PHI LADELPHIA GAY NEWS

est. 1976 HONESTY . INTEGRITY . PROFESSIONALISM

October 25-31, 2019 V ol. 43 N o. 43 pgn

HISTORY MONTH Alfred Kinsey ‘was our Stonewall’ PAG E 4

PA legislators push for Pete Buttigieg’s Philly rally

conversion therapy ban draws crowds

Photo cour tesy Brian Sims

JESS BRYANT therapy for minors. Only 11 cities in

jess@epgn.com
State Rep. Brian Sims (D-Phila.)
hosted a news conference Wednesday
in Harrisburg about banning conver-
sion therapy for minors in Pennsyl-
vania.
Washington, D.C. and 18 states
including New Jersey, Delaware and
Maryland have banned conversion
Gay man sues Comcast
TIMOTHY CWIEK
timothy@epgn.com
Klayton Fennell, a Comcast Corp.
executive, recently filed suit against
the media giant, claiming a hostile
work environment caused him to be
passed over for promotions, subject-
ed to antigay slurs, denied equal pay
and pressured to leave the Philadel-
phia headquarters.
His 45-page federal lawsuit was
filed Oct. 14 in U.S. District Court
for the Eastern District of Pennsyl-
vania.
Fennell, who couldn’t be reached
Pennsylvania, including Philadelphia,
Pittsburgh, Allentown, Doylestown
and Reading, have outlawed the prac-
tice.
On Oct. 21, Sims was joined by
state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (D-Phi-
la.), state Sen. Katie Muth, Daniel
Walinksy, associate professor in the
counseling psycholo-
gy program at Temple page 20
for comment, holds the title of se-
nior vice president of government
affairs and principal for LGBTQ Ex-
ternal Affairs for Comcast. His job
requires him to represent Comcast’s
diversity efforts in a positive man-
ner, according to the lawsuit.
But throughout his career, Fennell
claims he received unequal pay and
benefits due to antigay bias and gen-
der stereotyping. One example of
stereotyping involved a high-rank-
ing Comcast official comparing Fen-
nell’s appearance to that of figure
skater Johnny Weir,
page 2
even though the two
P h o t o : P h i l a d e l p h i a n s f o r Pe t e B u t t i g i e g Fa c e b o o k
LAURA SMYTHE
laura@epgn.com
Pete Buttigieg has high hopes for 2020.
Along with taking control of the Oval Office, the
Democratic presidential candidate wants to make it
the year the United States addresses climate change,
squashes systemic racism and ends gun violence,
Buttigieg told about 1,000 people gathered in the
rain at Reading Terminal Market on Sunday eve-
ning for a rally that kicked off in true Philly fashion
with an Eagles chant.
The South Bend, Indiana mayor said in a roughly
20-minute speech that he aims to give youth answers
that will make them proud of their country. Butti-
gieg referenced children he’s met on the campaign
trail, including a 13-year-old boy who tearfully
asked what gun laws would be passed so he doesn’t
have to fear violence at school and a 12-year-old
girl who worried her diabetes care would go uncov-
ered if her parents lost their health coverage.
“We are at a moment of so much importance for
the rest of our lives,” Buttigieg said at the event.
“We’re going to remember what we did in 2020.”
As a moderate contender in the pool of left-lean-
ing presidential hopefuls, Buttigieg dedicated a
sizeable chunk of his first Pennsylvania campaign
stop to discuss how he would stand “up for the val-
ues that make us Americans” like strengthening na-
tional security, reforming gun laws, protecting peo-
ple of different faiths and addressing environmental
concerns.
“When it comes to a value like patriotism and the
love of this country, that is not a Republican value,
that is an American value,” Buttigieg said, adding,
“You cannot love this country if you hate half the
people that are in it.”
Many national polls rank Buttigieg, 37, a former
intelligence officer in the Navy Reserve, as fourth or
fifth in the Democratic race, according to political
analysis website FiveThirtyEight.
But new numbers collected via a Suffolk Uni-
versity/USA TODAY poll conducted
Oct. 16-18 show Buttigieg narrowing page 21

PA G E 2 PA G E 6 PA G E 9

JUDGE NIXES TRANSPARENCY
IN MORRIS CASE
After hearing 20 minutes of oral arguments last week, a Phil-
adelphia judge denied trans attorney Julie Chovanes’ request for
records relating to the Nizah Morris incident.
SIMS PUSHES FOR ACCURATE SEX COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS
EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS INFORM FUNDING
Last week, State Rep. Brian Sims hosted a legislative poli- Nearly 6,000 people participated in more than 450 conver-
cy hearing in Center City about comprehensive sex education sations Oct. 17 as a part of On The Table Philly, an initiative
for Pennsylvania’s youth. designed to “elevate civic conversation.”
2 LOCAL
RESOURCE LISTINGS
LEGAL RESOURCES
PHILADELPHIA COMMISSION ON
HUMAN RELATIONS —
Rue Landau
215-686-4670
PHILADELPHIA POLICE
LIAISON COMMITTEE
215-760-3686
ppd.lgbt@gmail.com
SPARC — STATEWIDE
PENNSYLVANIA RIGHTS COALITION
717-920-9537
ACLU OF PENNSYLVANIA
215-592-1513; aclupa.org
AIDS LAW PROJECT OF PA
215-587-9377; aidslawpa.org
AIDS LAW PROJECT OF
SOUTH JERSEY
856-784-8532; aidslawsnj.org
EQUALITY PA
equalitypa.org; 215-731-1447
OFFICE OF LGBT AFFAIRS —
EVAN THORNBURG
215-686-0330
evan.thornburg@phila.gov
COMMUNITY CENTERS
THE ATTIC YOUTH CENTER
255 S. 16th St.; 215-545-4331
atticyouthcenter.org
For LGBT and questioning youth
and their friends and allies.
LGBT CENTER AT THE UNIVERSITY
OF PENNSYLVANIA
3907 Spruce St.; 215-898-5044
center@dolphin.upenn.edu
RAINBOW ROOM: BUCKS
COUNTY’S LGBTQ AND ALLIES
YOUTH CENTER
Salem UCC Education Building
181 E. Cour t St., Doylestown
215-957-7981 ext. 9065
rainbowroom@ppbucks.org
WILLIAM WAY
LGBT COMMUNITY CENTER
1315 Spruce St.; 215-732-2220
www.waygay.org
H E A LT H A N D H I V T E S T I N G
ACTION WELLNESS
1216 Arch St.; 215-981-0088 ac-
tionwellness.org
AIDS TREATMENT FACT LINE
800-662-6080
AIDS HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION
1211 Chestnut St. #405
215-971-2804; HIVcare.org
AIDS LIBRARY
1233 Locust St, aidslibrar y.org
COLOURS
coloursorganization.org
215-832-0100
BEBASHI-TRANSITION TO HOPE
1235 Spring Garden St
215-769-3561; bebashi.org
CONGRESO DE LATINOS UNIDOS
216 W. Somerset St
215-763-8870
GALAEI
149 W. Susquehanna Ave
267-457-3912, galaei.org
Spanish/English
HEALTH CENTER NO. 2
1720 S. Broad St
215-685-1821
MAZZONI CENTER
1348 Bainbridge St
215-563-0652
mazzonicenter.org
PHILADELPHIA FIGHT
1233 Locust St.; 215-985-4448
fight.org
WASHINGTON WEST PROJECT OF
MAZZONI CENTER
1201 Locust St.; 215-985-9206
TRANSGENDER HEALTH ACTION
COALITION
215-732-1207
OTHER
INDEPENDENCE BRANCH LIBRARY
BARBARA GITTINGS GAY AND
LESBIAN COLLECTION
215-685-1633
INDEPENDENCE BUSINESS
ALLIANCE
215-557-0190, independence-
businessalliance.com
LGBT PEER COUNSELING
SERVICES
215-732-TALK
PFLAG: PARENTS, FAMILIES AND
FRIENDS OF LESBIANS AND GAYS
(PHILADELPHIA)
215-572-1833
PHILLY PRIDE PRESENTS
215-875-9288
Judge nixes transparency
in Morris case
TIMOTHY CWIEK
timothy@epgn.com
After hearing 20 minutes of oral arguments
last week, a Philadelphia judge denied trans
attorney Julie Chovanes’ request for records
at the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office
relating to the Nizah Morris incident.
In April 2018, Chovanes request-
ed all records at the office relat-
ing to the Morris case, citing
the state’s Right-to-Know
Law. On Oct. 17, oral ar-
guments were held before
Common Pleas Court
Judge Edward C. Wright.
Morris, 47, was a trans
woman of color who was
found with a frac-
tured skull in 2002,
shortly after getting
a police “courtesy
ride” from the area of
13th and Walnut streets to
16th and Walnut. Her homi-
cide remains unsolved.
Assistant District Attorney Cath-
erine B. Kiefer told Wright that state law
prohibits the DA’s office from providing Cho-
vanes with a copy of its Morris file. “Criminal
files are not something we’re permitted to turn
over,” Kiefer told the judge.
She said the Right-to-Know Law and the
Criminal History Record Information Act pre-
clude criminal records from being released to
the public.
Kiefer also said the Morris homicide is “no
different” than any other homicide handled
by the DA’s office, as far as releasing records
is concerned. However, Kiefer overlooked a
2008 court order signed by Common Pleas
Judge Jane C. Greenspan, calling for trans-
parency in the Morris case. The DA’s office
is named explicitly in the order as an agency
that should cooperate with transparency in the
Morris case.
COMCAST from page 1
bear no resemblance, according to the law-
suit.
Fennel has complained about the alleged
mistreatment on multiple occasions, to no
avail. Instead, he was pressured to act more
masculine, rather than “flamboyant,” accord-
ing to the lawsuit.
“In contrast to how [Comcast] treats [Fen-
nell], [Comcast] holds [Fennell] out to the
public, including the LGBT and other com-
munities, as an example of their non-dis-
criminatory or inclusive environment in an
effort to bolster their public image and fur-
ther their business as a media company,” the
lawsuit states.
Comcast issued the following statement,
denying Fennell’s allegations.
“At no time during Klay Fennell’s long
career at Comcast has he been discriminat-
ed against or been the subject of wrongful
Philadelphia Gay News . epgn.com
Chovanes emphasized her concern that
Morris was killed while in police custody. She
told Wright that the courtesy ride began around
3:15 a.m. Dec. 22, 2002, and passing motorists
found Morris just 10 minutes later with a fatal
head wound at 16th and Walnut.
Chovanes spoke passionately about the per-
vasive violence against trans people,
particularly trans women of color.
Chovanes also said the DA’s
office presented no evidence
of an investigation into
Morris’ murder. Chovanes
noted that since the DA’s
office isn’t investigating
the matter, its Morris re-
cords should be publicly
accessible.
But the judge ap-
peared unpersuaded
by Chovanes’ pre-
sentation. He ex-
pressed concern that
people, whom he didn’t
name, may be harmed if the
DA’s Morris records were re-
leased. “We all have to live to-
gether in harmony in this city,” Wright
said during the hearing.
His written ruling denying Chovanes’
open-records request was issued shortly after
the hearing. It’s one sentence without any ex-
planation. Chovanes said she’ll appeal the de-
cision in Commonwealth Court.
Outside the courtroom, Christine Starosta,
an advocate for Morris, said Chovanes’ pre-
sentation moved her. “I’ve attended several
hearings on the Morris case,” Starosta said.
“This was definitely the most moving one. Ju-
lie spoke from her heart. She cried for Nizah.
That was a human touch that’s often missing
in legal proceedings. Julie brought home all
the pain and suffering that Nizah’s friends and
family have gone through all these years.” n
Illustration by Ash Cheshire.
treatment. Comcast has a longstanding com-
mitment to the LGBTQ community and has
been widely recognized for its inclusive cul-
ture. Klay has worked at Comcast for more
than 18 years, and we promoted him to the
job of Senior Vice President more than four
years ago, one of our highest roles in our Ca-
ble division. We also have supported him for
many years and provided a platform for him
to have a positive influence on LGBTQ ini-
tiatives both inside the company and in the
communities we serve. We will vigorous-
ly defend ourselves against these claims in
court.”
Fennell began working for Comcast in
Philadelphia in 2001, but subsequently
transferred to Florida, where he was called
“faggot” by a fellow employee and experi-
enced other mistreatment, according to the
lawsuit.
In 2011, Fennell returned
page 22
OCTOBER 25-31, 2019
PGN
3
4 H I S T O RY
Philadelphia Gay News . epgn.com

