2009. No matter who you ask, chances are good they’ll say this year was not one they’d like to repeat. Considering the economic downturn, elevated unemployment, falling real-estate markets and several setbacks on the marriage-equality front, both the mainstream and LGBT communities have endured a difficult year.
But it wasn’t all doom and gloom. For the local community, there were positive events among the negative. And this year, there were many important (or just really interesting) happenings to note. In this spirit, PGN gives you our top stories of 2009. This year, we grouped them by theme.
WINS Legislator introduces first marriage bill
For the first time, a bill seeking to bring marriage equality to the Keystone State was proposed in the Pennsylvania legislature.
State Sen. Daylin Leach (D-17th Dist.) introduced the bill in June with one co-sponsor, Sen. Larry Farnese (D-1st Dist.), and the legislation later picked up support from Sen. Jim Ferlo (D-38th Dist.).
The bill is currently in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Leach acknowledged that although the legislation would have an uphill battle, it would at least advance discussion on the topic of marriage equality.
Leach’s effort came shortly after Sen. John Eichelberger (R-30th Dist.) announced his intention to introduce legislation that would seek to ban same-sex marriage in the state constitution. Eichelberger debated Leach about marriage equality on WHYY in June, making a controversial statement that society is “allowing [same-sex couples] to exist.”
Eichelberger has not yet introduced his measure.
Jewish Exponent becomes more LGBT-inclusive
After a years-long campaign by the LGBT community, the Jewish Exponent voted unanimously to amend its policies to be more inclusive of LGBT life-cycle events.
This fall, a coalition of LGBT activists in the region employed a letter-writing campaign, endorsed by about 100 area rabbis, renewing pressure on the Jewish Publishing Group, the governing body of the newspaper, to overturn its policy of not printing same-sex-union announcements.
The JPG board voted Sept. 23 to repeal the policy, and the first same-sex union announcement was published earlier this month.
Local congressman pushes DADT repeal
Pennsylvania U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-8th Dist.) took over as prime sponsor of the bill to repeal the military’s ban on openly gay servicemembers this past summer.
Murphy, the first Iraq War veteran in Congress, stepped up as lead after Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-Calif.) left office to become the Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs.
Murphy joined a coalition of LGBT and ally servicemembers in Philadelphia in July to announce the launch of a joint effort by the Human Rights Campaign and Servicemembers United that took the group on a national tour to raise awareness about the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy.
Since Murphy took the lead on the bill, the number of cosponsors has jumped from 140 to 186, with 20 signing on within two weeks of his taking over.
Gay candidates see success
Two openly gay Philadelphia judicial candidates were successful in the primary and general-election races this year.
Dan Anders, who became the state’s first openly gay judge in 2007 when he was appointed to the Court of Common Pleas by Gov. Rendell to fill a vacancy, received the fifth-highest number of votes among nearly two-dozen candidates vying for one of the seven 10-year terms in the May primary. Open lesbian Dawn Segal was the third-highest vote-getter in May’s Municipal Court primary, where she faced seven other hopefuls.
In the general election in November, all seven open Common Pleas seats went to Democrats, Anders included, as did the four open positions in the Municipal Court, including Segal.
William Way elevator takes first rides
The years-long effort to install an elevator in the William Way LGBT Community Center came to an end this year with the launch of the new unit.
State Sens. Larry Farnese (D-1st Dist.) and Christine Tartaglione (D-2nd Dist.), Rep. Babette Josephs (D-182nd Dist.), Gloria Casarez, the city’s director of LGBT affairs, former center executive director ’Dolph Ward Goldenburg and several others helped cut the ribbon on the elevator during the organization’s annual Building Bash fundraiser on June 6.
The event honored a sea of political and community leaders who helped secure the state and city funding, as well as the individual community donations, that fueled the elevator project.
Philly’s LGBT tourism advances
In a national ranking of LGBT destinations, Philadelphia jumped another two spots, from 13 to 11, after having debuted on the list just three years ago.
