Hermance said he had lost between $10,000-$15,000 in keeping the store open. He blamed retailers such as Amazon for the tough environment for independent bookstores. “The government is allowing Amazon to tighten their fingers around the throats of the publishers and drive their retail competitors out of the business by clearly monopolistic methods,” he said.
It won’t survive if it isn’t different,” he said. The store, at the corner of 12th and Pine, has an inventory of more than 48,000 books and also offers 5-million books online and 3.5 million eBooks. Hermance had been hoping to sell the business for $100,000 and the buildings for up to $750,000. He said he still intends to give proceeds made from the rental or sale of the buildings to Delaware Valley Legacy Fund upon his death. The bookstore moved twice before inhabiting its current Gayborhood location, originally on South Street, before moving to the 1400 block of Spruce Street. Giovanni’s Room had events scheduled after May 17 and Hermance said he will try his ED HERMANCE DISCUSSES THE hardest to find another venue STORE CLOSING AT A PRESS EVENT for those events. The store APRIL 29 Photo: Scott A. Drake has four employees, including Hermance said there is a possiHermance. The one full-time bility that Giovanni’s Room could employee, who has been with the be resurrected in some form, but bookstore for 35 years, will be elithat ideas would have to change in gible to collect unemployment. order for it to be successful. News of the impending clos“Whatever it is that they do, it ing spread quickly this week, and will have to be something differ- elicited disappointment from all ent than what we are doing now. corners of the PAGE 23
Arguments moved up in Philadelphia couple’s marriage case By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com A judge agreed late last month to move up oral arguments in one of several pending challenges to Pennsylvania’s ban on marriage equality. U.S. District Court Judge Mary McLaughlin moved arguments in Palladino v. Corbett to May 15. The hearing had been slated for May 28, but attorneys for Gov. Tom Corbett requested in an April 17 telephone conference that the proceeding be moved up. Plaintiff attorney Tiffany Palmer said a scheduling conflict on the part of the state prompted the request. The hearing will take place 9:30 a.m. in Courtroom 13-A of the federal courthouse, 601 Market St. It is open to the public.
The case was filed in September by Philadelphia residents Cara Palladino and Isabelle Barker, who are seeking to have the state recognize their legal Massachusetts marriage. The couple filed a motion for summary judgment in January, asking the court to immediately overturn Pennsylvania’s ban on same-sex marriage. The plaintiffs are specifically contending that the stipulation that Pennsylvania deny benefits to couples who are legally married in other jurisdictions is unconstitutional. The state, meanwhile, requested the case be dismissed in November. McLaughlin is set to consider arguments for summary judgment and dismissal at the May 15 proceeding. Last month, she accepted an amicus curiae brief from state Treasurer Rob McCord, who
argued that the state ban forces his department to discriminate against same-sex couples. Also this week, both parties returned to court in a case filed in Northampton County by a woman who was charged inheritance tax on the estate of her late wife. The state Department of Revenue has asked for the case to be dismissed, which attorneys for the plaintiff argued against Tuesday before Northampton County Court of Common Pleas Judge Craig Dally. Dally will rule on whether the case will proceed next month. A decision is expected as soon as this month in another federal challenge to Pennsylvania’s law. In that case, filed by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of a group of same-sex couples, the judge agreed last month to rule on the briefs rather than take the case to trial. ■