pgn
Alfred Kinsey ‘was our Stonewall’
MICHAEL BEDWELL
PGN Contributor
Publisher There was a time when one out of every
Mark Segal (ext. 204) two Americans Gallup polled knew Alfred
mark@epgn.com Kinsey’s name, and to gay men, lesbians and
bisexuals, he was a living hero. Sadly, for
Office Manager/ the last quarter-century or so, calling Alfred
Distribution Kinsey “the man who made the homosexual
Don Pignolet (ext. 200) movement possible” has come not from that
don@epgn.com movement but the antigay industry.
On June 27, the late bisexual Indiana
Editor University zoology professor’s name was
Jess Bryant (ext. 206) finally immortalized where it should have
editor@epgn.com been long ago — in New York’s Stonewall
Inn. His name now joins Harvey Milk, Edie
Staff Writers Windsor, José Sarria, Christine Jorgensen,
Laura Smythe (ext. 215)
Bayard Rustin and others among the 50 indi-
laura@epgn.com viduals on the permanent National LGBTQ
Wall of Honor “Honoring Pioneers, Trail- profession? Psychiatrist. risks.’ The Senate subcommittee investigat-
Larry Nichols (ext. 213) Vocalist and comedienne Martha Raye’s ing employment of ‘homosexuals and other
larry@epgn.com blazers, and Heroes” who “contributed to
the advancement of the LGBTQ community satirical “Ooh, Dr. Kinsey!” was banned moral perverts’ by the Federal Government
Timothy Cwiek (ext. 208) in a substantive way.” on the radio, which only triggered sales, al- had better read the Kinsey report before it
timothy@epgn.com
Kinsey’s role is traceable to the birth of legedly 500,000 copies in three months. goes very far.”
Photographer the gay rights movement in the United States Unintentionally, Kinsey’s numbers only
after the first effort by Henry Gerber and his Now if he’s timid around the girls fanned the flames of politicized paranoia.
Kelly Burkhardt Society for Human Rights was smothered But around the boys he’s so sporty To such witch-hunters, more homosexuals
burkhardtkelly@gmail.com
by authorities in Chicago in 1925. His history is no mystery only meant more Communists betraying
As Lambda Legal luminary Tom Stod- It’s on page two hundred and forty their country. Kinsey, himself, was accused
Art Director
dard once told the Washington Post, “Civil No wonder Bill was always strange of weakening America by reporting on any
Sean Dorn (ext. 211) rights shouldn’t be a matter of numbers, but And kissed me with such poise kind of sex outside the married, reproduc-
sean@epgn.com When I asked him where he’d been, he’d say: tive “norm.” One headline screamed: “Kin-
they are.” Ours started with Kinsey’s 1948
“Sexual Behavior in Human Males” based ‘Oh, out with the boys.’ seyism Aids Reds.”
Graphic Artist on interviews with 5,300 men that shot to In 1952 and 1953, Mattachine applied
the top of The New York Times bestseller A pioneer in nonbinary documentation, Kinsey statistics in the cover letter to the
Ash Cheshire (ext. 210) Kinsey wrote: “About 13 percent of the high first-ever gay questionnaire sent to political
ash@epgn.com list.
Next to Kinsey on the school [educated] level has candidates — “there are at least 150,000
wall is the late Harry Hay, admitted such experience such persons in the Los Angeles area alone”
Advertising Sales
who’d long dreamed of an [with orgasm] after mar- — which was, in turn, quoted in an article in
Joe Bean (ext. 219) organization of gays. Hay riage and between the ages the Los Angeles Mirror.
joe@epgn.com of 21 and 25. Only 3 per- Kinsey agreed to become an informal ad-
gave Kinsey and his book
Prab Sandhu (ext. 212) credit for mobilizing him in cent of the married males viser to Mattachine in 1953 after they decid-
prab@epgn.com 1948. of college level have admit- ed to help him find interview subjects for his
“It was a shocker for us ted homosexual experience next planned book, “Sex and the law.”
National Advertising because we had assumed after marriage — mostly That fall his “Sexual Behavior in the Hu-
Rivendell Media: that we were a few hundred between the ages of 31 and man Female” appeared, exploding hallowed
212-242-6863 in every city. Turned out, 35. Younger, unmarried myths about women’s sex lives, too. It was
we were thousands in ev- males have regularly given equated with an atomic bomb explosion and
ery city that even he knew us some record of sexual banned in South Africa, the Philippines, and
about. So, with my copy of contacts with older, married on American military bases and ships. Some
Phone: 215-625-8501 PGN males.” parents threatened to keep their daughters
Fax: 215-925-6437 505 S. Fourth St. [the book] under one arm,
E-mail: pgn@epgn.com Philadelphia, PA a sheaf of papers under the Hay, still married him- from attending IU and calls for his firing
Web: www.epgn.com 19147-1506 other, I go through the entire self, hosted several gather- increased — all uncompromisingly and el-
gay community as I know it ings ostensibly to discuss oquently rebutted by university president
Philadelphia Gay News
is a member of: at that time — which isn’t the book everyone was Herman Wells.
The Associated Press much,” said Hay. talking about but actual- Rev. Franklin Graham’s Big Daddy, Rev.
Pennsylvania Newspaper ly to promote his ideas for Billy, the first superstar evangelist, slyly
Association Also shocking was how
Suburban Newspapers many Kinsey convinced to organizing; finding little called Kinsey and his fellow researchers “se-
of America
confide in him when a sin- interest, even mockery and cret agents,” and raged in a radio broadcast,
The views of PGN are expressed only in the unsigned gle sex act with another man could, then, hostility, until November 1950 when he and in print and to tens of thousands in revival
“Editorial” col­umn. Opinions expressed in bylined col- lead to prison from one year in several states four others founded the Mattachine Society, meetings across the country that Kinsey was
umns, stories and letters to the editor are those of the the first enduring gay rights group in the insulting women and teaching “our young
writer, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of to life in Connecticut, Georgia and Nevada.
PGN. The appearance of names or pictorial represen- Kinsey thought it impossible to identify United States. people moral perversions that they’d never
tations in PGN does not necessarily indicate the sexual Meanwhile, Kinsey had begun publicly even heard of before.”
orientation of that named or pictured person or persons. who was “homosexual” or “heterosexual.”
It was only possible to identify and tabu- advocating for the repeal of laws against Mattachine gave Kinsey its 1954 Award
Copyright © 1976 - 2019 Copyright(s) in all materials
in these pages are either owned or licensed by Masco late numbers of psychological reactions consensual sodomy in 1949. of Merit, “For active promotion of individ-
Communications Inc. or its subsidiaries or affiliate compa- and overt behaviors. But the implication of A 1950 syndicated newspaper article ual freedom and education in the human
nies (Philadelphia Gay News, PGN, and its WWW sites.)
All other reproduction, distribution, retransmission, mod- higher numbers spoke for itself. According about what we now call the Lavender Scare community.”
ification, public display, and public performance of our to Kinsey team member Wardell Pomeroy, read: “SENATE UNIT ADVISED TO In October 1955, Kinsey met with mem-
materials is prohibited without the prior written consent
of Masco Communications. To obtain such consent, email after one interviewee realized how many READ KINSEY. If Dr. Kinsey’s sex data bers of the Wolfenden Committee in London
pgn@epgn.com. Published by Masco Communications Inc. experiences with men he’d acknowledged, apply, there are 192 in Congress and half in support of decriminalizing
sodomy in Britain. “Kinsey’s page 21
© 1976-2019 Masco Communications Inc. ISSN-0742-515
“he rushed to the bathroom to vomit.” His million in civil service who are ‘bad security
OCTOBER 25-31, 2019
PGN
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6 LOCAL
Sims pushes for comprehensive sex education in PA schools
GARY L. DAY
PGN Contributor
Last week, State Rep. Brian Sims hosted
a legislative policy hearing in Center City
about comprehensive sex education for
Pennsylvania’s youth. The hearing spoke to
HB1586, the Comprehensive Sex Ed Bill, in-
troduced into the State House last February
and referred to the Committee on Education
last June.
In addition to Sims, the other principle co-
sponsor is Rep. Mary Jo Daley. As of June,
when it went to committee, the bill had 25
sponsors in addition to Sims and Daley.
“Sex education in Pennsylvania is like a
wild west scenario,” said Sims. “There is no
standardized curriculum; you never know
what is being taught from school to school.
This bill will rectify that.”
According to Sims, “The bill will facilitate
the devising of a medically accurate, evi-
dence-based and non-judgmental curriculum
that is consistent throughout the state. The
goal is to enable and empower students with
the information they need to address such is-
sues as gender identity and affirmative assent
and disease and pregnancy prevention in a
non-judgmental environment.”
Sims made a point of differentiating the
job of legislators from that of educators.
“Our job as legislators is to craft policy, not
curricula. We intend this bill to provide the
tools for qualified educators to craft a model
curriculum.”
In a memorandum distributed to State
House members seeking co-sponsors for
HB1586, Sims wrote, “The Centers for Dis-
ease Control and Prevention has reported
that ‘comprehensive sex education programs
have been shown to reduce high-risk sexual
behavior, a clear factor for sexual violence
victimization and perpetration.’ In addition,
several studies found that comprehensive
sex ed increases positive sexual behaviors in
teens.”
Most members of the Committee on Ed-
ucation, headed by Committee Chairman
Mike Sturla, attended the meeting. The pur-
pose of the hearing was to hear testimony
explaining the need for a comprehensive sex
Photo by Gar y L. Day
education program in Pennsylvania. To that
end, a dozen educators, social workers, ac-
tivists and parents testified.
The first to speak was Melissa Weiler
Gerber, CEO of AccessMatters, which she
described as “a public health nonprofit orga-
nization that innovates, empowers and works
to equalize access to sexual and reproductive
health care for teens and adults in need.”
According to Gerber, “A recent review of
sexual and reproductive curricula for ado-
lescents found that school-based programs
were generally effective at increasing ado-
lescents’ knowledge of sexual and reproduc-
tive health, and use of contraception. We see
the benefits of access to sex education that is
compressive, medically accurate and age-ap-
Philadelphia Gay News . epgn.com
propriate.”
Lynette Medley, CEO of No More Secrets
Mind Body Spirit, Inc., addressed the issue
of sexuality. “School-based curriculums
largely ignore LGBT relationships as ex-
pressed by many youth who have been ridi-
culed, shunned or ignored when questioning
the depiction of traditional families. The
negative and harmful self-perceptions many
of our youth possess due to environmental
influences and societal norms exemplify the
urgency of having these open, honest and re-
alistic conversations in our community.”
Medley added, “It is downright negligent
and incomprehensible to place our youth at
risk.”
Alma Sheppard-Matsuo, out genderqueer
nonbinary teacher at Dobbins CTE High
School, said “Sexual development is just
that. It is a part of us that undergoes devel-
opment throughout our lifetimes, most espe-
cially in our youth. It is a fact that our schools
are in dire need of better, consent-informed,
LGBTQAI-inclusive sex ed that is taught in
every grade.”
Executive Director of the Women’s Medi-
cal Fund Elicia Gonzales summed it up well
when she said, “We have been doing it all
wrong, folks. When sex ed is even offered,
it is preaching abstinence, instilling fear,
pathologizing our bodies and behaviors or
focused solely on risk. We are swimming
upstream and fighting against human nature
— and how’s that working for any of us?” n
OCTOBER 25-31, 2019
PGN
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8 LOCAL
Lesbian City Council
candidate brings LGBTQ
activism to local politics
LAURA SMYTHE
laura@epgn.com
Sherrie Cohen describes herself as a life-
long fighter for the LGBTQ community.
In 1975, she joined radical lesbian group
DYKETACTICS! in filling Philadelphia’s
City Council Chambers to protest the im-
pending denial of Bill 1275, which would
have outlawed anti-gay discrimination
in employment, housing and public ac-
commodations. Cohen,
along with other orga-
nizers, was dragged from
the room by police and
kicked down four flights
of stairs. The activists
became one of the first
LGBTQ groups in the na-
tion to sue law enforce-
ment officials for exces-
sive use of force.
Cohen now aims to
bring this same ded-
ication to protecting
LGBTQ rights back to
the chambers on the
fourth floor of City Hall
— this time as an at-large
councilmember. The
third-party Independent
lesbian candidate on Phil-
adelphia’s Nov. 5 general
election ballot told PGN it is “past time for
our community to be represented on City
Council.”
Cohen, a 64-year-old tenant rights attor-
ney, is running on a platform that empha-
sizes addressing housing inequities such
as skyrocketing rents and displacement
caused by gentrification that dispropor-
tionately affects marginalized folks. The
Ogontz resident and native Philadelphian
plans to push the city to launch employ-
ment initiatives to ease the high rate of
unemployment that trans and gender-non-
conforming people experience, particular-
ly those of color, and advocates for ending
racialized policing, prosecution and incar-
ceration.
Cohen also champions a $15 per hour
minimum wage, an environmentally-pro-
gressive Green New Deal for the city and
nontoxic city schools. Philly’s education
facilities recently came under fire when
1,000 young learners were displaced in
North Philadelphia because of asbestos.
“I want to make sure that trans inmates,
as well as folks living with chronic illness
in our community, are receiving the af-
firming and comprehensive care that we
need while incarcerated,” Cohen said in an
interview with PGN. “I’d like to see more
housing for our queer youth. I’d like more
public education programs on the lives of
all members of our community, including
Philadelphia Gay News . epgn.com
trans and gender-nonconforming people.
The violence against and murder of Black
trans women in Philly and throughout the
country must be addressed. And in the city,
we have a responsibility to ensure great-
er understanding of the lives of trans and
gender-nonconforming members of our
community so that there is less violence
directed toward them.”
Cohen stressed the importance of hav-
ing an LGBTQ councilmember because
SHERRIE COHEN
she said it will spur an increased under-
standing of the queer community.
“We need to be at the policy table when
decisions [are] made that impact our com-
munity and really every decision does,
whether it’s about housing or education,
jobs or health care,” she added.
This year’s race is Cohen’s third bid for
a City Council seat. Her latest attempt hit
a roadblock when she dropped out of the
Democratic primary in April after her for-
mer campaign manager publically heckled
a fellow LGBTQ candidate about her race.
When Cohen sought to reenter the election
as an Independent, she faced lengthy legal
opposition that alleged she withdrew too
late as a Democrat to campaign as an Inde-
pendent. This month, the Supreme Court
of Pennsylvania reversed two lower-court
rulings and reinstated Cohen to the Nov.
5 ballot.
Cohen said the challenges she has faced
demonstrate her persistence in represent-
ing LGBTQ Philadelphians.
“My campaign has shown that I’m not
a quitter, and I’m not going to stop trying
to fight for our community regardless of
issues that arose during the campaign sea-
son in the spring or during people suing
me to remove me from the ballot,” she
added. “I don’t think I need to succumb
to an attack against my right to run as a
candidate on behalf of our community.” n
OCTOBER 25-31, 2019
Community conversations
inform funding
JESS BRYANT
jess@epgn.com
Nearly 6,000 people participated in more
than 450 conversations Oct. 17 as a part of On
The Table Philly — an engagement initiative
designed to “elevate civic conversation” and
foster community.
A project from Philadelphia Foundation
and the John S. and James L. Knight Foun-
dation, On The Table Philly aims to make lo-
cal and regional communities “stronger, safer
and more vibrant” by gathering groups, indi-
viduals, businesses, nonprofits and area resi-
dents to talk about topics including education,
race, health, the LGBTQ community, youth
and arts culture.
Juan Franco, executive director of LGBTQ
nonprofit Delaware Valley Legacy Fund, led
one such conversation at William Way LGBT
Community Center last week during a day-
long celebration and conversation series that
is part of an ongoing project. Franco brought
together grantees, community members and
other stakeholders to talk about the emerging
needs of Philadelphia’s LGBTQ+ communi-
ty.
Because DVLF is a leading funder ad-
dressing LGBTQ issues in the city, Franco
said he wanted to have the conversation to
“ensure that our funding decisions and out-
reach efforts” align with the priorities of the
queer community. DVLF has given “nearly
$1 million” to fund LGBTQ initiatives since
its founding.
Franco said community responses were
“candid, honest and informative,” embodying
the mission of On The Table events. During
small group discussions, Franco told PGN
that participants gave concrete suggestions
for how DVLF can improve outreach efforts.
They also highlighted urgent funding needs,
such as programs that empower and are led
by transgender individuals and mental health
LOCAL
9
S A L E S R E P R E S E N TAT I V E AT P G N
Philadelphia Gay News (PGN) currently has immediate opening for advertising
sales position available for an energetic, self-motivated individual with outstanding
communication skills.
Our ideal candidate must have polished sales skills with experience in lead genera-
tion and cold calling, combined with a track record of closing the sale.
Qualifications: * Two years minimum of successful sales experience, former print
and/or advertising sales are a plus * Strong verbal and writing skills * Excellent at
relationship building * Ability to work independently and part of a team * Knowl-
edge of local media market and LGBT community a plus * Computer literacy a
must
Salary/Benefits: Competitive Salary based on your past experience, plus commis-
sion. Our benefits package includes medical and dental insurance, paid holidays,
vacation and a casual work environment.
Qualified individuals interested in applying are encouraged to send their
résumé. to mark@epgn.com
Illustration by Ash Cheshire
and suicide prevention programming.
On June 7, Philadelphia’s Deputy Sherrif
Dante Austin died by suicide. The National
Alliance on Mental Health reports LGBTQ
adults are twice as likely as heterosexual *PGN is an equal opportunity employer
adults to experience a mental health condition
and at a higher risk for suicidal thoughts and
ideation.
In 2019, the Human Rights Campaign re-
ports 21 transgender people have been vio-
lently killed, including Philadelphia’s Tame-
ka “Michelle” Washington, and transgender
rights have been compromised under the
Trump Administration. Along with the trans
military ban, on Sept. 19, the Department of
Justice filed a brief in the U.S. Supreme Court
stating that federal law “does not prohibit
discrimination against transgender persons
based on their transgender status.”
“Community members expressed their
concerns about perspectives without fear of
being judged,” Franco said. He emphasized
SUCCESS
how impactful it was to see the attendees’
collective effort to define pressing LGBTQ STARTS Here
funding needs and ensure DVLF’s funding
aligns with those needs.
Franco said he hopes participants “took
with them a sense of being heard and em- Community College of Philadelphia is the smart path
powered and knowing that their perspectives,
experiences and concerns will help guide our to a bachelor’s degree and careers that pay well.
grantmaking review and decision process for
our LGBTQ+ Emerging Needs grant cycle.” OPEN HOUSE
While Franco looks forward to future Main Campus | Monday, Oct. 28 | 5 p.m.
events with On The Table, DVLF’s next ma-
jor event is its annual TOY drive on Dec. 14.
Last year, the event, which donated gifts to Start YOUR success story with us
social services group Action Wellness and at www.ccp.edu/openhouse.
celebrated grant recipients, had more than
250 attendees. n
To learn more about On the Table Philly 2019,
visit www.philafound.org/onthetable. For
more information about DVLF, visit DVLF.
org.
10 EDITORIAL
Philadelphia Gay News . epgn.com

EDITORIAL BY JESS BRYANT

WHY WON’T JUDGE, DA RELEASE NIZAH MORRIS’ RECORDS?

This week, Philadelphia Com-
mon Pleas Court Judge Edward
C. Wright denied a request for
records by trans attorney Julie
Chovanas relating to the Nizah
Morris case. During the hearing
asking the Office of the District
Attorney to release Morris’ re-
cords, Wright said, “We all have
to live together in harmony in this
city.”
Nizah Morris, a Black trans
woman, received a courtesy ride
from Philadelphia police at 3:15
a.m on Dec. 22, 2002. Only 10
minutes later, passing motorists
found Morris with a fatal head
wound. Elizabeth Skala, the of-
ficer who gave Morris the cour-
tesy ride, dropped Morris off
three miles from her home, in-
stead of at her doorstep. Before
the ride, Skala called off medics
who would have taken Morris to
a hospital due to intoxication.
The police department mis-
placed Morris’ homicide file in
2003. Eight years later, some re-
cords were found in the Archives
Unit, though many are still miss-
ing.
Given this knowledge, PGN
wonders what Wright meant in
his statement, “We all have to live
together in harmony,” and why
this affected his ruling.
For years, the LGBTQ com-
munity has been curious about
police involvement in the Morris
case. We have a progressive DA
in Larry Krasner, who is an ad-
vocate for transparency, and yet
his office refuses to release Mor-
ris’ records. What harmony could
be displaced from whatever
truth is gleaned? And what har-
mony even exists for Black trans
women in 2019 when the Human
Rights Campaign reports 20 trans
women of color have been vio-
lently killed this year.
“Harmony” might be a word
that those outside of this com-
munity think has been achieved
among queer folks, police, non-
LGBTQ members and the gov-
ernment. But many LGBTQ peo-
ple still live in fear. They are still
discriminated against, bullied,
suffering economic hardships
and disowned and isolated from
their families. It takes decades
and hard work for “harmony” to
be achieved, if it’s even possible.
To begin to work toward har-
mony, the DA and courts need to
provide the LGBTQ community
with the truth about what hap-
pened to Nizah Morris on Dec.
22, 2002. n