The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation this year continued its “We Your People” campaign, which launched in 2008 and tells the stories of real local LGBT leaders. LGBT visitors were also targeted in the city’s mainstream campaign for the first time with the springtime launch of the “With Love” campaign, which gears messages toward myriad groups, including LGBTs.
Also this year, the Philadelphia Gay Tourism Caucus conducted a gay-sensitivity training for about 50 employees at Sesame Place and launched an internship program with Temple University.
LOSSES ACLU leader found dead
Larry Frankel, an openly gay and noted former Pennsylvania American Civil Liberties Union employee, was found dead Aug. 28 in Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C.
Frankel worked as the legislative director of the local ACLU from 1992 until last year and was a strong lobbyist and activist for LGBT-rights issues. In March 2008, he moved to D.C. to take over as the state legislative counsel for the agency’s Washington Legislative Office.
Frankel contacted his office Aug. 26 and called out sick from work, and the last known contact he had with anyone was via a Blackberry message he sent that morning. His body was found in a stream about 20 feet from a jogging trail in the park. The manner and cause of death was not immediately determined.
A memorial was held for Frankel Oct. 10 at the Philadelphia Visitors Center.
Archdiocese gives big to fight Maine marriage
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia donated $50,000 in the summer to the successful fight to overturn Maine’s marriage-equality law.
The local donation came after a plea by the bishop of Portland, Maine, to dioceses around the country; the Diocese of Portland brought in more than $550,000 and became the second-highest contributor to the effort to nullify the law.
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia tied with the Archdiocese of Phoenix as the top contributors to Portland.
A spokesperson for the archdiocese repeatedly declined to comment about where the $50,000 came from.
Historic LGBT publication shuttered
The Washington Blade, one of the country’s oldest LGBT newspapers, and several other national LGBT publications abruptly ceased publication this fall.
The papers’ publisher, Window/Unite Media, ceased operations Nov. 16. Window’s majority shareholder, Avalon Equity Partners, was forced into receivership with the Small Business Administration in August 2008 after failing to maintain the level of private assets needed for the SBA to back the company’s loans.
The Blade’s employees, who were notified of the closing when they arrived at the office on the 16th, launched their own venture, D.C. Agenda, which published that Friday.
Employees at Southern Voice and other publications associated with Window also started several new newspapers.
MONEY PA budget crisis spells trouble for nonprofits
The Pennsylvania legislature approved a state budget in October after a more-than-100-day stalemate that crippled local social-service agencies.
Because the state was not releasing funds to the city until a budget was approved, Mayor Nutter announced in July that it was cutting off payments to vendors — a move that halted the dispersion of city and state funding into HIV/AIDS service organizations and other local nonprofits.
Without the cash flow, some groups, like HIV/AIDS housing agency Calcutta House, had to stop payments to their vendors, while others struggled to cover payroll. Although the budget eventually passed, the holdup forced many agencies to exhaust and extend their lines of credit, a development that could have long-range financial implications.
Crisis hits Pride parade
Philadelphia’s Pride parade and festival in June hit a major roadblock just days before the start of the annual celebration.
The city notified Pride organizers less than two weeks before the event that the group would not receive its permit for the parade until it paid the city more than $20,000 for police presence, a charge the city had covered in the past but discontinued due to the budget crisis.
Pride representatives met with city officials four days before the festivities and negotiated a compromise in which the parade route was shortened, among other changes, to cut the price tag to $8,900.
Bookstore seeks community help
Famed LGBT bookstore Giovanni’s Room sought community support this fall after the owner learned he would have to pay more than $50,000 to replace a crumbling exterior wall on the building at 12th and Pine streets.
The store’s supporters began meeting in the summer to plan fundraising activities to help defray the cost of the construction, which began in September and wrapped up about a month later.
Just days after store owner Ed Hermance made the announcement about the project, more than $1,500 in donations poured in from throughout the country. This year’s OutFest street festival was extended a block so participants could visit the store, which held a bake sale, an author meet-and-greet and other entertainment. A months-long raffle contest brought in nearly $4,000, and the Rebuilding Fund has thus far acquired $32,486.68.
