News Briefing

Lawsuit against 12th Street Gym settles

A lawsuit filed by Joseph Montgomery, a former member of the 12th Street Gym who claimed he was permanently disfigured there when a framed picture fell on him, has been settled.

Terms of the settlement, reached on Dec. 14, are confidential.

Montgomery, who no longer patronizes the gym, filed the suit in November 2011.

“On Dec. 7, 2010, plaintiff was working out in an acceptable manner when a framed glass picture fell off a wall and on top of plaintiff’s head, and subsequently shattered, causing pieces of glass to be lodged into plaintiff’s head, neck and shoulder,” Montgomery’s lawsuit alleged.

The Center City gym, which has a predominantly LGBT clientele, denied any liability for Montgomery’s alleged injuries, according to court records.

Montgomery reportedly suffered a disfiguring scar to his right shoulder, which limited his ability to earn money by participating in body-building contests. He was seeking in excess of $50,000 in damages, according to his lawsuit.

Kevin R. McNulty, an attorney for the gym, declined to comment.

“We will not be making any comment about the settlement,” McNulty said in an email.

Cyrus B. Shaw, an attorney for Montgomery, couldn’t be reached for comment.

Court accepts LGBT groups’ brief in Scouts case

A federal appeals court has accepted for consideration a friend-of-the-court brief filed by six LGBT groups in support of the city’s efforts to evict a local Boy Scouts of America council from a city building.

The groups are Mazzoni Center, Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, Human Rights Campaign, Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays Philadelphia, Equality Forum and Equality Pennsylvania.

The city wants the BSA Cradle of Liberty Council to vacate a city-owned building on 22nd Street near the Ben Franklin Parkway because Cradle won’t pay rent, nor will it accept openly gay participants.

In June 2010, a federal jury ruled that the city violated Cradle’s constitutional right to exclude gays during the eviction attempt — a ruling the city is appealing in the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.

On Nov. 29, the LGBT groups filed a brief in support of Cradle’s eviction.

On Dec. 12, Third Circuit Judge D. Michael Fisher issued a one-page ruling, accepting their brief for consideration.

“Our brief stresses the emotional impact of anti-LGBT discrimination,” said David M. Rosenblum, legal director of Mazzoni Center. “We’re excited that the court will give our viewpoint due consideration.”

At presstime, the court hadn’t ruled on whether proposed friend-of-the-court briefs filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania — and a coalition of 15 religious organizations, civil-rights groups and faith leaders that all support the eviction — will be accepted for consideration.

A ruling also remains pending on Cradle’s request for an extension to file a brief, which is tentatively due Dec. 24, to Jan. 23, because of holiday conflicts.

— Tim Cwiek

Comedy show for Sandy

Mayhem and Madness presents a comedy show featuring Philadelphia native Christina Meehan and national star Thomas Dale, Dec. 21 at Tabu, 200 S. 12th St. Proceeds from the Apocalypse Comedy Show will benefit victims of Hurricane Sandy.

The show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 and include a free Clique Vodka Cocktail. To RSVP, call 855-623-6377 or go to www.mayhemandmadnesscomedy.com. Tickets will also be sold at the door.

— Angela Thomas

Former Miss PA to pay $5 million

A judge this week ordered former Miss Pennsylvania Sheena Monnin to pay Donald Trump $5 million in a defamation suit.

Monnin, who relinquished her crown earlier this year, accused the Miss USA contest, run by Trump, of being rigged. However, critics contend Monnin was actually dismayed that the pageant’s Canadian counterpart allowed a transgender woman to compete. Monnin called the pageant “fraudulent, lacking in morals, inconsistent and in many ways trashy.”

“While I feel very badly for Sheena, she did the wrong thing,” Trump said in a statement after Tuesday’s ruling. “She was really nasty, and we had no choice. It is an expensive lesson for her.”

Potluck at the center

William Way LGBT Community Center, 1315 Spruce St., will host its annual potluck dinner next week.

From 2-4 p.m. Dec. 25, community members and allies are invited to meet new friends and old at the ninth-annual Holiday Potluck dinner. The event is free, but guests are asked to bring a dish to share with the group.

To RSVP, call 215-732-2220 and confirm what food you will bring.

— Jen Colletta

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