CREEP OF THE WEEK BY D’ANNE WITKOWSKI

JOHN MCCORMACK
On Oct. 10, the day before National Com-
ing Out Day, the Democrats running for pres-
ident convened for a town hall on the topic
of LGBTQ rights. It was a historic event, es-
pecially for those LGBTQ people who never
thought they’d see something like this in their
lifetimes, myself included. If you had told me
when I was a teenager that one day every sin-
gle major Democratic contender would fully
support my right to live and love, I would have
said you were out of your goddamn mind.
And yet, here we are. And it feels pretty
great.
Of course, not everyone agrees that LGBTQ
people are deserving of equal rights, let alone
worth expending political capital on.
In fact, John McCormack of the National
Review called the town hall “disastrous,” ar-
guing that there are other more pressing mat-
ters going on.
McCormack wrote, “The Democratic field
was catering to a domestic special-interest
group on CNN for several hours at a time
when war is breaking out between Turkey and
the Kurds in northern Syria — a war that was
given the green light by the sitting Republican
president.”
He went on to imply that the Human Rights
Campaign somehow strong-armed Demo-
crats into talking about LGBTQ rights when
the town hall’s focus should have switched to
what Trump did to the Kurds.
Now, McCormack has written a lot about
what he calls Trump’s “worst foreign-policy
blunder of his presidency,” and absolutely no
one is arguing that this isn’t a big deal (except,
perhaps, Trump himself). But to scold Demo-
crats for daring to talk about something else
implies that LGBTQ rights are not important.
And this is perhaps true for National Review
readers. But LGBTQ rights and the issues of
equality are important topics, especially to
Americans like my family and me. McCor-
mack also seems to be implying that since the to know she thinks you’re probably an incel. helped assure
Democrats were focused on LGBTQ issues, Not merely a cuck.” LGBTQ peo-
they don’t care about what’s happening in If McCormack thinks this is disrespectful, ple that they
Syria. This is, of course, not true. wait until someone tells him what Trump has are not an af-
Was the timing of the town hall bad? Per- said and done to women. Always bears repeat- terthought
haps, but that isn’t the fault of the Demo- ing that Trump is currently accused of sexual in this elec-
crats or HRC. If the Democrats had to scrap assault by a large number (I’ve lost count) of tion or in this
any and all planned appearances to respond women. Also, as if Warren was ever going to country.
to whatever the last thing Trump has said or get the incel vote. What is a
done, they would literally never be able to plan McCormack calls out Joe Biden’s rambling joke, however, is the man we’re currently sup-
ahead. You couldn’t write a speech or even out- about “round-the-clock sex” at “gay bath- posed to call president. And there is absolutely
line remarks without being usurped by another houses,” and I don’t blame him. It was weird! no humor to be found. n
reckless and ignorant comment or act from the Jesus, Joe. But McCormack leads with this tid-
dangerously unfit man in the White House. bit to paint the entire town hall has as a joke. D’Anne Witkowski is a poet, writer and co-
McCormack then goes on to lambast Dem- It wasn’t. LGBTQ people have gotten a median living in Michigan with her wife and
ocrats for their support of the Equality Act, bruising under the Trump Administration. son. She has been writing about LGBT poli-
which would prohibit discrimination against Democrats don’t exactly have a long history of tics for over a decade. Follow her on Twitter
LGBTQ people, calling it “extreme.” support for LGBTQ people. So, this town hall @MamaDWitkowski.
McCormack echoes claims that the Equality
Act is a threat to religious liberty. He quotes
Professor Douglas Laycock, who said, “This
is not a good-faith attempt to reconcile com-
peting interests. It is an attempt by one side to
grab all the disputed territory and to crush the
other side.”
As if what we currently have, where it’s to-
tally cool to discriminate as long as you can
say your religion made you do it, isn’t a one-
sided grab of its own.
McCormack calls out Elizabeth Warren for
joking that a man who believes in one man/
one woman marriage should just marry one
woman.
“If you can find one,” she added to much
applause and laughter.
“Long gone is the Democratic Party of
the 2000s that tried to unite blue-staters and
red-staters under the Obama-esque rhetoric
of hope and change,” McCormack lamented.
“You’re a supporter of Elizabeth Warren but
respectfully inform her your religion teaches
you marriage is a union between one man and
one woman? Candidate Warren would like you
OCTOBER 25-31, 2019
MARK MY WORDS WITH MARK SEGAL
Trump has blood on his hands
If I was a national
political pundit, this
week would be a bo-
nanza for comment.
What about Trump
de’dumbly (trade-
mark) telling America
that he’s bringing our
troops home, while at
the same time sending
3,000 of our service
members to his good friends in Saudi Arabia.
And what about him allowing Russia to part-
ner with Turkey to take control in Syria and
telling our troops to move out fast.
But hey, I’m a writer who writes on issues
that are of importance to the LGBT commu-
TRANSMISSIONS BY GWENDOLYN ANN SMITH
On being trans at Hallowe’en
Hallowe’en is a time of magic and mys-
tery. It once served as the end of harvest
season, when autumn gave way to the dark
and dim days of winter. In that liminal space
between the seasons, Hallowe’en marked a
moment that pierced the veil between this
world and another, between life and death
itself.
It was a time for communing with spirits
and finding secrets from the great beyond. In
short, this was when what was hidden could
be revealed.
The holiday today is mostly one for adult
pursuits, as fears of drugs, poison or sharp
items in Hallowe’en candy, coupled with
the crippling fear of “the other” that seem to
permeate our ill society, have led us to all-
but-bar children from enjoying this annual
ritual beyond carefully supervised events.
Meanwhile, adults take to wearing cos-
tumes throughout their day. A whole cottage
industry is focused on providing “sexy” ver-
sions of just about any pop-culture noun in
existence, and parties allow adults to drink
their favorite alcohol rather than trading
“fun size” candies.
When I was a child, more decades ago
than I wish to consider, Hallowe’en was a
somewhat different affair. The idea of it as
an adult affair was largely foreign, as kids
dominated the holiday.
In my neighborhood, we’d eagerly await
we
wanna
know
5% yes
OPINION
nity. How can I possibly connect that to what
Trump is doing?
Here’s how.
President Trump (Trump de’ dumbly), how
about telling your good friend in Saudi Arabia
that he doesn’t get any troops until he agrees
not to kill any more LGBT people. And while
we’re on it, didn’t you claim to be doing that
already? At least your ambassador to Ger-
many stated so and even had a conference on
it. ... Guess that was just for show. This writer
doesn’t buy it. You gave Saudia Arabia troops
and weapons, and they have beheaded LGBT
people and have blood on their hands.
Trump, you not only have the blood of the
Kurds on your hands, you also have the blood
of LGBT people on your hands. n
dusk, when we’d have full rein of the
semi-suburban streets I called home. We’d
hit all the homes we could, bringing home
buckets full of candy.
My parents would usually make my cos-
tume. My mom would typically sew, while
my dad would sometimes draft up some-
thing special, like securing fake blood and
painting a widow’s peak on me for a vam-
pire look, or wiring up some tiny lightbulbs
when I hit the streets as a Star Wars “Jawa”
character.
As much attention as my parents put into
these costumes, of course, I really wanted
one of the cheap mask-and-smock costumes
available at the local five-and-dime, display-
ing whatever character was hot that year.
Then one year, my mom made a costume
suggestion that shook me to the core: she
suggested she could dress me up like a girl.
As much as you might think otherwise,
this suggestion terrified me.
By this point in my young trans life, I’d
already tried my hand in my mom’s makeup
drawer, as well as a stash of old 1960s-era
party dresses. I was a “latchkey” kid and had
many hours at my disposal. I had also be-
come an expert at removing makeup within
mere seconds, sawing myself from any awk-
ward questions that might come my way.
This suggestion made me question just
how well I had done, and if this was some
Do you think your high school sex education was / is LGBTQ competent?
Follow us on Instagram to be a part of our social polls and questions: @phillygaynews
“TRUMP, YOU NOT ONLY HAVE THE
BLOOD OF THE KURDS ON YOUR
HANDS, YOU ALSO HAVE THE BLOOD
OF LGBT PEOPLE ON YOUR HANDS.”
test my mother was putting forth. I could not
help but assume there was an ulterior motive
at play, and I feared what it all meant.
What’s more, if I were to show up dressed
as a girl for Hallowe’en, the bullies, who had
by this time labeled me the school queer,
would have a field day. I knew the taunts
would be louder and the punches harder.
There was, of course, a third option, one
that frightened me the most. I already knew
how I felt and had already heard of transgen-
der people. I feared I may likely be trans. I
knew that once I experienced this, even just
for one night, my life might never be the
same.
I knew that Hallowe’en was a time of
magic and mystery, and I feared what may
be revealed of me.
It would be another decade and a half be-
fore I would work up the courage to have
that experience, wearing a hand-made Belle
costume to an event at a local trans support
group, then later at the nearest trans-friendly
nightclub.
I am somewhat disappointed to admit that
no incredible transformations took place,
as I remained — physically, at least — the
same person I was. Also, by that point, the
genie was already out of the bottle, and my
trans self was no longer a dark secret.
A decade or two later, this experience is
old hat for me. The magic and mystery may
11
remain, but I find myself with precious few
secrets to reveal on Oct. 31.
But I know that for a great many more,
this may be the year when they first end up
experiencing a possibility they may have
only dreamed of before; something they
never thought possible, revealed under the
light of a Hallowe’en moon.
Maybe they too have experienced the fear
of revealing themselves in a city not ready
for them, or to parents who would not be
ready to accept if their child’s costume was
something more, some outward sign of who
they truly were within.
If this Hallowe’en will be the first time
you’ve been able to reveal your truth, I wish
you nothing but success, and I hope the mys-
tery of Hallowe’en carries you to a place of
happiness.
If you don’t yet feel you can reveal your-
self, understand too that this is okay. In these
times, being safe and well is important. Hal-
lowe’en will come again, and one day you
may be ready for it.
Finally, if a friend or family member of
yours decides this year is a time to share a
part of themselves they’ve long since kept
hidden, show your support and your love. In
short, be a part of the magic. n
Gwen Smith has no costume plans for 2019.
You’ll find her at www.gwensmith.com.
95% no
12 REGIONAL
NJ teen fights back against
LET'S TALK school district
VICTORIA A. BROWNWORTH
PGN Contributor
ABOUT
Justice Cillo-Smith is a student at Liberty
Middle School in West Orange, New Jersey.
When she wore her new yellow T-shirt to
school on Sept. 25, she didn’t expect to be
the topic of the school district’s next Board
of Education meeting — let alone land in
PrEP, BABY.
the news. She just liked the T-shirt based on
“The Prom,” a musical about a lesbian who
isn’t allowed to bring her girlfriend to prom.
Cillo-Smith’s T-shirt reads “We’re All
Lesbians” on the front and “Prom For Ev-
eryone” on the back. Cillo-Smith
told NBC on “Today” that
she purchased the T-shirt
One pill. Once a day. Prevents HIV. because “I am a les-
bian, and the
musical was
wonderful
and made
PrEPdelco.com me cry.”
But by sec-
ond period during
Chester: 610.872.9101 the day she wore
shirt, Cillo-Smith found
the
Sharon Hill: 610.583.1177 herself in the principal’s
office.
School administrators
told her that her shirt vio-
lated the dress code, which
bans “articles of clothing
that contain references to
illegal substances, sexual
innuendos, inappropriate
language and pictures, say-
ings or symbols that show
affiliation to hate groups, gangs or demean-
ing messages directed towards any individu-
al group or association.”
The shirt also allegedly violated the school’s
ban on clothing that is “dangerous and/or dis-
ruptive to the learning environment.”
The middle schooler was told she had to
change her shirt before returning to class,
and her mother, Gwen Wu, was called. Wu
was upset, posted about the incident on
Facebook and made plans to attend the next
board of education meeting.
Wu told “Today” her initial reaction was
“one of great displeasure and disappoint-
ment in the school’s policy.” She added,
“The principal told me that it was disruptive
to the learning environment as she could be
targeted for the shirt because middle school
students weren’t as accepting as students in
the high school and that he was in fact ‘pro-
tecting her’ by making her remove the shirt.”
West Orange Superintendent Scott Cas-
cone said the West Orange public school
district “strives for a learning environment
where all are special, all are welcome and all
are celebrated.”
At the board meeting, Cillo-Smith said of
her school’s response, “My initial reaction
was anger, and it made me feel that they had
a bias against me for being openly lesbian.”
She also said another student in the dis-
Philadelphia Gay News . epgn.com
trict, a friend who attends Roosevelt Middle
School, wore the same T-shirt on Oct. 2 and
was not reprimanded.
Minutes from the meeting indicate strong
support for Wu and Cillo-Smith, who at-
tended wearing the T-shirt. Both members
of the board and student liaisons referred to
Cillo-Smith’s courage.
On her Facebook page, Wu wrote after the
meeting, in part, “My heart is full after the
board ... expressed how proud and greatly
supportive they are of [Justice’s] courage
and confidence,” adding, “So far this is
progress, and hopefully we can bring about
acceptance and support to all stu-
dents, especially those
ones who might feel
invalidated due to
their identi-
ties!”
C a s -
cone said
in a state-
ment, “I am a
superintendent
who strives to
nurture an environment
wherein all students and
staff feel welcome, safe,
comfortable and sup-
ported. When it comes
to light that we have
fallen short in our mis-
sion, what shall we do
as a community? We
shall not condemn, we
shall not judge, we shall
P h o t o : Tw i t t e r not cast out. I say, as a
learning organization, let’s come together
through honest and heartfelt dialogue, and
let’s teach and grow. That is precisely the
effort in which I lead. Constructive steps are
already being taken on the part of the com-
munity, not to these ends, but better stated to
these beginnings! The first step was taken on
Monday night by a youngster, and we will,
as I find we sometimes do, take our cue from
the children for whom we care.”
Wu said, “We hope that the school dis-
trict on a whole becomes much more inclu-
sive and that all children can feel safe and
comfortable being unapologetically them-
selves.”
On Oct. 17, friends of Cillo-Smith handed
out paper sheets that read, “We’re All Les-
bians.” Members of the school community
pinned them to their shirts to wear in soli-
darity. The students were not cited for the
show of solidarity with Cillo-Smith.
Cillo-Smith told “Today” she hopes her
story encourages others to be more accept-
ing. “I hope people learn that it’s not OK to
discriminate against LGBTQ children and
that you can’t just respect what people in
power say because they could be wrong.”
She said, “It’s important to stand up for
your own rights, even if you have to go
against everything the school is telling
you.” n
OCTOBER 25-31, 2019
PGN
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LOCAL
Philadelphia Gay News . epgn.com
Working Families Party aims to
oust Republicans
LAURA SMYTHE a religious news outlet about Warren support-
• Partnership & business disputes laura@epgn.com ing health care coverage for gender-affirming
• Non-competes surgeries.
• Executive compensation Of the seven at-large seats available on “2019 should be the year that Philadelphia
• Employment discrimination Philadelphia City Council, two are reserved sets forward a human rights agenda for all
• Real Estate Litigation for minority party or Independent candidates. Philadelphians, particularly our transgender,
A voter who steps into the booth on election gender expansive and marginalized commu-
nities,” the duo said in a statement to PGN at
• Wills, Living Wills, Trusts and Powers of Attorney each party is allowed to nominate under the the time. “We need full health care that’s fully
Home Rule Charter, thus clearing the way for inclusive and free, affordable and accessible
Put 18 years of experience to work for you! members of a rival political party to step up to housing, real employment opportunities to all
the legislative plate. people and deep conversations about safety
For the last several decades, this has al- and stemming the high murder rates for par-
lowed the extraneous two at-large seats to fall ticularly Black trans people. We are running
at the feet of the Republican party in the out- because there’s no place for Trump’s party in
and-proud, largely-Democratic city of Phil- City Hall.”
adelphia. Backed by the Working Families In an interview this week with PGN, O’Ro-
Party, two candidates with strong community urke reiterated the importance of having coun-
organizing roots, Ken-
dra Brooks and Rev.
Repairs, Renovations and Remodeling Nicolas O’Rourke,
have teamed up in an
(215) 467-3335 attempt to dislodge
right-leaning politi-
Pa. HIC #026545 cians from the at-large
Phila. Lic. #17895 spots, which are cur-
“Our” rently held by Repub-
lican Councilmembers
Family Plumber Al Taubenberger and
David Oh.
for over 30 years And their efforts are
being noticed.
Brooks, who hails
from Nicetown, has
been endorsed by 2020 W O R K I N G FA M I L I E S P A R T Y C A N D I D AT E S
presidential candidate R E V. N I C O L A S O ’ R O U R K E ( L E F T ) A N D K E N D R A B R O O K S ( R I G H T ) .
and Massachusetts Photo cour tesy Andre Carroll
Sen. Elizabeth Warren
— who herself was
endorsed Wednesday by Mayor Jim Kenney cilmembers who support LGBTQ health care.
— and Councilmember Helen Gym, who re- “Making sure that those seats are no lon-
cently championed an “inclusivity package” ger being occupied by persons who are advo-
of legislation for trans and gender-noncon- cating for the oppression and suppression of
forming protections. State Reps. Malcolm queer-identifying folk is a major issue,” he
Kenyatta and Brian Sims have also endorsed said. “I look forward to replacing them and
Brooks. She is also credited with raising more making sure that there is another voice on
campaign funding than any other third-party council and seats — that have not been histor-
candidate in Philadelphia history. ically advocacy seats — [for] the mission that
O’Rourke is a pastor at Oxford Circle’s Liv- we’re pushing for queer folk.”
ing Water United Church of Christ, which he For Brooks, having a 20-year-old gen-
describes as a 21st-century, affirming congre- der-nonconforming child who came out as a
gation that fully embraces the city’s LGBTQ young teen inspires her to champion LGBTQ
folks, diverse communities and people of var- rights, she said.
ious faiths. Kenyatta and Sims have also en- “Everyone deserves equality, equal rights
dorsed O’Rourke. and to love who you love and be who you are,”
The Working Families Party describes itself Brooks added. “Nobody else has the right to
as “a progressive grassroots political party judge you or exclude you and everyone should
building a multiracial movement of working stand toward making sure that you’re not dis-
people to transform America.” O’Rourke and criminated against and that you have the same
Brooks are running on The People’s Platform access to health care, jobs, housing, employ-
for a Just Philadelphia, which emphasizes ment as anyone else.”
eight subject areas including providing pub- O’Rourke describes the efforts of the Work-
lic school funding, ensuring affordable hous- ing Families Party candidates to break up the
ing, initiating a living wage of at least $15 Democrat-Republican status quo in city gov-
per hour, addressing the mass incarceration ernment as “a mass education push.”
of people of color and implementing a Green “The two seats are not Republican seats,
New Deal. they’re the people’s seats,” he said. “Having
ARTS & CULTURE The two candidates recently spoke out a viable third party option, not just names that
against Oh, who this month incited a Face- we write in, but some folks
book controversy after sharing an article from who actually are doing the page 20
OCTOBER 25-31, 2019
photo journalism
Community garden takes home
blue ribbon
JESS BRYANT
jess@epgn.com
John C. Anderson Apartments, an afford-
able LGBT-friendly senior housing com-
plex, once again has been recognized by
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society as hav-
ing the Best Community Flower Garden. A
blue-ribbon winner for the fourth time, John
C. Anderson’s “The Courtyard” has been
earning recognition nearly since established
in 2014, when the building opened. Kicked
off with a “Comcast Cares” day five years
ago, the garden, with a fountain centerpiece,
continues to flourish.
This year’s Horticultural Society contest
had over 450 entries and judged gardens
based on aesthetic appeal, plant health, ed-
ible plants, habitat for pollinators, connec-
LOCAL
15
BE A CASA CHAMPION!
P H O T O S B Y K E L LY B U R K H A R D T
tions to family and neighbors and more.
Elizabeth Williams and Frank Potopa are
two residents largely responsible for the
continued success of the first-floor garden at
John C. Anderson. Williams has a great deal
HELP HIM
of horticulture and design experience and
described Potopa as a “master gardener, all-
around handyman and the best garden buddy
SEE A
I could ever hope for.” She added, “without
Frank’s dedication and muscle, we would
have not taken these four wins. The garden
would never be what it is were it not for his
extraordinary efforts.”
Williams said JCAA’s “little garden gang”
is grateful for the opportunity to create a
BRIGHTER
beautiful space, and “we invite and encour-
age all residents and community members
to participate, have a party or just relax and
FUTURE.
enjoy our community garden.” n
N ationwide, LGBTQ youth are overrepresented in the foster care
system. In fact, according to a recent study*, more than 30%
of youth in care identify as LGBTQ, compared to about 11% of the
general youth population.
Abused and neglected children in the child welfare system fare
better when they have a volunteer Court Appointed Special
Advocate to stand by their side. Serving as a CASA volunteer
champion is a journey that will shape the future of a young
person’s life while changing your own.
Our next volunteer information sessions are on Tuesday, Nov. 12,
9:30 am-10:30 am in West Chester, PA and Thursday, Nov. 14,
9:00 am-10:00 am in Media, PA.
To register, visit DelcoCASA
DelcoCASA
CASA.org
.org or
call 610-565-2208.
CASA Youth Advocates, Inc. serving Delaware & Chester Counties, Pennsylvania
* Pediatrics, March 2019, Volume 143 / Issue 3 “LGBTQ Youth in Unstable Housing and Foster Care”
16 REGIONAL
Philadelphia Gay News . epgn.com

Out Newton man running for

Borough Council
An interview with candidate Robert Szwajkos

VICTORIA A. BROWNWORTH individual to feel valued and welcomed. When

PGN Contributor he ran Team Philadelphia — the umbrella or-
ganization for 11 LGBT sports organizations
Robert Szwajkos’ resume is a short history with more than 1,200 participants — the net-
of LGBTQ achievements. He’s been a partici- work of teams walked away with 75 medals
pant in the Gay Games, a guest conductor for (including 50 gold) at the 2014 Gay Games in
Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus and, as an at- Cleveland/Akron.
torney, counsel for LGBTQ organizations and Szwajkos said when he was first doing that
HIV/AIDS groups. He’s also practiced bank- work, he saw a lot of inter-team tension. But he
ruptcy law in the U.S. and internationally. managed to get everyone talking. “I increased
Szwajkos served as an advisor to Equality participation by 20 percent,” he said with pride,
PA in its efforts to adding, “We shouldn’t
have anti-discrimina- be fighting with each
tion laws passed by other.”
Pennsylvania munic- A Democrat through
ipalities, including and through, Szwajkos
Located in the heart of Center City Philadelphia and only minutes from Newtown Borough, is committed to build-
the “Avenue of the Arts”, the John C. Anderson Apartments is one of the where he serves on ing bridges between
the Human Relations communities and gen-
nation’s first LGBTQ-friendly senior affordable apartment developments. Committee. erations. He spoke pas-
Apply today for this unique Property Manager opportunity and bring your Now Szwajkos, sionately about “passing
heart and soul to this gorgeous and innovative 62+ apartment community. who said he is “an at- the baton” to the next
torney by profession generation of LGBTQ
and a community politicians. He is work-
activist by avoca- ROBERT SZWAJKOS STUFFING ENVELOPES ing hard to get elected.
tion,” is running as P h o t o : Fa c e b o o k He and his volunteers
a Democrat for the have stuffed hundreds
Newtown Borough of envelopes to get his
PennroseJobs.com | Requisition # 771499 Council in Newtown, Pennsylvania. He would message out before the election. But Szwajkos
be the first openly gay person elected in New- said, “It’s not about me, it’s about us. We have
town since 1684, when William Penn founded a very strong young Democrats group here. So

y
the borough. you bring wisdom to energy.” He added, “We

u r
Newtown is a historic enclave in Bucks have to train them to reach across the aisle —

d b
County, about 35 miles outside Philadelphia. you have to get to the finish line.”

o
Beautiful and quaint, it is a hub for business Szwajkos knows his long history of commu-

Wo
and transit that lures residents from Philadel- nity and professional work makes him unique-
phia, New Jersey and New York with its charm, ly qualified for the position he seeks.
historical district and dynamic architecture. “As a leader of for-profit and nonprofit orga-
Szwajkos explained that Newtown is a nizations for nearly 50 years, my first goal as a
“unique community where people take care of member of Newtown Borough Council will be
each other.” During a series of gruesome health to listen to fellow citizens and business owners
challenges a few years ago, members of the to identify the important issues and needs fac-
local town watch visited Szwajkos daily to be ing our community.”
sure he was on the mend. That, he explained, is Some of those issues seem quotidian —
the kind of place Newtown is. “the need for safe and passable sidewalks
So when he was asked to run for the Bor- and streets, as well as the need for safe bicy-
ough Council, he agreed. The call to service, cle paths and parking areas. Working to solve
he said, is not to be ignored. Szwajkos balances longstanding traffic and parking issues is also a
being known as “Bob, the gay guy,” who made high priority for me, as is continuing ongoing
sure rainbow flags adorned Newtown, with be- efforts to save the Borough’s ash trees.”
ing the fix-it guy, who saw firsthand how bad But then he added, “Throughout all of its
the sidewalks are when he was recovering from work, I believe, Council must be sensitive to
back surgery. Experiencing the inaccessibility the changing demographics of the Borough.”
for elders and disabled residents, he wants to Szwajkos is proud of being an openly gay
change that. candidate and that LGBTQ candidates are be-
Like other LGBTQ candidates who have run coming more common. “We have our people
on bread-and-butter issues across the country in significant positions,” he said. “We are dili-
in what the Victory Fund calls a rainbow wave, gent, and we pursue excellence. We have had to
Szwajkos is deeply invested in his communi- prove we are the best because of how gay peo-
ties — Newtown and LGBTQ — and is run- ple have been perceived as not good enough.
ning with both in mind. We have to teach the next generation.”
“We’re Quaker-based here [in Newtown],” Szwajkos said, “The fear of the other guy is
he explained. “So gay or straight, as long as what is being promoted. We have to fight that.
you are a good neighbor, you will be a part of We have to teach the next generation that.”
this community.” He said, “I tell people I don’t fight for equal-
Working with the “concept of acceptance” ity, because we are all already equal. What I do
has been Szwajkos’ approach to everything is I fight against intolerance. I’m going to keep
throughout his career. He said he wants every doing that.” n
OCTOBER 25-31, 2019
OUR HISTORY, OUR FUTURE BY JASON VILLAMEZ
LGBT legislators then and now
This new column, which we’re titling Our
History, Our Future, will focus on one story
from GN archives and explore how the is-
sues in the article are relevant to the com-
munity today. We believe that remembering
our history and the people who shaped it is
vitally important to preserve and strengthen
our future. As the philosopher George San-
tayana said, “Those who cannot remember
the past are condemned to repeat it.” Some-
times we have to look back in order to look
forward.
In the very first issue of PGN, Jan. 3,
1976, M. David Stein wrote an article titled
“The Gay Vote,” about how the 1975 general
COLUMN
elections across the country played out for
LGBT and LGBT-friendly candidates. That
year in Philadelphia, Democratic Mayor
Frank Rizzo was re-elected, and several new
councilmembers won office, including Luc-
ien Blackwell and Cecil B. Moore, both of
whom were friends to the community during
their careers. Amendment 1275, which
would have prohibited discrimination based
on sexual orientation in housing, employ-
ment and public spaces, had been recently
defeated in City Council.
Also, in the 1975 elections, pro-gay Hous-
ton mayor Fred Hofheinz was re-elected
with the help of the Houston GLBT Cau-
cus, a civil rights organization founded
that year to help mobilize voters and elect
pro-equality candidates. In San Francis-
co, George Moscone won the mayorship
over his anti-gay opponent, while Harvey
Milk, in his first run for city supervisor,
received 53,000 votes but was ultimately
defeated. Boston Mayor Kevin White was
also re-elected and vowed to sign an exec-
utive order banning discrimination against
gay people in city hiring (he did sign an
executive order in 1982). And in Washing-
ton State, pro-gay candidate Bruce Chap-
man was elected as secretary of state, and
a pro-gay majority was elected to Seattle
City Council.
However, the 1975 election wasn’t
without its share of setbacks. Voter turn-
out in New York and New Jersey was low
(around 30 percent), and both states saw
equal rights amendments for women de-
feated. The LGBT community supported
those amendments, and failure to pass
legislation was seen as a defeat for both
feminists and LGBT rights. Elections in
Miami and Minneapolis were also not fa-
vorable for gay and lesbian candidates. In
1975, most of the few LGBT candidates
running for public office were not elected.
However, over 40 years later, in 2018,
a “rainbow wave” swept the country, and
over 150 openly LGBT candidates were
17
elected. In Kansas, Sharice Davids became
the first lesbian congressperson from the
state, and two LGBT people were elected
to Kansas’ House of Representatives. Jar-
ed Polis was elected governor of Colorado,
the first LGBT person to serve as a state
governor. And Malcolm Kenyatta became
the first black LGBT person to be elected
to the Pennsylvania House. The Victory
Fund said that at least 399 out candidates
appeared on ballots across the country.
Despite the gains in the number of open-
ly LGBT candidates and politicians, one
thing that has remained consistent through-
out history is the discrimination they face.
In 1974, Elaine Noble, the first out LGBT
person elected to major public office, re-
ceived death threats during her first cam-
paign for Massachusetts House. In 2018,
Christine Hallquist, who ran for governor
of Vermont and was the first transgender
gubernatorial nominee for a major party,
endured the same types of threats.
As we approach a general election next
week in Philadelphia, we should remem-
ber that electing LGBT and LGBT-friend-
ly candidates is the best way to enact po-
litical change. It was true in 1975, and it is
still true in 2019. n
To view the original 1976 article by M. Da-
vid Stein, please read this story at epgn.com
18 LOCAL
Philadelphia Gay News . epgn.com

