News Briefing

Man slashed in Wash. Sq. Park

A local man was slashed June 14 in Washington Square Park by a homeless man who was wielding a pocketknife and yelled an antigay epithet.

The incident occurred around 3:30 p.m. in the park at Sixth and Walnut streets.

Philadelphia Police Sgt. Ray Evers said the complainant and the suspect were sitting on different park benches when the suspect, mumbling to himself, caught the victim’s eye.

“The complainant looked in the offender’s direction, and the offender called the complainant a faggot,” Evers said.

Evers said the victim looked down at his cell phone, and the suspect asked if he was calling the police and then approached him.

“The offender came up to the complainant with a pocketknife in his hand, and the complainant started backing away from him and pushing him away from his personal space,” Evers said. “The complainant fell down during that incident and it seems the offender slashed or stabbed the complainant in his left shoulder.”

Evers said the victim was taken to Jefferson University Hospital, where he received stitches and was released.

Police arrested the suspect at the park: He was still in custody 10 days later.

Womyn honor struggles, triumphs

To mark the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots and the progress of female-identified LBT individuals, local groups will host “A Womyn’s Day of Pride in Struggle,” noon-6 p.m. June 27 at the William Way LGBT Community Center, 1315 Spruce St.

The event is being organized by The Womyn’s Village, International Women’s Day Philadelphia Coalition and the center as a way to reflect on the role women have played in the LGBT-rights movement and to empower local women to continue that fight.

The tribute will feature vendors, artisans, entertainment, food and myriad networking and grassroots-organizing opportunities.

“This event is a unique opportunity for womyn from all industries and economic, social, ethnic or race backgrounds to share their contributions,” said Soda Nobuhle, president and founder and The Womyn’s Village.

For more information, contact Arleen Olshan at (215) 242-5074.

LGBT camp to host BBQ

Mountain Meadow, a local camp for children with LGBT parents, will host an open-house barbeque at 2 p.m. June 28 in Cheltenham.

Mountain Meadow staff will be on hand to discuss the organization’s upcoming summer camp in August, as well as other events the group hosts year-round, while parents and kids new to the organization can get to know other LGBT-headed families.

The site is accessible by public transportation. For more information about the location or carpool availability, call (215) 772-1107.

Mazzoni moves, temporarily

LGBT health clinic the Mazzoni Center will move its headquarters from 1201 Chestnut St. to a temporary office on the eighth floor of the Stephen Girard Building, 21 S. 12th St. The move is expected to last for about a year as the Chestnut Street building undergoes renovations.

The new office will house Mazzoni’s open-door counseling program, AIDS case management, food bank, smoking-cessation program and comprehensive risk counseling service. The clinic’s administrative offices, as well as rapid HIV testing and STD-screening services, will be located on the 12th floor of the temporary location.

Mazzoni will continue its walk-in rapid HIV testing at the Washington West Project, 1201 Locust St., and its primary medical care, HIV primary care and all other medical services will continue uninterrupted at Mazzoni’s Family and Community Medicine, 809 Locust St.

The move is expected to be completed by July 1. Open-door counseling will reopen at the Girard Building July 2, while the rest of the services will not resume until July 6.

Study on gay men, prostate cancer

The psychology department of Ryerson University in Toronto is conducting an online survey of gay men who have prostate cancer.

Interested participants should identify as gay or bisexual and have been diagnosed with prostate cancer within the last four years. The survey takes about 45 minutes and participants will be compensated $20 on completion.

For more information, call (866) 643-7604 or e-mail [email protected].

— Jen Colletta

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