Broke in Philly

Since early last week, Executive Director of SisTers PGH Ciora Thomas and her fellow board members have diligently combed through hundreds of applications for the Pittsburgh Covid-19 LGBTQIA Emergency Relief Fund, marking each with the tags “round one” or “round two.” Each application is tagged and prioritized based on explicit need and a variety of other factors, said Thomas....

Since the beginning of COVID-19-induced quarantine and social distancing, Philadelphia’s LGBTQ community has organized via underground and online channels to meet the most basic and pressing needs of those suffering from loss of work and homelessness. Now, these channels are narrowing their focus to new challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic.  Bri Golphin, a busy community organizer in West Philly,...

Like many other integral businesses in Philadelphia and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the nonprofit public interest law firm AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania (ALPP) continues to provide its clients with remote legal services during state-wide shutdowns to thwart the spread of the new coronavirus. New and existing clients can still reach ALPP staff by phone or email.  Gov. Tom Wolf...

Has the city done all it can for queer youth amid the Supreme Court's decision to hear vital Philadelphia-based LGBTQ+ civil rights case? Leigh Braden first sought to foster parent an LGBTQ+ youth a few years ago, out of a desire to help at least one person make the often-difficult transition from foster care to independence. The caseworker, though, from...

Action Wellness recently launched its third prison linkage program to help newly released prisoners reintegrate into society and get the healthcare they need. The organization’s new Linkage and Engagement After Prison program (LEAP) focuses specifically on assisting formerly incarcerated individuals struggling with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD). The Philadelphia Department of Public Health is funding the program; last fall, the...