Out Republican wants more progressive party

LAURA SMYTHE
laura@epgn.com
Inspired by a lack of LGBTQ representa-
tion among members of Philadelphia City
Council, Daniel “Duke” Orsino wants to
shake up the legislative body — and his po-
litical party.
Orsino, 32, is an out gay Republican
challenging Democratic incumbent Coun-
cilmember Mark Squilla in the District 1
City Council race that’s part of Philadel-
phia’s Nov. 5 general election. Squilla was
first elected in 2011.
“There never really has been a city coun-
cilperson who has been queer-identifying.
… There’s also a lack of progressivism in
City Council currently and there’s a lack of
millennial representation,” Orsino said.
He added that he’s fighting against the
mainstream Republican party as part of a
movement among millennial Republicans
that is growing “particularly here in the
city.” His mission? To return the party to its
social justice roots, he explained.
“The Republican party was founded as an
abolitionist party for the abolition of slav-
ery and somewhere around the 1970s things
got a little crazy. What we’re trying to do
is put the progressivism back in the party
that used to be there,” Orsino told PGN,
adding, “There’s a large [contingent] of
us that do not like where the party is right
now [at the] national and city-wide level,
and we want the Orsino told PGN he would represent
party taken in a Philadelphia’s LGBTQ community as a
more progressive councilmember by pushing local and state
direction that is politicians to support barring workplace
LGBTQ friendly discrimination against queer folks and fight
and is more open for legislation that would expand rights for
to change and trans people.
progressive poli- “We have to expand the health and out-
cies.” reach for trans-identifying individuals ...
Orsino, who and protect those who are in the most vul-
attended Rowan nerable communities,” he said, adding city
University, works efforts should also be concentrated on alle-
at a lab manufac- viating the number of queer Philadelphians
turing orthotics experiencing poverty.
devices. If elect- As a councilmember, he said he would
ed, one of the first reach out to other Republican lawmakers
issues Orsino will across the city and state to educate them on
tackle, he said, is why they should champion LGBTQ rights.
pushing to ex- “Unfortunately, a lot of people in the Re-
pand resources publican party don’t understand [LGBTQ
the Philadelphia rights] because a lot of them are unfortu-
Department of nately straight white males. What has to be
Health has to ad- done is we have to try to approach this from
dress HIV and an education standpoint and trying to build
AIDS. Drexel relationships with people you wouldn’t nor-
Medicine places mally build a relationship with and trying to
the city’s infec- get them to understand where you’re com-
tion rate at five ing from,” Orsino added.
times the national ics say the law allows the wealthy to take The millennial candidate also hopes his
average. advantage of development opportunities council bid can encourage other out candi-
Orsino also strongly advocates for end- in neighborhoods of lower socioeconomic dates to run for city government positions
ing the city’s 10-year tax abatement policy, status, forcing out long-term residents and in the future.
which allows a decade-long grace period contributing to gentrification. Orsino’s plat- “We need people to step up because if
for paying taxes on new construction made form also centers around promoting social people don’t open their mouths, nothing
on a piece of real estate in the city. Crit- equity and a greener city. will ever change,” he said. n

hold until he could talk to the five-member one. Spencer posted the incident on Face-
school board. book and was told she was fired.
Wilson said transgender students can use

MEDIA TRAIL gender-neutral bathrooms.