CHANGE Agency directors step down
This year saw the resignations of numerous executive directors at local LGBT organizations.
’Dolph Ward Goldenburg, executive director of the William Way LGBT Community Center, announced in October that he was stepping down the following month to move back to his home state of Georgia, where his partner lives. Goldenburg’s more-than six years at the center were honored during the agency’s annual Indigo Ball fundraiser in October and at a farewell reception the following month. The center selected Laurie Ward as the organization’s interim executive director.
Also in October, Perry Monastero, executive director of LGBT grantmaking organization Delaware Valley Legacy Fund, resigned from his post to take on the position of director of development and marketing for LGBT health center Mazzoni Center. Sandra Thompson and Chris Bartlett are serving as interim co-executive directors.
In the summer, Louis Bonilla left his position as executive director of the Gay and Lesbian Latino AIDS Education Initiative after 10 months on the job. Elicia Gonzales took over as the agency’s permanent director this month.
Nonprofit boards see resignations
The boards of directors at two local organizations experienced major changes this year.
Several board members at Equality Forum resigned last spring and summer, some of whom attributed their departure to a “lack of fiscal responsibility” at the organization and contended the budget was not making proper allowances for reductions in state and city funding. The board brought on new members throughout the summer and fall.
At Equality Advocates Pennsylvania, 10 of the 13 board members resigned in the summer. None of the members PGN reached would comment on their reasoning for leaving the board. Executive director Lynn Zeitlin said the move was part of a wider restructuring effort.
The group announced new board members, as well as the launch of a 501 (c)(4) lobbying agency, this fall.
Gayborhood bars change hands
Commercial change came to the Gayborhood this year as numerous LGBT hot spots shifted direction.
Brothers Michael and Billy Weiss sold Bump in the summer to another pair of brothers, Steve and Alex Vasilliadis, who renovated and renamed the locale Q, which opened in October.
The Weiss brothers also own Pure, which underwent its own name change to Voyeur in the fall. Michael Weiss said the pair was considering purchasing Key West, which has been empty all year.
Robert Porter, a seven-year Bike Stop employee, purchased the business this fall from former owner Jim Madden, and Ned Katuran sold Westbury to Chuck Brault in August, while Tavern on Camac owners Stephen Carlino and Dennis Fee renovated the establishment’s restaurant and reopened it as terra this fall.
CRIME Craigslist scammer sought, caught
Philadelphia police launched an investigation in the summer after several local gay men contacted PGN reporting a scam involving a man who was posing as a police officer to defraud them.
The suspect, identified by police as 26-year-old Michael Daniels, was arrested Oct. 9 and charged with burglary, criminal conspiracy, theft by unlawful taking, theft by deception, impersonating a public servant and related charges.
Daniels allegedly made contact with at least four men who had posted sex ads on Craigslist and, pretending he was a Philadelphia police officer, threatened to arrest them for not checking that he was over 18 if they didn’t pay him: One man gave Daniels $800 and another gave him $1,200.
Daniels has a pre-trial conference scheduled for Jan. 5.
Former COLOURS director arrested
Mayor Nutter announced the indictment of Dorena Kearney, former executive director of LGBT group The COLOURS Organization Inc., in April.
Kearney was charged with stealing $138,000 from the organization, which she headed from 2001-07. Kearney allegedly used the money for such expenses as plastic surgery, personal vacations and dog grooming.
The FBI joined the city’s investigation, as COLOURS received both city and federal funding.
Kearney surrendered in May and pleaded guilty to the charges. She will be sentenced on Jan. 28.
Kocis case comes to a close
A jury in Luzerne County found Harlow Cuadra guilty of first-degree murder and related charges in March in connection with the January 2007 stabbing death of gay-porn producer Bryan Kocis.
Cuadra and former partner Joseph Kerekes stabbed Kocis, owner of Cobra Video, more than 30 times and then set his Dallas Township house ablaze, allegedly because of a business dispute.
Cuadra was sentenced to two consecutive life terms.
Kerekes pleaded guilty to the murder in December 2008 and is serving a life sentence.