News Briefing

Key West remains closed

Gayborhood bar Key West has been closed for about two weeks, and a sign placed on the door of the establishment at 207 S. Juniper St. says the bar is closed due to water damage.

The sign reads: “Due to recent water damage, Key West will be closed for renovations. We will reopen soon. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused to both Key West staff and members.”

Francesca Chapman, spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, said her agency was not involved in the shutdown of the bar but that Key West did not renew its liquor license this year.

Application renewals were due Oct. 31, and Chapman said that as of yet, the LCB has not received Key West’s application. She said the bar can still apply for a renewed license but must submit the necessary paperwork before serving alcohol.

Key West recently changed over to a private-membership club. Calls to the bar were unsuccessful, as the phone has been disconnected.

Harrisburg approves domestic-partner registry

The Harrisburg City Council voted unanimously Dec. 22 to approve the creation of the Life Partner Registry, which will allow both same-sex and unmarried opposite-sex couples to register their relationships with the city.

The registry will not implicitly provide any healthcare benefits for couples, but will allow for an extra measure of credibility to their relationships if their employers recognize domestic partnerships.

Openly gay Harrisburg City Councilmember Dan Miller called the passage of the measure “a positive step toward equality for all residents. I hope this new law expanding LGBT rights in the state capital will inspire state legislators to take similar action.”

Harrisburg is the third city in the state, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, to institute a domestic-partnership registry.

The legislation awaits the approval of Harrisburg Mayor Stephen Reed.

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