Matthew Shepard’s parents School district backtracks couple over transgender
criticize AG Barr on LGBT on transgender student comments
rights policy
NBC News reported the parents of mur-
dered gay college student Matthew Shepard
have accused Attorney General William
Barr of hypocritical stances on LGBT rights.
The criticism came Oct. 16 during a Jus-
tice Department ceremony focused on a
hate-crimes law named after their son.
Shepard was killed in 1998. Eleven years
later, a law was enacted expanding the fed-
eral hate crimes law to include crimes based
on a victim’s sexual orientation or gender
identity.
Shepard’s parents assailed Barr in part
because the Justice Department argued last
week before the Supreme Court that em-
ployers should be able to fire employees
because they are transgender.
Waitress refuses to serve
The Valdosta Daily Times reported a
Georgia school district said it won’t let
transgender students use bathrooms align-
ing with their gender identity, reversing a
previous decision.
The Pickens County school district an-
nounced the decision Oct. 16, following a
heated public meeting Oct. 14.
The district said it wants to consult with
police and others about how to guarantee
safety, citing death threats, student harass-
ment and vandalism.
Superintendent Carlton Wilson earlier
said students could use bathrooms that cor-
respond to their gender identities. But Wil-
son said he received death threats after the
announcement and put the policy change on
A number of federal courts have ruled
that students should be able to use bath-
rooms consistent with their gender identi-
ties.
The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported
a Fond du Lac woman said she was fired
from a restaurant for refusing to serve a
couple who were making disparaging com-
ments about a transgender woman sitting at
the bar.
Brittany Spencer worked as a server at
Fat Joe’s Bar & Grill in Fond du Lac. Spen-
cer said she went to her manager Oct. 12 to
ask if someone else could serve the couple
because she felt that ignoring their hateful
comments was just as bad as saying dispar-
aging things.
Spencer was told to do her job or go
home. She chose to leave.
Tad Wallender is one of the owners. He
said his servers have a duty to serve all cus-
tomers and not discriminate against any-
Lawmakers introduce bill
prohibiting LGBTQ dis-
crimination
The Morning Journal reported Ohio
lawmakers have introduced a bill to forbid
employment and housing discrimination
against members of the LGBTQ commu-
nity.
The latest iteration of the Ohio Fairness
Act was introduced by Democratic Rep.
Michael Skindell and Republican Rep.
Brett Hillyer on Oct. 16.
The bill’s unveiling comes about two
weeks after a request from minority Dem-
ocrats to extend employment protections to
gay House employees was denied by House
Speaker Larry Householder.
More than two dozen Ohio communities,
including Columbus, have adopted LGBTQ
discrimination protections but that only cov-
ers about a fourth of the state’s population.
A similar bill has been filed every session
of legislation since 2003 but has only won
passage in the House in 2009, before it died
in the Senate. n
Reporting via Associated Press
OCTOBER 25-31, 2019
OPINION BY VICTORIA A. BROWNWORTH
Lesbians are under threat —
yet denied asylum
We don't talk much about the unique threats to les-
bians when we discuss LGBTQ rights issues, either
domestic or foreign. The pandemic of corrective rapes
and honor killings of lesbians rarely make the news.
Yet they impact American lesbians as well as lesbians
in other, less democratic and/or theocratic countries as
case after case has shown. The Texas honor killings of
Britney Cosby and Crystal Jackson, the Texas correc-
tive rapes of Mollie Olgin, who was also killed, and
Kristene Chapa, who was permanently disabled, made
headlines. But many other cases do not.
Equally concerning is the fact that lesbians fleeing
to the U.S. to seek asylum based on these threats of
rape and death have routinely had their asylum requests
rejected.
Corrective rape — the rape of lesbians and queer
women to purportedly "cure" them of their lesbian-
ism and turn them heterosexual — has been used as a
weapon against lesbians for centuries. That it remains a
constant and devastating hate crime in a post-Stonewall
world is shocking. According to human rights groups
like the World Health Organization, corrective rape of
lesbians is pandemic in some countries, with the most
cases in South Africa, India, Uganda, Kenya and Jamai-
ca. Corrective rape has also been used in conversion
therapy worldwide, including in the U.S.
Jamaican lesbian rights activist Angeline Jackson
wrote about her own experience of corrective rape at
19 in Marie Claire on Oct. 11. She had planned to meet
a woman with whom she had been corresponding on-
line. But instead, two men raped her. Police blamed her,
citing her lesbianism as the real problem. In her essay,
Jackson wrote about the prevalence of corrective rape
and asserted, "Even parents have been known to hire
men to rape their daughters to 'cure' them."
Jackson wrote of her fear of having acid thrown on
her — a common assault against lesbians in Jamaica,
the Middle East, India and South and Central America
— or being killed. Several LGBTQ activists have been
murdered in recent years.
In this atmosphere of fear and threat for lesbians
globally, why isn't the U.S. making it easier for lesbians
to apply for asylum from nations where being gay is a
"crime" punishable by prison or death?
Following the Lavender Scare of the 1950s and Pres-
ident Eisenhower's Executive Order 10450 banning
all homosexuals — referred to as "sexual deviates" —
from working in any area of the federal government,
the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965 be-
came the first policy to explicitly prevent "sexual devi-
ates" from entering the country. The law also stipulated
SMALL TALK
The LGBTQ organization dedicated to elect-
ing LGBTQ individuals to public office, Victory
Fund, endorsed 25 more LGBTQ candidates for
2019 and 2020.
Among the new endorsees is incumbent Penn-
sylvania State Representative Malcolm Kenyatta.
Kenyatta told PGN, “It has been an enor-
mous privilege to receive the endorsement of the
LGBTQ Victory Fund once again. I am happy to
be working with folks in the LGBTQ community
and its allies to further our vision of equality in
the eyes of the law. We must have a state where no
matter who you love, how you identify, or where
PGN
19
Legal & Professional Directory
When It PARTNERS IN LAW
PARTNERS IN LIFE
the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) to
Comes To
deport lesbians and gay men. Your Money…
In 2015, as part of his "International Initiatives to
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Experience
and Transgender Persons," then-President Obama di- Counts
rected federal agencies to take steps to protect vulnera-
ble LGBT refugees and asylum seekers. Serving our LGBT Community
President Trump has rejected those guidelines and for over a decade.
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Oretskin thought Margaret's case of her life being in
danger if deported to Uganda was clear. But on Oct.
18, U.S. officials found that Margaret "had no 'credible Small businesses
fear,'" or any way of knowing what would happen if she can afford special
were sent back to Uganda — where she had fled mere
weeks after the corrective rape and beating by men she attention in our PGN
thought might have been police. directories.
According to Immigration Equality, the nation's
leading LGBTQ immigrant rights organization, "Since
1994, United States immigration law has recognized
persecution on account of sexual orientation as a basis Spaces this size are
for asylum." Immigration Equality also explains that in
a case like Margaret's, "an immigration judge has the only $50 per week
legal authority to grant other immigration benefits in when you run for a
addition to asylum, such as withholding of removal, minimum of 8 weeks.
Convention Against Torture relief, and in some instanc-
es, lawful permanent residence (a green card) for those
who qualify."
But those cases are fewer and fewer under the Trump
administration.
pgn
The Trump Administration has been deporting lesbi-
ans who should have qualified for asylum since 2017.
Margaret may, as early as this week, become one more.
It is time corrective rape and honor killing be consid-
ered critical issues for LGBTQ rights organizations
and "credible" cause for granting asylum. Without such
remedies, more lesbians will most definitely die. n
SEE PAGE 4 FOR ADVERTISING INQUIRIES
you’re from that you’re treated with fairness. We
pgn
have come so far, yet we have so far to go. The
Victory Fund is so vitally important to our cause.
I am honored to be fighting alongside them and
the other community leaders they have endorsed.”
“The number of viable LGBTQ candidates
running for office continues to grow, with more
people running in 2019 than in any odd-numbered
election year in U.S. history,” said Mayor An-
nise Parker, President & CEO of LGBTQ Victory
Fund.
So far, Victory Fund has endorsed 177 candi-
dates in 2019 and 27 for the 2020 election cycle. n
20
I N T E R N AT I O N A L
Days after opening its first
U.K. restaurant, Chick-fil-A
announces it will close
Chick-fil-A opened the doors of its first
United Kingdom restaurant Oct. 10, mark-
ing the popular but controversial chicken
chain’s second location outside the United
States as it seeks to expand internationally.
Nine days later, the company announced
that it will close the location within six
months.
The news came as an LGBTQ group held
protests outside the brand new restaurant at
the Oracle Mall in Reading, denouncing
the company’s opposition to same-sex mar-
riage. A mall spokesperson told the BBC
that the company would not be allowed to
stay beyond its initial “six-month pilot pe-
riod,” calling it the “right thing to do.” But
Chick-fil-A said it had always planned to
operate there for only a limited time.
Reading Pride, a U.K.-based LGBTQ
advocacy group, announced its stance
against the restaurant’s opening Oct. 14.
In a statement shared on Twitter, the group
CONVERSION THERAPY from page 1
University, Todd Snovel, executive director of
Pennsylvania Commission on LGBTQ Affairs
and Casey Pick and Troy Stevenson from the
Trevor Project to discuss pending legislation
prohibiting mental health professionals from
performing conversion therapy on those under
age 18 — H.B. 1293 and S.B. 56. The bills are
“sitting in committee,” Muth said. State Reps.
Chris Raab and Dan Frankel also attended.
A study from The Williams Insititute esti-
mates that 698,000 LGBT adults in the Unit-
ed States have received conversion therapy,
including 350,000 who received the treatment
when they were adolescents. It also found that
6,000 LGBT youth would have received con-
version therapy had their state not banned the
practice.
Sims began the conference by saying,
“We’re here to talk about a topic that’s very
important to me, and that is the ban on what
I call conversion abuse,” likening conversion
therapy to child abuse.
Pick said youth who experience rejection
from their families are eight times more likely
to attempt suicide and “what is known as con-
version therapy is probably one of the worst
WORKING FAMILIES from page 14
best we can and going all out to advocate
for the presence of independence in the city
and their viability I think helps people to re-
imagine and also deeply understand how this
is supposed to work. Those two seats are to
PGN
said it was “staunchly opposed to Chick-
fil-A setting up shop in the UK and certain-
ly in Reading.”
French lawmakers to vote
on giving IVF to lesbians,
singles
France’s lower House of Parliament is
set to adopt a bill that would give single
women and lesbian couples access to in
vitro fertilization and related procedures.
The vote on France’s bioethics bill, in-
cluding measures on assisted reproduction,
was held Oct. 15 at the National Assembly,
where French President Emmanuel Ma-
cron’s government has a majority.
French law currently allows such proce-
dures only for infertile heterosexual cou-
ples, leading many women to seek IVF
access in other countries where they are
legal.
Sandrine Rudnicki, 38, the single moth-
er of a 10-month old, went to Denmark to
conceive her daughter through IVF. She
said she’s “delighted” that the procedure
forms of rejection a youth can experience.”
Every year The Trevor Project hears from
more than 3,500 Pennsylvania youth and “all
too many of them” reach out because they
have experienced or are afraid to experience
conversion therapy, she added.
The Trevor Project’s recently published na-
tional survey on LGBTQ youth mental health
surveyed 34,000 young people aged 13-25.
When asked if they’d experienced conversion
therapy, 5 percent said “yes.” When asked if
anyone had tried to change their sexual orien-
tation, the number rose to two-thirds.
For LGBTQ youth that had experienced
conversion therapy, 42 percent reported a sui-
cide attempt in the previous 12 months.
Stevenson recounted an emotional story
about a time in high school when football
players chased him and his partner. After they
each returned to their respective homes, Ste-
venson called his partner, who said, “I just
can’t go back. I can’t go back,” referring to
where his parents had sent him after finding
out his same-sex attraction. Stevenson’s part-
ner set down the phone, and the next day Ste-
venson learned that his partner had died by
suicide.
ensure diversity, not Republican presence.”
Brooks said that the insurgent campaign
has stimulated a new dialogue, particular-
ly among disenfranchised voters — some
who were unaware it was possible to cast
split-ticket votes.
will finally be legalized in France because
the current situation makes her feel that her
family is “not accepted.”
The bill will then go to the Senate.
Jamaica Mayor Davis to chal-
lenge Pride ruling
Montego Bay Mayor Homer Davis will be
challenging the Oct. 14 Supreme Court ruling
that granted the gay-rights group Montego
Bay Pride an interim order that allows them to
rent the Montego Bay Cultural Centre for an
upcoming event.
Davis, who believes the event does not
square with the intended purpose of the cen-
ter, declared that he will continue his effort to
block the group from using the public facility.
“We have instructed our attorney to file
an appeal,” Davis said in response to the
Supreme Court ruling, which Montego Bay
Pride has hailed as a victory for their cause.
When contacted for comment on his plans,
a representative said that on the instruction of
his lawyers, the mayor would not be granting
any further interviews on the matter.
As was the case with the mayor’s initial de-
cision, the Supreme Court ruling dominated
discussions on the streets of the western city
as numerous persons voiced support for the
mayor.
Coca-Cola Fined for Ads
With Same-Sex Couples
The Consumer Protection Department of
“That’s the reality of what this does to
people,” Stevenson said.
Kenyatta commended Sims for his dedica-
tion to fighting conversion therapy.
“I appreciate that you call conversion
therapy exactly what it is. It is abuse. It is
insidious. It is harmful. It has lifelong ef-
fects,” said Kenyatta, who is on a task force
spearheaded by Gov. Tom Wolf about sui-
cide prevention. “One of the things that we
know is that death by suicide is the second
leading cause of death for our young people
after only accidental death,” he added. “We
are losing our young people at rates that are
unacceptable and this type of abuse is caus-
ing even more of our young people to be left
with scars that will be with them for their
entire lives.”
Kenyatta offered his own personal anec-
dote about coming out: “I grew up in a very
conservative Black church. And I remember
how many Sundays I stayed at the alter pray-
ing that God would change me, praying that
I would be somebody different, that I could
be normal. But the reality is I am normal.”
“We need more examples for our young
people that who you are, your lived experi-
“We’re talking to folks in marginalized
communities that typically do not trust pol-
iticians, do not trust elections, do not trust
the system,” she said. “To have those folks
willing to come out and support us in a way
that we’ve never seen before has been very
Philadelphia Gay News . epgn.com
Pest County in Hungary has fined Coca-Cola
for its short-term poster campaign launched
in early August, featuring same-sex couples,
promoting acceptance. The organization al-
leges that Coca-Cola violated a section of
the Advertising Act, which states advertise-
ments that may damage the physical, mental,
emotional or moral development of children
and adolescents are not allowed.
Index.hu reported that one of their readers
had reported Coca-Cola for their August ad-
vertisement campaign and received a reply
from the Consumer Protection Department
of the Érd District Office, in which they
stated that proceedings had been initiated
against the campaign of Coca-Cola featuring
the”#loveislove” posters.
The governmental organization released a
statement saying that they are paying “par-
ticular attention to the protection of children
and minors and the restriction of advertise-
ments damaging them to protect their emo-
tional and moral development.” They also
thanked the help of public reports, which
help “in uncovering such advertisements.”
Coca-Cola said that they had received a
fine of $1,775, as, according to the district
office, these posters may impair the physi-
cal, mental, emotional and moral develop-
ment of children and minors. In addition to
the fine, the company was ordered to stop
using advertising that could harm the devel-
opment of adolescents. According to the soft
drink company, they are negotiating on the
next steps and asking for an appeal against
the decision. n
Reporting via Associated Press
ence, matters and that no matter what you
hear, you are going to be OK,” he added.
“You deserve to live in your fullness, and we
have to ensure that practices like conversion
therapy are banned in the Commonwealth.”
Professional and medical organizations
including the American Psychological As-
sociation, Psychiatric Association, Academy
of Pediatrics and the National Association
of Social Workers have opposed conversion
therapy, according to Muth, who added the
practice isn’t clinically tested.
In Pennsylvania, we need to have this be a
place of acceptance and respect for all,” she
added. “We cannot allow these practices to
continue to shame people for who they love,
how they identify or for being who they are.”
Sims concluded the conference on an
emotional final note, “If you’re an LGBTQ+
kid … and anybody is telling you that you
are wrong, I want to tell you that not only do
we know that you are right, science knows
your right, medicine knows that you are
right. ...You are surrounded by friends, fam-
ily and allies, and anybody telling you oth-
erwise is wrong. We are here to protect you,
and we are here to respect you.” n
humbling for me, and it shows the strength
of the idea of a third party.”
“We’re creating a more educated voter
network, and I think that’s going to be help-
ful onwards toward 2020 elections,” Brooks
added. n
OCTOBER 25-31, 2019
KINSEY from page 4
star status thus ensured that his views would
carry weight,” said Brian Lewis author of
“Wolfenden’s Witnesses: Homosexuality in
Postwar Britain.”
They asked Kinsey about the “flood gate”
argument that decriminalization would lead
to an increase in homosexuality and the
“Rake’s Progress” argument that it would
result in more homosexual adults pursu-
ing sex with minors. Kinsey told them that
decriminalization (or less enforcement) in
other countries and his study of over 6,000
males with homosexual experiences demon-
strated there was no reason to believe such
fears.
He added, “We have never seen a per-
son [with predominately homosexual ex-
periences who has] been affected by penal
punishment or clinical treatment to further
development of an exclusively or primarily
heterosexual pattern.”
Biographer Jonathan Gathorne-Hardy
said, “The American Law Institute’s Model
Penal Code of 1955 [which included rec-
ommending decriminalization] is virtually a
Kinsey document. He was cited six times in
twelve pages.” Kinsey met at length with the
Illinois Commission on Sex Offenders, who
told the legislature that “the Kinsey findings
... permeate all present thinking on the sub-
ject,” and in 1961, the state became the first
to repeal its sodomy law.
In May 1956, Kinsey visited the Los An-
geles office of ONE magazine, the first suc-
cessful gay periodical in the United States.
