Ronda B. Goldfein, a longtime ally of the LGBT community, has been chosen as the first recipient of the Outproud Friend award, to be bestowed Oct. 9 at OutFest.
The new annual award recognizes contributions made by allies on behalf of the LGBT community, said Chuck Volz, senior advisor to Philly Pride Presents, which stages OutFest.
Goldfein, an accomplished attorney, is known as a fierce warrior in the courtroom.
Her friends say when she takes on a case, she advocates to the peak of human endurance, giving adversaries little chance.
“If I had to pick one person to be in a foxhole with me, it would be Ronda Goldfein,” Volz quipped.
In LGBT affairs, her recent activities range from fact-gathering in the Nizah Morris case to ensuring tax equity for same-sex couples in Philadelphia.
Goldfein said she’s excited about the award.
“I’m honored to be recognized for any actions I’ve taken that have been supportive of the LGBT community,” she said.
Goldfein, 53, has served as executive director of the AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania since 2000. She oversees 12 staffers and a $930,000 annual budget. The organization seeks to vindicate those who have suffered discrimination due to their HIV/AIDS status.
“My job involves a lot of administrative work, but I also carry an active caseload,” she said.
Goldfein added she’s pleased the law project has directly benefited the LGBT community, though its clients are all people with HIV/AIDS.
One recent case was the first filing for a same-sex couple to be exempt from the city’s real-estate transfer tax, Goldfein noted.
“We also secured benefits for a deceased man’s partner rather than the former wife, who was divorced from the man for 25 years,” she said. “And we’ve gone to the homes and hospital beds of tons of LGBT clients who needed documents, like powers of attorney and wills.”
The law project has assisted about 35,000 clients since its inception in 1988, she said.
“Every achievement we’ve made is because a client has stepped forward and refused to accept unequal treatment,” she said. “A lot of social justice has been brought about on the backs of the clients. I have tremendous respect and admiration for them, their struggles and their willingness to stand up for what’s right.”
Goldfein also praised the law project’s staffers.
“We’re occasionally struggling to make payroll,” she said. “We’re fighting with adversaries who don’t like us, who don’t like our clients. But the staff remains committed because they understand our clients need us, and because of their own sense of fairness and justice.”
Interacting with the LGBT community is nothing new for Goldfein. When she was growing up in Wilmington, Del., her mother took her to drag shows.
“It all seemed very natural and fun,” Goldfein said.
When she was 12, her family moved to Miami Beach.
She attended law school at Nova University in Ft. Lauderdale and, upon graduation in 1983, moved back north.
For a brief period of time, she worked at a law firm specializing in insurance defense, but it wasn’t her calling, she said.
In December 1992, Goldfein began volunteering at the law project and, in 1994, was hired as a staff attorney. Six years later, she was promoted to executive director.
“I love the work we do,” she said. “At this place, we get the opportunity to positively impact the quality of somebody’s life. How many jobs give you that opportunity? I feel fortunate to have one of those jobs.”
She expects the highest quality of service for clients.
“Everyone who walks through our door is to be treated as well as if they were walking through the door of the biggest, richest law firm in the city,” she said. ”While our furnishings may not be as nice, the respect and dignity we show our clients — along with the level of our expertise — is unparalleled.”
Goldfein is married to Philadelphia Daily News assistant city editor David Lee Preston. The couple live in Center City with their pet terrier, Johnson.
Goldfein also serves on the Police Advisory Commission, a city watchdog agency that oversees investigations of police misconduct, and recommends remedial action when appropriate.
Mayor Nutter appointed her to the 17-member panel in April 2010.
This week, she was scheduled to visit the District Attorney’s office to review records in the case of Morris, a transwoman who was found with a fatal head wound shortly after she received a ride from Philadelphia police in 2002.
“I see my role as giving the citizens of Philadelphia an opportunity to voice complaints or concerns about the police, as well as being a neutral party to provide the police an opportunity to vindicate themselves, if appropriate,” Goldfein said.
Tim Cwiek can be reached at [email protected].