Lesbian awarded $66K in sexual assault
A lesbian who was sexually assaulted at a Center City LGBT nightclub has been awarded $66,800 in damages by a Philadelphia jury.
The woman patronized Pure Nightclub (now Voyeur) in February 2008, and was sexually assaulted by Afif Bakir, a barback at the club. The incident took place inside a second-floor storage closet.
Bakir pleaded guilty to sexual assault and related charges. He was incarcerated for a year, then deported to Tunisia, according to court records.
In October 2009, the woman filed a civil suit in Common Pleas Court, naming as defendants Bakir and Mayfield Social Club, a nonprofit social entity that owns Pure.
On June 27, after a five-day trial, a 12-member jury awarded the woman $19,800 to be paid by Mayfield Social Club and $47,000 to be paid by Bakir.
PGN doesn’t publish the names of sexual-assault victims.
Attorneys for the woman said she’s satisfied with the verdict.
“She feels vindicated,” said Lisa A. Lori, an attorney for the woman. “It was never about the money. She wanted security measures improved at the club, so something like this doesn’t happen to anyone else.”
Christopher J. Pakuris, an attorney for Mayfield Social Club, had no comment on whether an appeal will be filed. The deadline to appeal to state Superior Court is Aug. 6.
— Tim Cwiek
SlutWalk Philadelphia
SlutWalk Philadelphia, a march and rally to protest societal blame of victims of sexual assault, is scheduled to step off at 11 a.m. Aug. 6.
Marchers will gather at Kahn Park, 11th and Pine streets, then proceed north on 11th, west on Spruce Street, north on 13th Street, west on Market Street and around City Hall, ending at Dilworth Plaza.
Keynote speakers at the Dilworth Plaza rally will be Dickinson College assistant professor of women’s and gender studies Stephanie Gilmore, award-winning independent documentary filmmaker Aishah Shahidah Simmons and Mazzoni Center community health educator and trans activist Qui Alexander.
SlutWalk Philadelphia is the latest in a series of SlutWalks around the world. The first was held in Toronto, in response to local police officer Michael Sanguinetti’s advice at a safety forum on Jan. 24 that to protect themselves against sexual assault, women should “avoid dressing like sluts.”
For more information, visit www.slutwalkphiladelphia.com.
Q Spot film screening
LGBT youth gathering Q Spot will host a film screening and discussion at this weekend’s event.
Stevee Lee Phillips’ film “Church Mafia (The Domino Effect)” will serve as the basis for a panel discussion on the intersection of LGBT and religious communities at Q Spot, which will run from 8 p.m.-1 a.m. Aug. 6 at Broad Street Ministry, 215 S. Broad St.
The free event, geared toward those between 18 and 29, will also feature an array of other services for LGBT young people, including tutoring, employment resources and housing referrals. Q Spot is held the first and third Saturdays of the month at Broad Street Ministry.
Flick to fundraise for ALP
The AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania will host its annual Summer Movie Party at 6 p.m. Aug. 5 at the William Way LGBT Community Center, 1315 Spruce St.
This year’s film is “Look in Any Window,” the 1961 Paul Anka flick about a dysfunctional suburban family, along with short documentary “Lonely Boy,” about Anka’s life.
Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door, with proceeds benefiting ALP.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.aidslawpa.org or call 215-587-9377.
Become a Falcon
LGBT soccer club the Philadelphia Falcons will host a week of activities next week to kick off its latest season.
At 6 p.m. Aug. 8, the Falcons will launch a new-member orientation and skill-building session for co-ed players of all levels at Fairmount Park’s Edgely Field, and the club’s co-ed summer league will begin at 6 p.m. Aug. 10 at the field. Summer games will be played on Wednesdays through the end of September.
Tabu, 200 S. 12th St., will host the Falcons Dance Party from 11:30 p.m.-2 a.m. Aug. 12, and the club will play pick-up games at 10 a.m. the following day at Edgely Field.
To register for the summer league, visit www.falcons-soccer.org.
Nominate civil-rights leaders
The Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations is accepting nominations through the end of August for its annual Human Rights Awards, which will be handed down Oct. 5 at the agency’s 60th anniversary celebration.
Awards will be given out for leaders in arts and culture, community service, law enforcement, corporate responsibility and nonprofit work.
The Rev. Luis Cortes Jr., president of Esperanza, will receive the 2011 PCHR Clarence Farmer Service Award, and Women’s Law Project executive director Carol Tracy will receive the inaugural Sadie Alexander Leadership Award.
Nominations should be e-mailed to [email protected], and all nominations should include the nominee’s name, address, phone number and e-mail address, as well as a brief narrative of his or her work.
For more information, call 215-686-4675.
— Jen Colletta and Chandlee Taylor