He had been its first subscriber outside of
LA, and in its first year alone, articles men-
tioned Kinsey in seven of its 12 issues. Ac-
cording to ONE historian Craig Loftin in
“Masked Voices: Gay Men and Lesbians in
Cold War America,” its staff was “deeply
influenced by Alfred Kinsey’s famous two
reports [and] his radical view that homosex-
uality was merely a benign variation of hu-
man sexuality and not some horrible genetic
mistake. ONE repeatedly venerated Kinsey
as a saint of gay freedom.”
In July 1956, “very much upset and ag-
itated,” U.S. Senator Gordon Allott, a Re-
publican from Colorado, forwarded to the
FBI a pamphlet Mattachine had sent him. It,
too, quoted Kinsey.
A month later, the movement’s saint was
dead at only 62.
BUTTIGIEG from page 1
the gap between himself and frontrunners
former vice president Joe Biden and Mas-
sachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren in predic-
tions for the February Iowa caucuses, which
are the first to occur across the country. The
new screening of 500 people likely to turn
out to the caucuses places Biden at 18 per-
cent, Warren at 17 percent and Buttigieg at
13 percent.
Former U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, who
introduced Buttigieg to the crowd Sunday,
called the candidate a “leader of character.”
“During this time when our country is so
segregated, our country is so divided, when
there is so much hate out there, he under-
PGN
Exhausted — he had personally inter-
viewed nearly 8,000 people one-on-one;
desperately suing the federal government
to stop their burning erotica he’d tried to
import for research, and demoralized to
the bone after funding was withdrawn by
the Rockefeller Foundation panicked by a
Republican-driven Congressional investiga-
tion into “Communist influence.”
Some closest to him believed he died
mostly of a broken heart.
Behind his pic-
ture on the cover
of the magazine’s
August - Septem-
ber 1956 issue, a
memorial edito-
rial said: “To the
staff and readers of
ONE, his death is an
immeasurable loss,
deeply and person-
ally felt.”
That month’s is-
sue of Mattachine
Review read: “It
goes without saying
that Mattachine and
all its members and
friends have lost a
valued counselor
and adviser with Dr.
Kinsey’s passing.
His helpfulness to
Mattachine leaders will never be forgotten.”
The first issue that October of The Ladder,
the magazine of the Daughters of Bilitis, the
first American lesbian rights organization,
quoted endocrinologist Dr. Harry Benjamin
whom Kinsey had inspired to devote his
practice to transgender people. “The world
has lost an outstanding scientist and a cham-
pion of human freedom and happiness.”
Lesbian novelist Valerie Taylor in the
May 1961 Mattachine Review said, “Prob-
ably the reams of material written in pas-
sionate defense of the homophile have done
less to further the cause of tolerance than
Kinsey’s single, detached statement that 37
percent of men and [13] percent of women
who he interviewed admitted having [had at
least one same-sex experience to orgasm].”
That January, fellow Wall honoree Frank
Kameny applied various Kinsey statistics in
his unprecedented Supreme Court challenge
stands what our country needs,” Murphy
said. “He’s rising up to the challenge to uni-
fy our nation and … if we want to change
Washington, we have to change who we
send to Washington. And that’s Mayor Pete.”
Nathan Osburn, a lead organizer for the
volunteer group Philadelphians for Pete
Buttigieg, told PGN the rally was a “micro-
cosm of what’s going on nationally” in the
political sphere.
“Democrats are tuning in, and they like
both what Pete is saying and what his actual
policies are,” Osburn said. “Americans know
he has the potential to unite us in a way no
other candidate can.”
to his 1957 firing by the Army Map Service
for being gay, his blackballing by the Civil
Service Commission and President Dwight
Eisenhower’s 1953 Executive Order ban-
ning gay federal employees.
Given Kinsey found that 13 percent of the
men interviewed had more homosexual than
heterosexual experiences for at least three
years between the ages of 16 and 55, Frank
wrote: “In the present Federal service, with
its more than 2,000,000 employees, there
are thus potentially some
260,000 persons intimately
affected by these regula-
tions and 600,000 against
whom these regulations
could be invoked.” In clos-
ing, he wrote, “In the name
of justice ... against infa-
mous, tyrannical, immor-
al, and odious action of his
government; in the interest
of the public at large and of
the nation as a whole; and
in the particular interest of
a large minority of the cit-
izenry, this petition for a
writ of certiorari should be
granted.”
The Court refused, and,
so, Kameny began a lifetime
dedicated to lobbying every
branch of government for
gay equality. In his 1961 let-
ter to President John F. Kennedy he spoke of
the “situation involving at least 15,000,000
Americans”; to President Lyndon B. John-
son of “fifteen million homosexual Amer-
ican citizens.” To their successors and
myriad other government officials, and in
countless interviews and speaking engage-
ments for decades, Kameny repeatedly used
Kinsey’s research to prove that we matter.
Starting in 1965, he and his compatri-
ots in the independent Mattachine Society
of Washington echoed Kinsey numbers on
protest signs in the first gay group pickets
at the White House, the Civil Service Com-
mission, Philadelphia’s Independence Hall,
the State Department, and the Pentagon:
“Fifteen million U.S. homosexuals protest
federal treatment,” “Quarter million homo-
sexual federal employees protest civil ser-
vice commission policy,” “Quarter million
homosexual American service men and
Buttigieg has made history as the first out
presidential candidate with the Democrat-
ic Party. He released an 18-page plan this
month outlining his proposed agenda for en-
suring queer equality in what he dubs “a new
era” for LGBTQ Americans.
“Twenty years ago, an awkward teenager
at St. Joe High School in South Bend, Indi-
ana, who didn’t know a single out LGBTQ+
student, never would have imagined how
far we would come as a country,” Buttigieg
wrote in a statement on his website accom-
panying the plan’s debut. “But what does our
country look like to a teenager in 2019, just
starting to realize who they are? What future
21
women protest Armed Services policies,”
“65,000 homosexual sailors demand new
Navy policy.”
Hay’s and Kameny’s passion for fight-
ing for justice sprang from the Declaration
of Independence and the Constitution, but
it was Kinsey who gave them and others
the ammunition — along with a belief in
themselves they’d never had before. Late
gay novelist Samuel Steward, who became
close to Kinsey, called him “Doctor Pro-
metheus,” saying, “He truly brought fire
and light to the world. We looked upon him
as a savior. He was the liberator. He was our
Stonewall.”
His effect was never better dramatized
than in the 2004 Kinsey biopic.
Without Kinsey would a Mattachine have
formed; would Kameny have demanded
equality; would the Stonewall riots have
happened? No doubt, yes. But I also don’t
doubt that without Kinsey, they wouldn’t
have happened when they did. That’s why
his name must be permanently displayed at
Stonewall — to be visited and honored by
new generations.
For however much researchers still argue
about how many homosexuals you can get
on the head of pin, by 1969 Kinsey’s once
shocking revelation that we are many and
everywhere had become common wisdom,
weaponized again and again in the battles
for workplace protections, against the mili-
tary ban on LGBs, and for marriage equal-
ity.
Loftin said, “With Kinsey gone, others
had to pick up his torch of sexual tolerance
and spread the flame. Thousands and mil-
lions of gay people in subsequent years and
decades preserved Kinsey’s spirit by assert-
ing their right to life, liberty and the pur-
suit of happiness, and by fostering a more
enlightened, tolerant and tolerable society
to live in. Years later, we can be reassured
that Kinsey’s humane message has not been
drowned out by the fear-driven cacophony
of intolerance, bigotry, and scapegoating
that so routinely surges through U.S. poli-
tics and culture.” n
Credit for the first contemporary effort to
restore his place in history goes to Chica-
go’s outdoor museum of LGBT history, the
Legacy Walk, which unveiled this memorial
to him in 2012.
do they see for themselves?”
Buttigieg’s proposed policies include
passing a federal Equality Act that would
bar housing and work discrimination against
LGBTQ people, updating the U.S. passport
program to include a nonbinary “X” gender
option and prohibiting medically unneces-
sary genital surgeries on intersex infants and
children.
“I hope people took away from the event
that there is a candidate who has the poten-
tial to implement progressive policies while
somehow also bringing along Indepen-
dent voters and even Republicans,” Os-
burn told PGN. n
ESS DIRECTORY
22
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Retirement is a Journey,
Not a Destination.
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2 Bedroom Apartments
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PGN
Philadelphia Gay News . epgn.com
COMCAST from page 2
to Comcast’s Philadelphia head-
quarters, where he was allegedly
subjected to more antigay bias
and mistreatment. In 2013, he
was encouraged to transfer to San
Francisco where his sexual orien-
tation would be more acceptable,
according to the lawsuit.
“When [Fennell] complained
that taking another demotion
would be a backwards step in his
career trajectory within the orga-
nization, he was told it would get
him ‘out of the dysfunctional cor-
porate culture’ of headquarters,”
according to the lawsuit.
In March 2015, after multiple
requests over a period of years,
Fennell’s job title was adjusted
to senior vice president, without
any changes to his job duties,
according to the lawsuit. “[Com-
cast] refused to revise his base
pay, bonus or equity award to re-
flect his SVP status, resulting in
[Fennell’s] ongoing pay disparity
[compared] to his heterosexual,
traditional stereotype-conform-
ing male peers,” according to the
lawsuit.
When Fennel asked to be paid
commensurate with his hetero-
sexual, gender-conforming senior
vice president peers, a human
relations manager told him that
Comcast’s senior leaders viewed
him as “high pitched,” which
wasn’t conducive to a pay raise,
according to the lawsuit.
In September 2019, Fennell
was subjected to increased criti-
cism regarding his management
style and subsequently took a
medical leave of absence, accord-
ing to the lawsuit.
Ironically, Fennell told PGN
in 2014 that he was proud of the
company’s consistent 100 percent
• 3 Meals Per Day
“Best Place to Work” rating from
• Maintenance-free Living the Human Rights Campaign.
• Beautiful Gardens and In 2015, Fennell was recog-
Courtyards nized by the Philadelphia Busi-
ness Journal as a “Top LGBT
• Private Parking Leader in Business.” However,
Fennell alleges that Comcast
8301 Roosevelt Blvd, didn’t widely promote the honor,
Philadelphia, PA 19152 according to the lawsuit.
In 2018, Fennell filed an an-
tibias complaint with the Phila-
delphia Commission on Human
Relations, but alleges that he was
rev. dr. Nadine Rosechild Sullivan, ph.d. retaliated against for doing so by
being excluded from key employ-
ee meetings, given an increased
Spiritual Counseling workload, and pressured to trans-
drsullivan@rosechild.org fer out of the Philadelphia head-
quarters, according to the lawsuit.
215.704.4264 The lawsuit, which has been
www.rosechild.org assigned to U.S. District Judge
Michael M. Baylson, seeks an
Spirituality • Sexuality • Relationships • Self-Esteem unspecified amount in damages
along with reasonable attorney’s
fees. A jury trial has been re-
quested. n
Arts & Culture
Q PUZZLE : PA G E 2 7 DINING OUT : P A G E
F A M I LY P O R T R A I T A i s h a h S h a h i d a h S i m m o n s : P h i l a d e l p h i a ’s Wo n d e r Wo m a n
Queer films at Philly’s
Asian American Film Festival
GARY M. KRAMER
PGN Contributor
The Philadelphia Asian American Film
Festival unspools Nov. 7-17 at venues
around the city. This year’s program spot-
lights two queer features, a shorts program
that reflects Asian and Asian American
LGBTQ life and three films by out gay and
queer directors.
The festival’s centerpiece screening,
“Song Lang,” (Nov. 9, 7:30 p.m., at the
Lightbox Film Center) is writer/director
Leon Le’s handsomely mounted Viet-
namese drama set in 1980s Saigon. Dung
“Thunderbolt” (Lien Binh Phat) is a debt
collector who meets cai luong (traditional
folk opera) star Lihn Phung (Isaac) when
the performer stops Dung from burning the
theatre’s costumes because of non-payment.
Maybe because his father was a cai luong
musician, Dung develops a fondness for
Phung, whom he rescues from a bar fight
one night. Taking the singer home, the two
men bond over video games, a meal and
rooftop chats. Their romance is subtle,
full of unspoken desire, but it does prompt
Phung to sing from his heart. This slow but
26 MUSIC : PA G E 2 5
gorgeous period drama features exquisite
costumes and performance scenes as the
film reaches its operatic climax.
“Queer Asian Voices: Intimacy and Iso-
lation” (Nov. 16 at 12:10 p.m., at the Asian
Arts Initiative) features seven strong LGBT
short films.
The program opens with “Rosemary,”
by Navi Matulaian, about Besu Yumin, a
two-spirit aboriginal Taiwanese drag queen
who transforms himself into Rose Mary. As
Besu is seen putting on a wig and makeup,
glitter and dresses, she becomes, “the girl
who has been sleeping inside me.” This
short, inspirational video emphasizes the
liberation and freedom Besu finds as Rose
Mary.
“Bed & Breakfast,” by writer/director
Anna Mikami, depicts an awkward en-
counter between Lena (Mikami) and her
boyfriend Charlie (John Ting) and lesbian
couple Sam (Lya Yanne) and Terri (Hannah
Sloat) at a bed and breakfast. This delicate
short builds tension as Lena and Sam hope
their secret past connection does not get
discovered by their lovers.
“Safe Among Stars,” by Jess X Snow, has
lesbian Jia (Poppy Lio) delving into a fanta-
EVENTS : PA G E 3 0 SCENE IN PHLLY :
sy world to cope with trauma as well as the
pressure her traditional mother (Leah Cai)
projects on to her. This short is visually dy-
namic, with scenes of Jia teleporting, before
climaxing in an emotional moment.
“Unspoken” is Patrick G. Lee’s excel-
lent documentary about six LGBT Asian
Americans talking about coming out and
helping their traditional parents process
this queer reality. The stories are heartfelt
and emotional. Emi Grate, a Burmese drag
queen, expresses her thoughts on gender
identity and honoring her ethnicity. Sen,
a trans femme, describes passing. Other
interviewees discuss parents denying who
they are. “Unspoken” poignantly illustrates
the power and importance of queer Asian
community building and the efforts of these
individuals to find validation, respect, dig-
nity, acceptance and self-worth.
“Halwa,” co-written and directed by
Nirav Bhakta and Gayatri Bajpai, is a
compassionate drama about Sunjata’s (Vee
Kumari) reconnection with Premila (Sonal
Shah) — a woman Sunjata had loved
decades ago when the two were younger
women. Sunjata reaches out through social
media to recapture the feeling of true love
PA G E 2 9 pgn
PAG E 3 1
L E F T P H O T O : L I E N B I N H P H AT ( L E F T )
AND ISAAC (RIGHT) IN “SONG LANG”
T O P R I G H T P H O T O : I S A A C ( FA C I N G C A M E R A )
P E R F O R M I N G O N S TA G E I N “ S O N G L A N G ”
B O T T O M R I G H T P H O T O : R YA N J A M A A L S WA I N
(LEFT) AND DANIEL K. ISAAC (RIGHT)
IN “ENGAGED”
while in an abusive relationship with the
man (Asit Kumar Vyas) she married.
“Engaged,” written and directed by Dave
Scala, has Darren (Daniel K. Isaac) unable
to find the right moment to propose to his
boyfriend, Elliot (Ryan Jamaal Swain). As
he endures a series of humiliations, he sud-
denly realizes what (or who) is getting in
his way. “Engaged” is a bright, irresistible,
feel-great romantic comedy.
Rounding out the program is “Care For
You” by OHYUNG. This four-minute
music video has Hye Yun and drag perform-
er Wo Chan kissing, cooking, dancing and
canoodling over the title track. It’s a stylish,
romantic short featuring fabulous costumes.
Director Graham Kolbeins’ fast-paced,
magazine-style documentary, “Queer
Japan,” (Nov. 16 at 1:50 p.m. at the Asian
Arts Initiative) introduces out and proud
LGBTQ Japanese folks, to illustrate the
community’s vibrancy of diversity. Kolbe-
ins interviews Viviene Sato, a drag queen
and artist, Tomato, a trans activist, gay erot-
ic artist Gengoroh Tagame (who is also the
author of the comic series, “My Brother’s
Husband,”) as well as Aya, a
trans politician, among others. page 28
24 L I T E R AT U R E
Philadelphia Gay News . epgn.com

Out local author’s new queer

sci-fi novel astounds
GARY M. KRAMER
PGN Contributor
“Neither Here Nor There” is the second
novel by out local author Nikki Harmon. The
story concerns Kim, a biophysics major at
Temple University, who dreams of working
for NASA. She lives with her mom and
stepfather, who try to ignore the fact that she
is a lesbian. When Kim experiences a kind
of double vision, she learns to harness her
powers, unaware that her “skills” — which
include jumping through time — are part of
her professor’s covert experiment. As Kim
meets other students like her, they band
together to stop nefarious forces from taking
over the world.
Harmon, who published the book under
her Mt. Airy Girl Press imprint, will have a
book launch at the Colored Girls Museum,
4613 Newhall Street, on Saturday, Oct. 26
at 12:30 p.m. She will also read from her
book at the Big Blue Marble Bookstore, 551
Carpenter Lane, in Mt. Airy Village, on Nov.
10, at 2 p.m.
In a recent phone interview, the author
explained that she has always loved sci-
ence-fiction books, TV series and films, and
wanted to write something in the genre. “My
previous life, I was a filmmaker, but there’s
more overhead to make a film. So, I was
influenced by Michelle Parkinson’s 1993
short film, ‘Odds and Ends,’ about two Black
lesbians in space. Part of what I wanted was
to have an everyday girl you would know
on the street end up in this kind of really
crazy circumstance — a position where she’s
forced to be heroic, even though that’s really
not who she wanted to be.”
Kim does come across as realistic, visiting
her friend Jen or hanging out with Meer, a
girl from her high school she becomes ro-
mantically involved with before her life takes
a drastic turn. Harmon explained her need
to establish a reality before the story gets
Time jumping forces readers to recalibrate
their thoughts and feelings about Kim. In
one moment, Kim is very buttoned-up, but in
another, she is rebellious. Her character shifts
throughout “Neither Here Nor There,” which
makes the book so engaging.
“You are always making choices,” Harmon
acknowledged one of the themes of her
novel. “Being gay is not a choice. Coming
out is a choice. How you decide to express
yourself as a choice. Kim and Savvy have
a clandestine relationship whenever Savvy
wanted it. They put aside their queerness
for their career goals. Kim jumps to another
timeline where she’s married to a guy
named John and chose to make her mother
happy. She’s a science teacher rather than
trying to pursue a NASA career and is liv-
ing the life her mother wanted her to live.”
The author’s prismatic approach to
storytelling allows her to explore issues of
identity and belonging. Harmon divulged,
“The first half of the novel is about Kim
being able to make her choices and how
they affect her and who she is. But then
I wanted her to be in an action-adventure
story and do something bigger than herself
— something expansive. I wanted her to be
a hero in this story and part of this cohort
who find her and know who she is and have
met her in a couple of timelines. Kim is
the lynchpin to turn things around and stop
detrimental things from happening in the
world.”
Harmon makes “Not Here Nor There”
appeal to all queer readers, whether sci-fi
fans or not. She observed, “I never felt that
queer people were not in science fiction.
Read ‘Dhalgren’ by Samuel R. Delany. It’s
always been there, but it doesn’t get a lot of
attention.”
Hopefully, Harmon and her novel will
get the attention they deserve. n
AUTHOR NIKKI HARMON

Wishing Well B&B

metaphysical.
“I wanted to make sure you felt you knew
where Kim was coming from. Her relation-
ship with her mother was not dramatic, horri-

144 Old York Road, New Hope

ble or over the top. She wishes it was better,
but it is what it is, and she has to deal with it
because she doesn’t have money to move out.

