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PHILLY ‘SUMMIT’ LEADERS PLANNING DUAL RALLIES LEADING UP TO ‘DAY OF DECISION’

Two local activists have created an all-new group devoted to tackling LGBT issues, and are planning two - count 'em, two - rallies for June.

Posted by Brandon Baker on 5/22/2013 at 3:44PM | No Comments

Janice Rael (left) and Wendy Forbes (right).

Boy oh boy, are these girls ever busy.

Gal pals Janice Rael and Wendy Forbes are no strangers to Philly activism. Rael is vice president of Delaware Valley Americans United for Separation of Church and State; Forbes, meanwhile, is vice chair at Philly Family Pride. But after getting together and realizing they were meeting on more than just an every-so-often basis as local activists, they re-thought their game plan, took to Facebook, and called out to about 10 other activist leaders in the Philadelphia region.

The result is what they’ve dubbed, “The Summit.”

“It’s a totally new group,” Rael says. “We didn’t even intend to start an actual group; we just started meeting, and because we’re all activists, leaders, and Facebook friends, we go to the same events all day long and are members of similar groups. … We finally got together and said, ‘We have all this leadership power, and all of us are leaders within our own comunities, working on our own issues. Let’s pull together, combine our resources, and try to harness this grassroots energy.’” READ MORE

ELECTION ROUNDUP: THE LGBT BREAKDOWN

We break down the winners and losers in LGBT politics following Tuesday's Pennsylvania primary election.

Posted by Brandon Baker on 5/22/2013 at 12:14PM | No Comments

Ben Allatt is set to serve as Harrisburg City Council's second-ever openly gay councilman.

You win some, you lose some. When it comes to gay candidates in Pennsylvania’s primary yesterday (Tue., May 21), we literally won one, and lost one — according to Equality Pennsylvania’s list of LGBT-friendly candidates, at least. READ MORE

PHILADELPHIA’S LGBT VOTING GUIDE FOR PRIMARY ELECTION DAY

The list of Equality Pennsylvania's endorsed candidates includes two openly gay men running in Harrisburg.

Posted by Josh Middleton on 5/20/2013 at 6:27PM | No Comments

Is it just me or did Primary Election Day just slip up totally unexpected? Whatever the case, it’s tomorrow (Tue., May 21) and Equality Pennsylvania has released this LGBTQ voting guide of endorsed community leaders across the state who have “all pledged to work hard to advance the policies that matter most to LGBT people.” In Harrisburg, there are two openly gay men running for office: Ben Allatt (above, left), who’s running for City Council, and mayoral hopeful Dan Miller (above, right).

There aren’t many terribly exciting elections happening here in Philly, but every office counts if we want to make some major moves on the LGBTQ civil rights front this year. Here’s the list of Equality PA-endorsed candidates, starting with here in the 215. READ MORE

MONDAY KICKSTARTER: FRENCH PRESIDENT SIGNS MARRIAGE EQUALITY BILL INTO LAW

Plus: Another porn star dies too young, lots of homophobia out of Texas and more in the weekend's LGBT headlines.

Posted by Josh Middleton on 5/20/2013 at 9:39AM | No Comments

France's president signed the country's marriage-equality bill into law. Click image for the story.

I trolled the web for LGBT headlines all weekend so you wouldn’t have to. READ MORE

BRIAN SIMS TO HOLD TOWN HALL MEETING TONIGHT

A timely opportunity to bring questions about all the exciting things happening on the LGBT front, both locally and statewide.

Posted by Josh Middleton on 5/16/2013 at 3:25PM | No Comments

State Rep. Brian Sims is holding a Town Hall meeting tonight for residents of the 182nd District. On the agenda for discussion, he says, is everything from SEPTA and the state budget to healthcare and, most relevant to our interests, LGBTQ civil rights. READ MORE

MONDAY KICKSTARTER: THE NEW NORMAL GETS CANNED, GAY SHOW STARRING SEAN HAYES IS PICKED UP

Plus: Illinois governor is chomping at the bit to sign a marriage equality bill, California to start requiring schools to teach LGBT history and more in this weekend's gay headlines.

Posted by Josh Middleton on 5/13/2013 at 9:43AM | No Comments

Fans of The New Normal will be sorry to hear that the show was just cancelled after one season. Click image for story.

I trolled the web for LGBTQ headlines all weekend so you wouldn’t have to. READ MORE

PHOTOS: MAYOR NUTTER SIGNS PHILADELPHIA’S LGBT EQUALITY BILL

"This is now the law in Philadelphia."

Posted by Josh Middleton on 5/10/2013 at 10:03AM | 4 Comments

Philadelphia LGBT history was made yesterday afternoon, when Mayor Nutter signed Bill #130224, otherwise known as the LGBT Equality Bill, into law. The brief ceremony was packed with excited spectators, tons of reporters and orated by a team of local lawmakers who helped pave the way for the bill. The sentiment that was on all of their lips was the bill’s trailblazing efforts to make Philadelphia, as Nutter put it, the “most LGBT-friendly city in the world.” The mayor said he is “proud to be working in this area again,” and vowed to continue using his platform to promote LGBT equality. READ MORE

MAYOR NUTTER TO SIGN PHILLY’S LGBT EQUALITY BILL TODAY

Philadelphia is one signature away from being the most gay-friendly city in the country.

Posted by Josh Middleton on 5/9/2013 at 1:34PM | No Comments

This afternoon, Mayor Nutter and Councilman Jim Kenney will meet up in the Municipal Building to sign into law Bill #130224, more commonly known as the LGBT Equality Bill that will make Philadelphia the rainbow-iest city in the United States — especially when it comes to rights for the trans community. READ MORE

DARRYL METCALFE RE-INTRODUCES ANTI-MARRIAGE EQUALITY BILL TO RECORD-LOW SUPPORT

The bigoted State Rep. is screeching on about saving traditional marriage, but his support is dwindling by the day.

Posted by Josh Middleton on 5/8/2013 at 1:14PM | 1 Comment

Yesterday, State Representative Darryl Metcalfe re-introduced his hateful House bill, which would amend the state Constitution so that it specifies that “marriage is the legal union of only one man and one woman as husband and wife and no other legal union that is treated as marriage … shall be valid or recognized.” In a release he put out yesterday, the representative says: READ MORE

IT’S ALMOST ILLEGAL TO FIRE PEOPLE FOR BEING GAY IN PA.

A record number of Harrisburg legislators support a bill that would ban LGBTQ discrimination in the state.

Posted by Josh Middleton on 5/7/2013 at 3:35PM | No Comments

A small army of Harrisburg legislators gathered in the Capitol this afternoon to announce that they’re ready to fight for the passage of House Bill 300 and Senate Bill 300, two pieces of legislation that would finally “ban discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity or expression statewide in employment, housing, credit and public accommodations.”

I can’t believe I just had to type that. READ MORE