~ Accommodating
I also wanted to make sure she had friends,
Jen and Kendra, who she could talk to and

wishes is our
who were consistent throughout her life. She
didn’t have to prove herself to them.”

specialty ~
She continued, “Kim is the quiet nerd in
the corner, and she changes when she en-
counters different dimensions and timelines.

your hosts,
In one episode, she gets involved with Meer
in high school — which didn’t happen origi-
nally — and that shows how different people
Scott and Micheal can change your life track.”
Kim is also seduced by Savvy, whom Kim
follows to MIT in one episode. Savvy tries
wishingwellbnb.com to manipulate the system to get ahead and
hopes to convince Kim to do the same. What
267.736.6743 transpires, however, defines both of their
characters.
OCTOBER 25-31, 2019
MUSIC
25

At this point, “American authentic to me, that will

Idol” is a mere footnote in come across to the pub-
Adam Lambert’s undaunted, lic.” In the past I may have
venturesome, decade-long been guilty of trying to
career. It was 2009 when please the outside before
Lambert astonished gays and the inside, and trying to
moms with his confident strut just do what was trendy or
and those sky-high notes, popular or what somebody
ultimately giving him the else was doing as opposed
runner-up spot during the to something that felt like
reality show’s eighth season. it would make me happy,
Since then, the out San Diego first and foremost.
native, now 37, has checked
some pretty wild boxes. Mak- CA: Was there a lot of
ing Cher cry? Check. Queen pressure on you to con-
frontman? Check. With his form?
latest album, “Velvet: Side AL: There was definitely
A,” the glam pop-rocker is some pressure put on art-
checking yet another box, one ists in my position. But
that’s especially important to also, it’s me not being an
him: the box that lets him call idiot. I’m looking around,
the creative shots. aware of how it works, and
Recently, Lambert phoned that is, in many cases, just
to talk about the classic, how it works. You have a
Queen-influenced sound lot of people you’re trying
of some of his best music to make comfortable, a lot
yet, the progress made for of people you’re trying
LGBTQ artists, and his ongo- to make feel like they’re
ing mission to root his career a part of something. And
in “honesty and authenticity.” you have to make a lot of
compromises in order to
CA: It must be such a great do that.
feeling to promote a project
you were so invested in from CA: You’ve said one of
the get-go. the reasons you decided
AL: Because I was so in- on the name “Velvet” for
volved and so in the driver’s the album is because “The
seat on this one, the sense of Velvet Rage: Overcoming
gratification I get from talking the Pain of Growing Up
about it and sharing it, runs Gay in a Straight Man’s
deeper than ever before. World,” published in
2005, left a big impres-
CA: What are you permit- sion on you during your
ting yourself to do that you
couldn’t do at the beginning
of your career?
Adam Lambert talks new album formative gay years. How
did you come across “The
Velvet Rage” and what
AL: I think it really all comes
from knowing myself better. Glam-pop performer talks creative was one of the greatest
lessons you learned from
Knowing myself as an artist,
knowing myself as a person,
freedom, LGBTQ music evolution it?
AL: Just word-of-mouth.
knowing what is keeping it
real. And if something comes
and his full-circle Cher moment Somebody had mentioned
it, and then I read it, and
up that just doesn’t feel au- it’s an eye-opener because
thentic, I’m just like, “No, I C H R I S A Z Z O PA R D I | @ c h r i s a z z o p a r d i it basically breaks down
don’t want to do that,” which the general psychology
is great. And obviously, hav- of what being a gay man
ing put the time in over the is, and most specifically,
last 10 years into my career, I ADAM LAMBERT what they identify as and
think I’ve earned more of that Photo by Julian Broad how to grow up gay in a
right. I’m doing what I want straight world. Obviously
to do, period, the end. Everything about this big drama. But I just got to the point where around. I think I just had to get the balance it’s a bit out of date now — we are in a
project is me doing what I want to do. Cre- I was done with my last solo tour, and I was right. Obviously, it is a business and I’m still time where gay is way more mainstream,
atively, I’m not having to compromise with doing some touring with Queen, and I re- playing the game to a certain extent, but the and a lot of these things are kind of obvi-
anybody. flected on all the work that I put into it. I was balance was off. So that was the big, import- ous — but I think at the time, when I read
wondering if there was enough return on my ant realization I had. it, it wasn’t as discussed; it wasn’t common
CA: When you decided to make a move and investment: “Am I feeling a sense of personal knowledge like it is now. But it kind of
jump from your former label Warner Bros. to gratitude and gratification here?” And I had to CA: Who do you admire for putting artistic breaks down the sort of different gay tropes
Empire, an indie label, what was the breaking ask myself some hard questions. So a lot of integrity before commercial success? and patterns and behaviors, and it opened my
point? At what point in your career did you the changes that I made were to protect and AL: There’s a list, for sure. But recently, I do eyes.
feel so limited that you couldn’t stand it any- insulate my creativity a little bit more. I felt think that Lady Gaga has been an amazing ex-
more? like as an artist, I wasn’t reaching my full- ample of somebody who’s gone against what CA: Did it make you feel more comfortable
AL: I don’t know if it was all that dramatic, to est potential because a lot of the things that was obvious or expected of her and done what with yourself?
be honest with you. I love the way you put it. were being done were being done where the made her happy, and I think at the end of the AL: Yeah. And also more comfortable with
Very dramatic. (Laughs.) I don’t think there main motivating force was money or popular- day the thing that I had to come to the reali- my community. I think it made
was a final straw or anything; there was no ity or obvious things that pop music revolves zation of is, “If I’m happy with it, and it feels me understand all of us more. page 26
26
DINING out
Bloomsday
Café grows
on you
LAMBERT from page 25
It was a personal realization, like, “Where
do I fit into these patterns?” but also meeting
people and realizing like, “Oh, I get it, that’s
probably why they are this way — because
of this.” And it made me more empathetic
toward others in the community, like my gay
friends, people who I dated. It just made me
understand it all more.
CA: And now you’ve been this trailblazer for
the LGBTQ community for the last decade,
and so many artists have followed in your
footsteps: Troye Sivan, Hayley Kiyoko and
Lil Nas X. The list is much longer than when
you first came out publicly on the cover of
Rolling Stone in 2009.
AL: I know, I love it. I love seeing that. I love
that it’s become sort of a non-issue. I think
young people today are like, “Yeah, so what?”
And that’s how it should’ve always been. It’s
true, though, something has shifted. When I
came to the business, it was people who were
older than me who were the ones who were
fearful. They were the ones who were igno-
rant to the type of person I was and also ig-
norant to the idea that sexuality doesn’t have
to be at the forefront of every choice that I’m
making as an artist. It’s not. It doesn’t work
that way. We’re all people. It’s something that
I’m really proud of. It’s a very key defining
part of my personality, but you don’t have to
be gay. The executives didn’t realize that you
don’t have to be gay to listen to a gay artist.
CA: When it comes to LGBTQ artists in mu-
sic, where do we go from here? What’s next?
AL: I feel like we’re heading in the right di-
rection. Obviously, society is in a weird place
right now, given the current political climate.
We were all in a much more progressive for-
ward-motion a couple of years ago, before
the changeover, and I think that the pendulum
DINING OUT
Positioned at a strategic point close to the
energy of South Street, and in the upwardly
comfortable Old City, Bloomsday Cafe, 414
S. Second St., lets their menu and custom-
ers do the talking.
Part bakery, part coffee house, part wine
bar, Bloomsday’s identity is fluid, shift-
ing with the time of day. One could easily
breeze by the cafe’s unassuming storefront
if not paying attention. But this cozy space,
with its modern and comfortable setting,
offers a locally-sourced and imaginative
menu that highlights small, shared plates
and colorful cocktails.
The starters offered adventure;
Bloomsday’s scrapplesada ($11), is an
upscale rendering of the breakfast sta-
ple, spread in a thin, savory layer on
crisp baguette bread. Part scrapple, part
sobrasada, this mystery meat, PGN was told,
is free of offal and offers spicy and bitter
notes contrasted exquisitely by the sweet-
ness of a grape and apple mostarda. The
beet-cured gravlax toast ($15) is bright in
appearance and flavor, delivering a decadent
has swung backward, and we’re seeing a lot
of bigotry brought to light — a lot of hate
and negativity that’s kind of swirling around.
So I think as artists, the best thing we can
do is continue to combat that with positivity
and lead by a good example and try to give
a voice to those who feel like they’re being
told they’re not allowed. I think what we need
to do is continue. Keep going. Keep push-
ing. And when the opposition is stronger, we
have to push back stronger. The other thing
that I’m really loving about where we’re at
right now is 10 years ago, when you look
at mainstream entertainment, it was a small
selection of entertainment that got pushed
out. There were only so many songs on the
radio, there were only so many films going
on, and that’s what everyone talked about.
But now with media, it’s really interesting
because we have way more at our fingertips.
We have streaming, we have YouTube, we
have a zillion channels on TV. There’s more
available to people. So I think that artists
can now find their audience more easily;
there’s an audience for everything. And I
think that’s one of many reasons why we’re
seeing more gay success in music, because
we’re able to be put in front of our audi-
ences. There’s less gatekeeping going on.
CA: Relative to Queen: Do you have a drink
with its veteran members, Roger Taylor and
Brian May, at the hotel bar after a show?
AL: Occasionally, yeah. I’ve been known to
have a cocktail with Brian and Roger at a
bar, yeah.
CA: What’s your drink of choice when
drinking with Queen?
AL: Oh, tequila always. I’m a tequila man.
And I’m only snobby about a couple of
things in my life, and tequila’s one of the
things that I’m a bit of a snob about. I’ve
become a tequila snob. And I’m mostly
BY LARRY NICHOLS
explosion of creamy and briny hits to the
palette. The cod cheek dip ($15) was hot,
cheesy and unique. It’s not going to give a
traditional crab dip any stiff competition,
but it scratches an itch and gives diners a
different take on the favorite. The peach tea
wings ($13) were cooked perfectly with a
charming Southern-influenced sweetness.
The cucumber salad served on the side as a
garnish adds a nice acidic punch.
Bloomsday’s small plates push the enve-
lope even further. The duck merguez sausage
($16) is served up like an over-the-top gour-
met hot dog. The strong gamey flavor of the
duck holds up well amid the mint yogurt and
eggplant caponata that adorn the dish. The
Maine mussels ($18) are a masterpiece, with
spicy fennel sausage dotting the luxurious
buttery broth, accented with green onion and
tomatoes for a delicate, savory balance.
Bloomsday Cafe tries to be a lot of things
to a lot of people in this bustling part of
town, and it succeeds. If you want to explore
distinctive Philly flavors, we recommend
Bloomsday Cafe. n
snobby about it not because I wanna seem
like, “Oh this is how much this costs,” but
more so the quality and what it does to my
stomach.
CA: Last year, you sang a beautiful ballad
version of “Believe” for Cher at the Ken-
nedy Center Honors and brought her to
tears.
AL: I really had an amazing time doing
that. Cher is one of my heroes. Obviously,
she’s an icon. She’s had, like, moments in
every decade that she’s been around; it’s so
undeniable, and to sing for her, what a treat.
And it was such an honor. I remember get-
ting that album when I was in high school
and when I finally got my first car during
my senior year — I was driving the family
car forever — that CD had just come out
and I remember listening to it really loudly
on the freeway and listening to “Believe.”
So when I got up on stage to do that, that
memory came flooding back to me.
CA: Did you get to tell Cher that story?
AL: Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see
Cher afterward because she had to leave
right away to get to New York because her
Broadway show was opening the next day.
I got a message from her via email, via her
manager, and they were all very sweet.
CA: And she cried during your perfor-
mance. Is there any better compliment?
AL: I didn’t realize she was crying be-
cause I couldn’t quite see that far back in
the audience. But when I saw the footage
afterward, I was like, “Wow, that’s pretty
special.”
CA: Have you given any thought to what a
“Velvet” tour might look like?
AL: Yes. I’m not ready to talk about it yet,
but of course, I’ve been thinking about it.
Philadelphia Gay News . epgn.com
if you go
Bloomsday Cafe
414 South Second Street
267-319-8018
bloomsdaycafe.com
Monday-Saturday: 8 a.m.-3
p.m. & 5-10 p.m.
Sunday: 8 a.m.-3 p.m.
Photos by Bondfire Media
It’s something that I’m planning on putting
together, but it’s a ways off — one thing
at a time.
CA: One of your Glamberts wanted to know
if you would ever consider doing a show
where your fans could decide the setlist?
AL: Mmm. A whole show? No. (Laughs.)
But I would definitely consider having some
fan input on something in the show. Yeah, I
think that’d be cool. Trust me, I’m on social
media, I watch and look at what people are
responding to and how people are reacting.
On this project, a lot of this stuff was kind
of for me. I wanted to make myself happy
first and foremost on this project, but also,
of course, I had my fans in mind when I
wrote these songs. With “Superpower,” for
example, I wanted to write something so
everybody could feel a sense of confidence
when they listen to it, everyone could get
a sense of standing up for yourself and
having that empowerment moment. That
wasn’t just for me — that’s for everybody.
For “Stranger You Are,” I’ve seen so many
fans write things about feeling like an out-
sider, feeling unsure about being different,
and that was one of the things they felt was
a common connection between us: the fact
that I’m that way too and that I’ve walked
through the world feeling that way as well.
And “Stranger You Are” is all about that. It’s
acknowledging, “Yeah, no shit, being differ-
ent is not always the easiest road, but that’s
who we are, and I’m gonna celebrate it.” n
As editor of Q Syndicate, the inter-
national LGBTQ wire service, Chris
Azzopardi has interviewed a multitude
of superstars, including Cher, Meryl
Streep, Mariah Carey and Beyoncé. His
work has also appeared in The New York
Times, Vanity Fair, GQ and Billboard.
Reach him via Twitter @chrisazzopardi.
OCTOBER 25-31, 2019 Q PUZZLE
27

Out filmmaker uncovers

more men in doc sequel
Gary M. Kramer GM: Some of these guys have pasts, and
PGN Contributor where they’ve come from, they didn’t have
a choice. [Stripping] is the easiest way for
Back in March 2018, out gay ac- them to support themselves. Everyone does
tor-turned-filmmaker Gerald McCullouch it for different reasons. Some do get lost in
premiered his documentary, “All Male, the lifestyle and fall into a trap in the night-
All Nude” — about the Atlanta strip club, life. Some get a boost of self-esteem, and for
Swinging Richards — at Philadelphia’s some, it has a negative effect.
QFlix. Now McCullouch is back with the se-
quel, “All Male, All Nude: Johnsons,” about PGN: Most of the guys flash their privates in
a Wilton Manors, Florida strip club that ca- the film. Was that one of the criteria for the
ters to gay men. The film is currently avail- film — to get truth in titling?
able on VOD and DVD. GM: Exactly! That was a big concern of
McCullouch profiles owner Matt Colunga mine, and a conversation I had with Matt. If
— a former Swinging Richard’s employee this is a second film, it is justifiable being
who now runs the titular establishment (and about a not all-nude club? So, there was an
hopes to open a second). The guys who strip obligation, and I had to take opportunities
and sell fantasies are an engaging bunch. where I can get them. [McCullouch films
Evan, (aka Alexander), is a muscular guy Javi in the shower!]
who spends his days entertaining kids at
children’s parties in a Spider-Man costume PGN: Sean seems to be using his body as
and nights in a g-string, entertaining men. a means to make money — by any means.
Yankee is a Cuban artist who appreciates the What do you think about his choices? Your
opportunity stripping gave him to open a gal- film is not judgmental.
lery. Sean, who claims he is shy, performs at GM: Sean was an archetype within the world
the club but also does porn and escorts. In of male stripping, and what we assume goes
contrast, Eduardo (aka “Javi”) is an aspiring hand in hand [porn, escorting], so I want to
cosmetologist who talks about the tough side include that. I also wanted to glorify a differ-
of the business. ent body type with Hunter [a plus-sized man
In a recent phone interview, McCullouch Sean has sex with for a porn shoot].
spoke with PGN about his documentary, and
the men who reveal themselves — and their PGN: I loved Evan/Alexander. He’s ador- Q Puzzle 45 Many a place
near Aspen
9 Series with gay
veep Cyrus Beene
39 ASCAP alterna-
tive
bodies. able and charming, and he has a surprising 47 Mishima and 10 Come out 41 Put out
backstory. What interested you about him? NOBODY DOESN’T Ang Lee 11 Shakespeare’s 42 They get atten-
PGN: What prompted you to make a sequel GM: They all have unique lives, and I wanted LIKE SARAH GILBERT 48 Eligible for soc. Othello, e.g. tion in the shower
to “All Male, All Nude?” What did you learn to show the variety. I wanted to celebrate his sec. 12 Shade trees 43 Chip’s cartoon
here that was nude, I mean, new? work ethic. He’s a passionate, driven young Across 49 Bear market 13 Tuck’s partner buddy
1 Family room piece order 21 Linguist Chomsky 44 Word after Virgin
GM: As in the first film, I wanted to cele- man. He’s able to use this industry to his ad- 6 Actor Omar
brate this experience. People tend to have vantage. He looks a certain way and is a tal- 51 How ABC de- 22 Big name in soft 46 Harvey, in “Torch
10 Pious ejaculation scribed Mark before balls Song Trilogy”
a negative connotation about strippers, and ented dancer. He does flips, and he wants to 14 Pat Benatar’s he came out as gay 25 Media exec 49 Bonehead
the life, and I kind of wanted to challenge bring people happiness. I find it beautifully “___ With Your Best 58 Mostel of “The Roger 50 Shoot off some
that stereotype. Matt was a threshold into intriguing that he spends his days bringing Shot” Producers” 26 Meat cut hot stuff
the story in the first film. He’s been stripping happiness to kids and parents and then nights 15 Voting group 59 “From Here to 27 Portia de ___ 51 Drag queen ___
since he was 19. He has a heart of gold and a to a different clientele. 16 Type of sci, in Eternity” setting 28 Nurses stick these Pool
good head on his shoulders, and he’s been a college 60 “A Boy ___ Sue” in us 52 Art Deco name
father figure to these guys who work for him. PGN: Now that you’ve made two docs on 17 Old line for cock- 61 The I in IHOP 29 Antifur org. 53 Male actor
The first film highlights this unique family male strippers, would you ever dance? pit workers (abbr.) 30 Greek edition of named Julia
unit these clubs engender, and this club also GM: [Laughs]. I don’t think people would 18 Lorca’s room 62 Bottom Oprah’s magazine? 54 Starch source
formed a family unit. That was intriguing. want to see me dance. I’m a better dancer 19 Partner of Cir- 63 C-3PO, for ex- 31 Tennessee tight 55 “It’s showtime!”
cumstance ample end, e.g. 56 Blood line
Plus, there are all these hot guys dancing. with my clothes on. n 20 Mother of Mark, 64 Irate, with “off” 32 Does in 57 Cruising hazard
played by Sarah 65 One-armed ban- 34 Eastern discipline 58 Blemish, in
PGN: Matt reveals some of the ways guys Gilbert dit’s opening 35 Mineo of movies slang
earn money connecting with clubgoers. 23 Target of malice, 66 Father of Chaz
How much of that is breaking the fantasy, or per Lincoln
something patrons should not know? Does 24 Org. for narcs D ow n
your film uncover too much? 25 Meryl Streep’s 1 Dishes, to Debussy
GM: I don’t think it’s too much. I think “Out of ___ “ 1 Sound of getting
when someone goes into a strip club, they’re 29 Disney’s Iago and banged?
choosing to play the game, so shedding light others 2 You need one to
on the how-tos and technical aspect of their 33 Start of a quote go to Rio
job (which is to make money) isn’t revealing by Mark 3 Have top billing
36 “Cool” amount 4 “Casablanca”
too much. That’s why people are going. My
37 Barrie’s Wendy, croupier
job is to uncover that world, and you don’t e.g.
usually hear owners or strippers talk about 5 Stamp of “Pris-
38 Bit of grain for a cilla”
the business aspect of their job or revealing stallion 6 “The Wizard of
their business acumen. 39 Sappho’s B Oz” dropout Buddy
40 Officer in the 7 Put in position
PGN: How does stripping help these guys navy (abbr.) 8 Teri of “The Fos-
GERALD MCCULLOUCH
develop their self-esteem? P h o t o c o u r t e s y o f B r e a k i n g G l a s s P i c t u r e s 41 End of quote ters”
28
FILM FEST from page 23
These subjects candidly discuss sexuality,
discrimination, the importance of queer
spaces and identity issues. Aya, in partic-
ular, describes the difficulties and frustra-
tions she experienced when changing her
gender her ID.
“Queer Japan” also features a seg-
ment on the clubs in Shinjuku Ni-chome,
Toyko’s gay district, where bar owners like
Chiga started “Gold Finger,” a women-only
party, and a party called “Grammy To-
kyo” was created for members of the trans
community. There is also an in-depth look
at Department H, a party for fetishists, such
as MaChite, a bisexual who likes being in
costume.
While a lengthy sequence showcases
the Tokyo Pride Parade, Kolbeins also
travels to Osaka, Kyoto and Okinawa. He
meets with members of the queer Deaf
community as well as HIV activists who
are working on awareness campaigns and
promoting queer visibility. What emerges is
a well-rounded portrait that shows the dig-
nity and inroads being made by a minority
community in Japan.
Wedding Services Directory
PGN
Philadelphia Gay News . epgn.com
“Queer Japan” is preceded by the fantas-
tic short, “In This Family,” about Marcus,
a Filipino teen who is outed by a teacher.
Director Drama Del Rosario chronicles the
impact this has on Marcus’ family. In an
eloquent narrative, Marcus reveals how his
entire family came through the process of
his coming out.
Three other films featured in the festival
are by openly queer directors. Lina Broc-
ka’s 1975 drama, “Manila in the Claws of
Light,” has a young man from the provinc-
es searching for his girlfriend in Manila
and finding it tough-going in a city filled
with marginalized (poor and gay) people.
“Ten Years Thailand” is an anthology film
that invites four filmmakers — including
the out gay director Apichatpong Weer-
asethakul — to imagine their country a
decade from now. And “Empty by Design,”
by queer Filipinx director Andrea A. Wal-
ter looks at issues of home and belonging
as Eric (Osric Chau) and Samantha (Rhian
Ramos) return to Manila looking for a
connection. n
V I V I E N N E S AT O I N “ Q U E E R J A P A N ”
For tickets, visit www.phillyasianfilmfest.
org/2019/.
Food and Drink Directory
First Presbyterian Church of Lansdowne
is a beautiful old stone church located
just outside the city. It can add a special
romantic touch to your wedding. We fly a
pride flag and are happy to welcome your
special celebration.
We offer a special wedding package for $1,350 which in-
cludes sanctuary for wedding service, one rehearsal, sound
system, pastor, organist and reception hall (up to 5 hours).
Contact us at fpclrental@rcn.com. Please specify “wedding”.
lansdownepresbyterianchurch.com/contact
OCTOBER 25-31, 2019
S C E N E I N P H I L LY
29

O U T A T A I D S W A L K P H I L LY PHOTOS BY KELLY BURKHARDT

D o u g , Ke v i n , Ke i s h a a n d Te r r i e J o r i a n a n d Ty u n i q u e Te a m I n n o c e n c e

P r e v e n t i o n Po i n t Po we r 9 9 F M ’s D J M u t h a K n o w s ( m i d d l e ) a n d f r i e n d s
30
T H E AT E R & A R T S
BLACK LESBIAN ARCHIVES PRE-KICK-
OFF TOUR STOP
Stop by to learn about the organization,
the awesome history of Black lesbians,
and contribute your own archival mate-
rial for long-term preservation and use,
1-3 p.m. Oct. 26 at Giovanni’s Room,
345 S. 12th St.; 215-923-2960.
COME FROM AWAY
The award-winning musical based on the
remarkable true story of 7,000 stranded
passengers and the small town in New-
foundland that welcomed them, through
Nov. 3 at Kimmel’s Academy of Music,
250 S. Broad St.; 215-790-5800.
HAMILTON
The smash-hit blockbuster musical
makes its Philly debut, through Nov. 17
at Kimmel’s Forrest Theatre, 1114 Wal-
nut St. St.; 215- 923-1515.
HERBERT FERBER: FORM INTO SPACE
Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an
exhibition featuring sculptures and relat-
ed drawings that Herbert Ferber (1906-
91) created during the 1950s — the art-
ist’s most creative period, through Jan.
5, 26th Street and the Parkway; 215-
763-8100.
MATILDA: THE MUSICAL
Media Theatre Company presents the
Tony Award-winning musical based on
the beloved literary character created
by Roald Dahl, through Oct. 27, 104 E.
State St., Media; 610-891-0100.
MICHELLE BUTEAU
The writer and comedian (“Adulting”)
performs 8:30, 10 p.m. and 11:30 p.m.,
Oct. 26 at Good Good Comedy Theatre,
215 N. 11th St.; 215-399-1279.
HALLOQUEEN DRAG DIVA BRUNCH
Mimi Imfurst and special guests perform
11 a.m.-2 p.m. Oct. 26 at Punch Line
Philly, 33 E. Laurel St.; 215-606-6555.
THE MOST REVOLUTIONARY: LGBTQ
POLITICS AND THE RADICAL LEFT,
1969-99
William Way Community Center pres-
ents an exhibit telling the hidden history
of LGBTQ politics and the radical left in
the three decades following Stonewall,
through Dec. 27, 1315 Spruce St.; 215-
732-2220.
#QUEERLIFEPHL
William Way LGBT Community Center
hosts an exhibition exploring how we
use our phones as a tool to record and
communicate our stories and how, by
sharing, we create a sense of identity, ex-
pression and, ultimately, an act of resis-
tance by refusing to be erased, through
Oct. 25, 1315 Spruce St; 215-732-2220
NOTICES: Send notices at least one week in advance to: Out & About Listings, PGN, 505 S. Fourth St., Philadelphia, PA 19147 fax: 215-925-6437 or e-mail: listings@epgn.com. Notices cannot be taken over the phone.
EVENTS
SALLY FIELD
The acclaimed actress discusses her
new book, “In Pieces,” 7:30 p.m. Nov. 1
at Central Library, 1901 Vine St.; 215-
686-5322.
SERENA J. BISHOP
The author of “Dreams” hosts a read-
ing, 6 p.m. Oct. 12 at Giovanni’s Room,
345 S. 12th St.; 215-923-2960.
ULLA-STINA WIKANDER
The Swedish artist’s exhibition coin-
cides with CraftNOW Philadelphia,
Oct. 25 at Paradigm Gallery, 746 S.
Fourth St.; 267-266-0073.
MUSIC
PHILLY POPS PRESENTS NIGHTMARE
BEFORE CHRISTMAS
The orchestra performs the score to the
stop-animated film, 7:30 p.m. 25 at The
Met, 858 N. Broad St.; info@TheMet-
Philly.com.
INGRID MICHAELSON
The folk singer-songwriter performs 8
p.m. Oct. 25 at Union Transfer, 1026
Spring Garden St.; 215-232-2100.
HELMET
The alternative hard rock band cele-
brates their 30th anniversary, 8 p.m.
Oct. 25 at World Café Live, 3025 Wal-
nut St.; 215-222-1400.
CYPRESS HILL
The rap group performs 8:30 p.m. Oct.
26 at Franklin Music Hall, 421 N. Sev-
enth St.; 215-627-1332.
ROSSINI’S L’ITALIANA IN ALGERI
Amici Opera Company presents the
classic opera fully staged, 2:30 p.m.
Oct. 27 at Dock Woods, 275 Dock
Drive, Lansdale; http://www.amiciop-
era.com/.
MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD
The reggae/folk/rock group performs 8
p.m. Nov. 1 at Franklin Music Hall, 421
N. Seventh St.; 215-627-1332.
NIGHTLIFE
MARTHA GRAHAM CRACKER
CABARET
The world’s tallest and hairiest drag
queen returns with her band, 8 p.m.
Oct. 25 at Fringe Arts, 140 N. Colum-
bus Blvd.; 215-413-1318.
THE ROCKY HORROR DRAG QUEEN
SHOW
Mimi Imfurst and special guests per-
form a drag tribute to the cult classic
film 7:30 p.m. Oct. 26 at Punch Line
Philly, 33 E. Laurel St.; 215-606-6555.
THE WONDER
TWINS:
Fresh off the publication of
their memoir, “High School,”
out rock duo, Tegan and
Sara, are hitting the road for
their latest album, “Hey, I’m
Just Like You,” performing
8 p.m. Oct. 26 at Keswick
Theater, 291 N. Keswick
Ave. For more information or
tickets, call 215-572-7650.
(photo credit: Trevor Brady)
Throwback horror goes way back for
Halloween night when the Kimmel
Center hosts an organ concert and
screening of the classic silent film,
“Phantom of the Opera,” 7:30 p.m.,
Oct. 31 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall,
300 S. Broad St. For more informa-
tion or tickets, call 215-893-1999.
…NO ONE CAN HEAR YOU SCREAM
Philadelphia Gay News . epgn.com
events
TRI-CURIOUS DRAG & BURLESQUE SHOW
Louisiana Purchase hosts the show, 9
p.m. Oct. 26 at Tabu, 200 S. 12th St.;
215-964-9675.
MURDER’S A DRAG: OCCULT
Sutton Fearce hosts a Halloween themed
show, 8 p.m. Oct. 27 at Frank Bradley’s,
1320 Chancellor St.; 215-735-0735.
BOYS THAT GO BOO!
A Halloween burlesque show, 8 p.m.
Oct. 30 at Frank Bradley’s, 1320 Chan-
cellor St.; 215-735-0735.
HENRI DAVID’S HALLOWEEN THE BALL
The annual Halloween extravaganza re-
turns, 9 p.m. Oct. 31 at The Grand Ball-
room of the Philadelphia 201 Hotel, 201
N. 17th St.; 215-732-7711.
O U T TA T O W N
PINK MARTINI
The classical jazz/pop musical group
performs 8 p.m. Oct. 25 at Scottish Rite
Auditorium, 315 White Horse Pike,
Collingwood, NJ; 856-858-1000.
THE ROCKY HORROR DRAG QUEEN
SHOW
Mimi Imfurst and special guests perform
a drag tribute the cult classic film, 7:30
p.m. Oct. 25 at The Queen, 500 N. Mar-
ket St., Wilmington, Del.; 202-730-3331.
I’M SO FANCI FRIDAYS DRAG SHOW
Fanci DisMount Stratton hosts Phoe-
nixville’s hottest new drag show, 9
p.m. Oct. 25 at The Colonial Theatre,
227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; 610-917-
1228.
BOLLYWOOD DANCE SPECTACULAR:
MYSTIC INDIA
The dance group performs 9 p.m. Oct.
26 at the Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa
Event Center, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic
City, N.J.; 609-317-1000.
THE EXORCIST
The horror classic is screened, 7 p.m.
Oct. 31 at The Colonial Theatre, 227
Bridge St., Phoenixville; 610-917-
1228.
RUBEN STUDDARD SINGS LUTHER
VANDROSS
The R&B singer and “American Idol”
alum performs 9 p.m. Nov. 1 at the Bor-
gata Hotel, Casino & Spa Event Center,
1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, N.J.; 609-
317-1000.
FLOWER PARADE
Saul Lyons Gallery presents an exhibi-
tion of works by Susan Ottaviano fo-
cused on colorful flora, through Nov. 2,
39 Bridge St., New Hope; www.saully-
ons.com.
OCTOBER 25-31, 2019
FAMILY PORTRAIT WITH SUZI NASH
Aishah Shahidah Simmons: Philadelphia’s Wonder Woman
Long before the #Metoo and #TimesUp
movements, a groundbreaking film took
on not just the difficult subject of rape, but
dared to tackle intraracial rape in commu-
nities of color, and the use of rape against
LGBTQ women of color as a way to “fix”
queerness.
Since its debut in 2006, “NO! The Rape
Documentary” has shown in film festivals,
schools, rape crisis centers, domestic vio-
lence shelters, community centers, juvenile
correctional facilities and more in the U.S.
and across the globe. Pulitzer Prize-win-
ning author Alice Walker said, “If the Black
community in the Americas and in the
world would save itself, it must complete
the work that [‘NO!’] begins.
Aishah Shahidah Simmons is the di-
rector and driving force behind “NO! The
Rape Documentary.” She is an award-win-
ning filmmaker, published writer, interna-
tional lecturer, professor and activist. An in-
cest and rape survivor, she has been on U.S.
national and international roads raising
awareness about rape, sexual assault and
other forms of sexual and gender-based vi-
olence. This year a conference Oct. 31-Nov.
1 will celebrate the film’s 25th anniversary.
PGN: Are you a Philly native?
AS: I am! A Philadelphia born and raised
Girl’s High girl. I grew up in Mantua; we
call it “down the bottom” around 52nd and
Haverford.
PGN: Siblings?
AS: I have a half brother, Tyree Cinque Sim-
mons. He moved to Atlanta for school and
has since blown up as a world-renowned
D.J. and producer who goes by the name
D.J. Drama. My parents are activists who
were involved in radical movement work.
They met working for SNCC, the Student
Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, which
was at the forefront of the civil rights move-
ment. Both of them are featured in the film.
They’re no longer together, my father lives
in Budapest, Hungry, where he does human
rights work, and my mom lives in Florida,
where she retired, but she worked as a pro-
fessor at the University of Florida.
PGN: If you could describe yourself as a
child in one word, what would it be?
AS: Inquisitive.
PGN: An early signs you were queer?
AS: Looking back, when I was young, about
nine, I had a journal that I wrote in about
crushes. I had a list of all the people, male
or female, that I wanted to marry, not peers,
mostly celebrities. And I’m 50 now, so that
was before we could Google, “gay celebri-
ties.” I just always had good queer sensibil-
ities!
PGN: Who was top on the list?
AS: Oh my God, [laughing] I was always
into Wonder Woman. I wanted to live on the
PROFILE
Island and fly the invisible plane. I’m not
sure which I wanted more — to be her or to
be with her!
PGN: What was a favorite toy?
AS: I had a Baby Alive doll, the kind that
could eat and drink and go to the bathroom;
it was fun. But I’m happy not to be a parent
these days, what was I thinking!
PGN: Did you have any idea of what you
wanted to be when you grew up?
AS: When I was very young I wanted to be
a gynecologist/obstetrician.
PGN: That’s pretty specific for a kid,
AS: I know, I thought I wanted to be a medi-
cal doctor. I had a female pediatrician grow-
ing up and I… well, I don’t think I had a
crush on her, I just really admired her.
PGN: You have a ton of academic creden-
tials, where did you start?
AS: After high school, I went to Swarth-
more College, then I took a leave of absence
and transferred to Temple. I left Temple my
sophomore year because I was raped. I got
pregnant and was able to have a safe and le-
gal abortion in ‘89. For me, it was all con-
nected to internalized homophobia because,
at that point, I’d broken up with a boyfriend
from my freshmen year, and I thought some-
thing was wrong with me because I hadn’t
had vaginal sex. The assault happened on a
study abroad program. I was trying to prove
that I was heterosexual and went out on a
date with this guy, and as things were heat-
ing up, I decided that I didn’t want to have
sex, but I didn’t get that option.
PGN: What did that do to you, and how
badly did it throw you off track?
AS: It was a difficult time, but it made me
start to reevaluate things. I left Temple and
spent some time with my father, who was
doing nuclear disarmament work in Europe.
I spent some time backpacking through Eu-
rope and at the end, decided that I didn’t
want to go into debt pursuing a degree. If
I was going to go into debt, it was going to
be making a film. When I came back, my
mother, who was very close friends with So-
nia Sanchez, took me to an event Sonia was
having. The filmmaker Toni Cade Bambara
was there, and she kind of took me under her
wing and invited me to study with her, and
that changed the trajectory of my life.
PGN: What was your first film?
AS: It was called “Silence Broken,” and it
was a short eight-minute protest piece about
an African American lesbian and the si-
lence around racism, sexism and homopho-
bia. It’s dedicated to the memory of Audre
Lorde. You can watch it for free on Vimeo!
PGN: When you decided to create “NO!,”
what prompted you to want to tackle the
subject matter.
AS: What’s funny is that initially, I didn’t
think it had anything to do with me as a
rape survivor. I thought I just wanted to help
other women, and what prompted it was the
Mike Tyson trial, when he was accused and
convicted or raping Desire Washington. I
was devastated at the silence from the Black
community and the way people rallied
around Tyson. Let me make it clear, there is
silence in most communities when it comes
to rape culture, but I was especially focused
on the Black community and the idea of
protecting Black men, even at the expense
of Black women who have been sexually
harmed.
PGN: Remarkably, you made this film
during a time when it was even more taboo
to “air our dirty laundry.”
AS: Yes, it took me 12 years to make — in
part because no one wanted to talk about
it. Thankfully now, we’re in an incredible
movement fueled by the dynamic Black ac-
tivist, Tarana Burke, who started the #Me-
Too movement. The film has been fortunate
to be shown around the world, but there are
a lot of people that are still not aware it ex-
ists as a teaching tool and is still relevant
today.
PGN: I liked the fact that you included
men’s voices. One man eloquently stated,
“You cannot work towards eradicating op-
pression of color and continue to oppress
your sisters.”
AS: It was important for me to have differ-
ent voices. I wanted people to see and hear
from Black men who are doing and have
done work to end violence against women in
our community because it’s a double-edged
sword. On the one hand, you have the ste-
reotypes about Black men and myth that
rapists are Black men, when that’s not the
norm, but on the other hand, there’s the re-
ality that Black women are being raped and
abused by Black men, and we often turn a
blind eye to it. There are also men working
to eradicate violence against women, and
I wanted people to see that. But overall, I
think the survivors’ voices are the ones that
are the most dominant, and I’ve heard
many people say that the film
transcends race.
31
PGN: What has been the most impactful re-
sponse?
AS: I’ve had people who didn’t realize that
what happened to them was rape come to
understand what they’ve been through. One
of the women in the film, a lesbian, speaks
about the fact that because her body reacted
to the stimulation, she felt that she couldn’t
call it rape. A lot of people had that miscon-
ception, but if you say no, it doesn’t matter
what your body does. And often, if it was a
boyfriend or a trusted friend, people thought
it didn’t count as rape, because we think of a
rapist as the terrible stranger in the bushes,
when it’s more likely to be someone you
know.
PGN: That brings to mind the gymnasts
who were assaulted by their doctor, Larry
Nassar, close to 300 and counting. Many of
them didn’t know what was happening to
them until others came forward.
AS: Exactly. I am also a survivor of child-
hood sexual abuse at the hands of my grand-
father. I just wrote a book about it called,
“Love WITH Accountability: Digging Up
the Roots of Child Sexual Abuse.” As a
child, I knew what was happening to me,
but I didn’t know what to call it. When I was
doing the movie, I was so focused on getting
it done, I didn’t even consider my childhood
abuse. But certainly that and the fact that I
was raped my sophomore year have led me
to do this work. The anthology is a collec-
tion of 42 voices on the subject.
PGN: Considering your parents are such ac-
tivists and humanitarians, how difficult was
it to disclose to them that your grandfather
had been molesting you?
AS: At the time, they didn’t deal with it at
all. I told them, and it was dismissed be-
cause they wanted and needed to believe
that I was safe in my grandparents’
home. I wrote about it in the
anthology because in
“NO!,” They’re
page 33
32
BEBE NEUWIRTH & JOHN DOSSETT
I N “A S M A L L F I R E ”
P h o t o by A n t h o ny We r h u n
‘Fire’ starter Bebe Neuwirth brings heat to Philly
LARRY NICHOLS
larry@epgn.com
Tony Award-winning stage and screen
actress, Bebe Neuwirth (“A Chorus Line,”
“Chicago,” “Cheers” and “Frasier”) is com-
ing to the stage in Philadelphia to star in
Philadelphia Theatre Company’s season
opener, “A Small Fire,” through Nov. 10.
Written by out Canadian playwright,
Adam Bock, the play follows Emily Bridg-
es, a woman accustomed to running every-
thing from her construction business to her
family. When she suddenly and mysteri-
ously starts losing her senses, one by one,
her relationships shift in revelatory ways.
PGN talked to Neuwirth about her new
role’s challenges and what it means to take
on a character like this.
PGN: What attracted you to this particular
play and character?
BN: This play is so well written. I read it,
and I just thought it was exquisite. It’s a
wonderful role. On the surface, it’s simple,
but the character has a complicated, inter-
esting and nuanced life. It’s everything. It’s
a beautifully written play.
PGN: It sounds like this play is dramatic,
but I understand there are some light-
hearted and humorous moments to the story
as well.
BN: It’s definitely heartfelt. That some-
times implies something sappy. It’s a very
emotional play. There’s humor in it, but it’s
no slapstick. No one gets a pie in the face. I
would not call this a comedy at all. The hu-
T H E AT E R
mor happens in the best way because some
of these people have a good sense of hu-
mor, and they talk to each other. Just don’t
come expecting a big old comedy and don’t
come thinking you’re coming to an incred-
ibly dark, dark piece. It’s a very beautiful
piece about normal people with the normal
relationships that they have. But it happens
on stage, and it’s quite theatrical in its sim-
plicity and with the seriousness of what’s
happening with my character.
PGN: As an actress, your craft relies heav-
ily on your senses. Is it challenging to play
a character that is losing all of hers?
BN: It’s very interesting because what ac-
tors do — at least I was taught — is to put
attention on the other person and play the
relationship. You listen and respond and
take in their behavior. I can’t look at my
fellow actors, and if I see them, I have to ig-
nore their behavior. That goes against what
I’m taught and what is my natural instinct.
When she loses her sight, I have to rely on
hearing. Then she loses that, so it’s very
peculiar and interesting to try to do that. I
want it to look real for the audience. I don’t
want the audience to see an actress acting
like she can’t see or hear. I want them to see
someone who actually can’t. I keep asking
my director to let me know if that “looked
real.” I don’t want it to look like a caricature
for many reasons.
PGN: All excellent theater productions
speak to the hopes, concerns and fears of
the audience. What issues does this story
address in the minds of people who see it?
BN: Each member of the audience will
have a different experience because of the
very thing that you say. They have their own
hopes, fears and feelings. We all do that. We
bring our life to the seat in the house when
we go see a show or listen to a concert or
watch a ballet. What we see has to do with
who we are. I just hope that whatever their
experience is, they will be able to take it
in. This is not a shallow piece of theater,
and so I hope they don’t have a shallow ex-
perience. There’s great love in this piece.
There’s great empathy and compassion
in this piece. There’s quite a lot in it. The
audience is the other character in the play,
not to say that we break the fourth wall.
There’s an energetic exchange between the
audience and the performers, and I hope the
audience is game.
PGN: What do you look for when consider-
ing a new character to inhabit?
BN: The first thing is great writing. If it’s
not well written but a great story, you think,
“Oh, it deserves better writing.” So this is
a perfect example of a fascinating story
beautifully told by the playwright. And
then there’s also, can I play that character?
There have been times I’ve seen a script
and thought, “Well this is great, but I don’t
think I’m the person for it. I could do it, but
I couldn’t do it justice.”
PGN: You’ve been a part of two iconic TV
shows. Do you have any feelings about the
TV-revival trend and what you would do if
your shows were slated to come back?
BN: I think we’re going to have to be very
Philadelphia Gay News . epgn.com
careful if you’re going to go back and do
it again. I understand the desire because
it was a sad day when “The Mary Tyler
Moore Show” ended. It was a sad day when
“Golden Girls” ended. These were great
shows, so you think, “I wish I could have
more of that.” But if you’re going to do it
again, the bar has been set so high. So I feel
like don’t do it unless you’re going to be
able to do it in the same spirit as before. I
absolutely understand the desire to go back
and revisit the “Cheers” bar again. But you
have to be very, very careful. Some of those
shows happened at a certain time, and so it
might not make sense. Certainly, there are
timeless themes from those shows, but the
setting and some of the stories just don’t
happen 20 years later. In terms of “Cheers”
and “Frasier,” there was a lot of chatter
about continuing Frasier’s life in a new sit-
com. In terms of that, I have such faith in
Kelsey [Grammer] ‘s taste in literature and
writing and creating shows. With “Frasier,”
they knew when they spun that character
off, they couldn’t have Frasier be the same
guy he was in the Boston bar. They moved
him on in his life, and his character evolved.
His relationship with Lilith evolved over
time. I believe if Kelsey were to go back
and play that part again, he would have the
character evolve and would continue to
have the greatest writers and producers like
he did on Frasier. n
Philadelphia Theatre Company presents
“A Small Fire” through Nov. 10 at Suzanne
Roberts Theatre, 480 S. Broad St. For more
information or tickets, call 215-985-0420.
OCTOBER 25-31, 2019
Edie Windsor comes to life
in new memoir
GARY M. KRAMER
PGN Contributor
Joshua Lyon is the out gay coauthor of late
queer icon Edie Windsor’s inspiring book, “A
Wild and Precious Life.” This memoir-biogra-
phy hybrid is an intimate look at the life and
times of Windsor, a Philadelphia native whose
Supreme Court case helped establish the right
for same-sex marriage. Windsor recounts
working at IBM, her 44-year relationship with
her partner Thea Spyer and LGBT activism.
Additional passages at the end of each chap-
ter feature anecdotes and observations from
Windsor’s friends and relatives.
In a recent interview, the author spoke with
PGN about Windsor and this new memoir.
PGN: Can you talk about how you worked
with Windsor to create the memoir?
JL: We worked together for about six
months, and two-thirds of it was done before
she passed. Originally, it was going to be a
memoir. When she passed away, it was awful
for many reasons. I lost a new friend, and I
was paralyzed about the book — would they
rush it out? I really didn’t want to do that.
The publisher gave us all the time we needed.
After Edie passed, I went into deep research
mode, and I processed my grief by walking
around Philadelphia. I tried to see the world
through her eyes. I was lucky she kept every
piece of paper from 1951 onward.
PGN: What can you say about the various
stages of Windsor’s remarkable life?
JL: One of the things that struck me was the
message of how good parenting can go a long
way. Her mother was a fantastic figure who
filled her with self-confidence. Another thing
was seeing how the gay rights movement
progressed as she was growing. She watched
it with one eye but wasn’t able to emotion-
ally enter that until after Stonewall, and that
was when Thea was getting ill. Her activism
would have kicked in earlier if she wasn’t
taking care of Thea.
PGN: What observations do you have about
Windsor being a queer woman during an era
when it wasn’t easy?
JL: It was incredibly difficult for her, but one
thing we talked about was that she knew she
had it better off than other closeted women.
She was white, beautiful and educated, and
she had privilege. She gave back. Even though
things were difficult for her, there were people
who had it much worse. She could help people
in need before she was able to come out.
PGN: What did you find particularly exciting
or unusual about the gay history she re-
counted?
JL: One of the things I was excited about
when we started talking was learning about
the women’s bars of the period. They were
very different than men’s bars, and that was
cool to learn about and dive into. I got that
info from first-hand accounts from these
amazing octogenarian lesbians. There are
L I T E R AT U R E
few or no photographs to describe what these
places were like. And I read a lot of lesbian
pulp fiction, which was written about these
spaces.
PGN: The contributions from Windsor’s
friends and relatives help create an impres-
sion of her and her life, fleshing out details.
Who or what impressed — or surprised —
you the most?
JL: I had this list from Edie, before she
passed, of people to talk to, and I got so
many stories. A lot of them did not end up
in the book. I had to create a moral code to
make the book a memoir/biography. When
I heard a story, I had to think about whether
Edie would want it in the book. I also talked
with Judith, Edie’s surviving spouse, and
Karen, her best friend. We made group deci-
sions about what to put in the book. One of
my favorite things was something she didn’t
tell me, but many others did: that she was a
card counter and used that to her advantage
in casinos to win big. Her many trips to Las
Vegas made total sense after that.
“A W I L D A N D P R E C I O U S L I F E ”
B O O K C OV E R
PGN: Windsor’s motto is, “Don’t postpone
joy.” What valuable lesson(s) did Windsor
teach you in the writing of “A Wild and
Precious Life”?
JL: She taught me that I need to wake the
fuck up, basically. I’m a Gen X-er, so there’s
a part of me that goes to pride rallies, but I
never threw myself into activism. There is so
much more that I can do, should do and that
must be done. That was a huge inspiration for
me. I feel like the work she did is something
that we should continue. It’s bizarre to think
it is such recent history. n
Joshua Lyon will participate in a Q&A with
state Representative Brian Sims in the Phila-
delphia Room at the William Way Community
Center, 1315 Spruce Street, on October 29 at
6:00 p.m.
PORTRAIT from page 31
presented as these incredible people, and they
are, and like most of us, they’re complex
and fallible. My mother writes about it in
the book as well — of the grave mistake that
they made. When you asked what I was like
as a child, part of me doesn’t know because
you pack all that away and don’t deal with it.
PGN: Your second film was called, “In
my Father’s House.” Was that also about
abuse?
AS: No, not at all. It’s actually about how
supportive my father was when I was strug-
gling with my sexuality. He came to me and
said, “I think you’re struggling between
your race and your sexual orientation, and
you don’t have to choose.” He asked a friend
who was an out and proud Black woman to
talk to me, and it was a life-changing expe-
rience for me. So the film was interviews
with my father and brother about my com-
ing out experience. It can be seen for free at
www.vimeo.com/afrolez, along with sev-
eral other pieces and interviews I’ve done
over the years. I spoke to people like Audre
Lorde’s partner Dr. Gloria Joseph, who has
now [died].
PGN: So what do you do for fun when
you’re not on the frontlines?
AS: I love going to the movies. I love to
travel. My partner and I take a lot of trips
when we’re able. Paris is one of my favor-
ite places in the world. They were also big
supporters of the film, and I have a lot of
friends there. India was really big for me.
I was there for six weeks, and even though
I’ve spent time in Europe and it’s not the
U.S., there’s still something familiar, not
in India, there was nothing familiar to me,
especially when it came to race. It didn’t
have the Black/white paradigm that we
have here. There was a caste system, but
it’s a little different. It was fascinating. I’m
a Buddhist, and I go on meditation retreats
where we don’t talk for 30 days.
PGN: Whaaat?
AS: [Laughing] Yeah, I’m like that. It helps
keep me grounded. And when I say silent, I
mean no reading or writing; there’s no jour-
naling or any of that. It’s intense and makes
you really search inward and study what’s
going on internally. I love the rigor of it.
PGN: The closest I’ve come is an isolation
tank for an hour! And that seemed like for-
ever and then was over before I knew it.
AS: It does, and you’re completely cut
off from the world, so it’s like you’re on
Mars. When I did one of the 30 days, it
was around the time of inaugural, so when
I went in, Barack Obama was still presi-
dent, when I came out, the person in office
now was there. I missed all of the women’s
marches and the protests. It was weird.
PGN: That might have made me turn
around and go back! What is the Feminist
Wire?
AS: It’s an online publication that was co-
founded by Dr. Tamura Lomax. I got in-
volved and became an associate editor in
2014. It’s an online platform that publishes
33
radical, left of center stories and informa-
tion. It’s a multi-racial, multi-gender, na-
tional and international magazine that at
one time had a million hits to the website.
We’ve cut back, but our mission is still to
lift up different voices and perspectives.
PGN: What does your partner do?
AS: She’s an activist too, Sheila Alexan-
der-Reid, she founded a group, Women
in the Life, in D.C. It started out mostly
as events and parties, but now they’ve
branched into working on issues that im-
pact lesbians of color, and they publish a
magazine. She’s also now the director of
LGBT Affairs for the mayor in D.C.
PGN: Random question: What three people
from your past would you like to see?
AS: Toni Cade Bambara, my Aunt Jessie
and my paternal grandmother, my Nana.
PGN: Did you ever confront your grand-
father?
AS: I never did. And I saved his life in 2010
and would do it again. It’s so complicated.
What he did was horrible, but he was also
the hero of the family when he took care of
my grandmother, who was suffering from
Alzheimers. He dedicated his life to her,
and because of that, she never stayed a day
in a nursing home. That’s part of what I ex-
cavate in the book, that yes, he did some-
thing that impacted my life forever, I would
never downplay that, but at the same time
he was the provider and caretaker of some-
one I loved. He didn’t get sick until 2010,
so I had plenty of time to confront him
but never did. Like many survivors, I was
scared, not of him, but of how to handle it.
PGN: Were you speaking about it publicly?
AS: I’ve spoken about being an incest sur-
vivor since the ‘90s, but I never named who
it was until after he died. I told my parents
when I was 10, and it wasn’t taken seri-
ously.
PGN: What’s something you should throw
out but won’t?
AS: Paper. I have a ton of paper every-
where: clippings, stories, writings, you
name it. I’m an archivist at heart and have
trouble throwing things away.
PGN: What should people know about the
conference?
AS: Well, first thing, it’s free. It will
open with the screening on “NO!,” at the
Lightbox Film Center. It will be historic
because it’ll be the first time that most
of the people in the film will be in atten-
dance. Some of them are octogenarians,
so it will be a once in a lifetime experi-
ence. At the conference in the Annenberg
Center, there will be women of all types,
straight and gay sharing their stories and
expertise around sexual violence, but we
focus on queer women of color because so
often our voices are left out of the conver-
sation. And then we’ll do the book launch
at the African American Museum in Phila-
delphia. A lot of the contributors, many of
them queer, will be there to talk about and
sign the book. I’m really looking forward
to it. n
34 PGN
Philadelphia Gay News . epgn.com
OCTOBER 25-31, 2019
SHERIFF’S SALE
Properties to be sold by
JEWELL WILLIAMS
Sheriff on Tuesday, November 5,
2019 at First District Plaza,
3801 Market Street, at 9:00
AM. (EST)
Conditions of Sheriff’s
Sale for
JUDICIAL/FORECLOSURE
SALE
Ten percent of the highest
bid for each property auc-
tioned off shall be deposited
in certified check, attorney’s
check or money order with
the Sheriff by each bidder
when his bid is registered,
provided that in no case shall
less than Six Hundred Dollars
($600.00) be deposited, other-
wise upon failure or refusal to
make such deposit, the bidder
shall lose all benefit of his bid
and the property may be  of-
fered again and sold unless
a second bid has been regis-
tered, then, the second highest
bidder will take the property at
the highest bid price.
Additionally, where there
is active bidding, the highest
bidder, and the second high-
est bidder, if any must post
the entire amount of the cost
of the distribution policy
for the property at the time
of sale by certified check,
attorney’s check or money
order with the Sheriff.   The
Sheriff reserves the right to
reject any certified check,
attorney’s check or money
order that on its face has
an expired use date and is
presented for payment of the
deposit.
The balance of the
purchase money must be
deposited in  certified check,
attorney’s check or money
order together with a Deed
poll for execution by the high-
est bidder to the Sheriff at his
office within 30 days from the
time of the sale. An extension
of time for an additional 30
days may be granted at the
discretion of the Sheriff upon
receipt of written request from
the buyer requesting the same,
except when a second bidder
has been duly registered. Also,
if the first bidder does not
complete settlement with the
Sheriff within the thirty (30)
day time limit and a second
bid was registered at the sale,
the second bidder shall be
granted the same thirty (30)
day time limit to make settle-
ment with the Sheriff on his
second bid. Thereafter, the
Sheriff shall be at liberty to re-
turn the writ to court. A second
bid must be registered on any
property immediately after
it is sold. The second bidder
must present the same amount
of deposit that the highest bid-
der delivers to the Sheriff at
the sale. An extension of time
under no circumstances will
be granted or honored by the
Sheriff whenever a second bid
is registered on a property at
the sale.
The first bid or opening
bid on each property shall be
set by the City of Philadelphia.
In no event will the successful
bidder be allowed to settle
on the property unless all the
Sheriff’s costs are paid not-
withstanding the final bid.
The deposit by any bidder
who fails to comply with the
above conditions of sale shall
be forfeited and the funds will
be applied to the Sheriff’s cost,
then to any municipal claims
that the City of Philadelphia
has on the property. Finally, if
a balance still remains, a Sher-
iff’s Distribution Policy will
be ordered and the money will
be distributed accordingly.  County Court - indicate the
No personal checks, drafts
or promises to pay will be
SHERIFF’S SALE
accepted in lieu of   certified
checks, attorney’s checks or
money orders made payable
to the Sheriff of Philadelphia
County.  following show the amount of
The Sheriff reserves the
right to grant further exten-
sions of time to settle and
further reserves the right to
refuse bids from bidders who
have failed to enter deposits
on their bids, failed to make
settlement, or make fraudulent
bids, or any other behavior
which causes disruption of the
Sheriff Sale. Said bidders shall
be so refused for the sale in
which said behavior occurred
and for said further period of
time as the Sheriff in his dis-
cretion shall determine.  settlement, under certain terms
The Sheriff will not ac-
knowledge a deed poll to any
individual or entity using an
unregistered fictitious name
and may, at his discretion,
require proof of identity of the
purchaser or the registration
of fictitious names. The bid
of an unregistered fictitious
name shall be forfeited as if
the bidder failed to meet the
terms of sale.  Philadelphia
All bidders are advised to
remain at the sale until after
the last property is sold. The
Sheriff reserves the right to
re-sell any property at any
time before the end of the sale,
upon the successful bidders’
failure to tender the required
deposit. The Sheriff reserves
the right to postpone or stay
the sale of any property in
which the attorney on the writ
has not appeared and is not
present at the sale.  Sheriff’s Office cannot decide
Prospective purchasers
are directed to the Web site
of the Philadelphia Bureau
of Revision of Taxes, (BRT)
brtweb.phila.gov for a fuller
description of the proper-
ties listed. Properties can
be looked up by the BRT
number – which should be
cross checked with the ad-
dress. Prospective purchas-
ers are also directed to the
Room 154 City Hall, 215-
686-1483 and to its website
philadox.phila.gov and to
its website at http://phila-
dox.phila.gov where they
can view the deed to each
individual property and
find the boundaries of the
property. PROSPECTIVE
PURCHASERS ARE RE-
SPONSIBLE FOR DETER-
MINING THE NATURE,
LOCATION, CONDITION
AND BOUNDARIES OF
THE PROPERTIES THEY
SEEK TO PURCHASE. The
BRT # refers to a unique
number assigned by the City
Bureau of Revision of Taxes
to each property in the City
for the purpose of assessing
it for taxes. This number can
be used to obtain descriptive
information about the prop-
erty from the BRT website.
Effective Date: July 7, 2006  RESIDENTIAL
 NOTICE OF SCHED-
ULE OF DISTRIBUTION  August Term, 2018 No. 01087
The Sheriff will file in his
office, The Land Title Build-
ing, 100 South Broad Street,
5th Floor, a Schedule of
Distribution Thirty (30) Days
from the date of the sale of
Real Estate. Distribution will
be made in accordance with
the Schedule unless excep-
tions are filed thereto within
ten (10) days thereafter.  Group, P.C.
The name first appearing
in each notice is that of the
defendant in the writ whose
property is being sold. All
Writs are Writs of Executions.  RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
The letters C.P., Court
of Common Pleas; O.C.,
Orphans’ Court; Q.S., Court
of Quarter Sessions; C.C.,
Court out of which the writ of
execution issues under which
SHERIFF’S SALE
the sale is made: S. 1941. 223.
means September Term, 1941.
223, the term and number of
the docket entry; the figures
debt; and the name following
is that of the attorney issuing
the writ.  E. Von Rosenstiel, Esq.;
Attention is called to the
provisions of Act No.104, ap-
proved July 27, 1955, which
requires owners of properties
which are used, designed or
intended to be used by three
or more families, or of com-
mercial establishments which
contain one or more dwelling
units, to deliver to the buyers
of such properties a use reg-
istration permit at the time of
and conditions. Sheriff Sales
are not subject to provisions
of the said Act and the Sheriff
will, therefore, not deliver use
registration permits in connec-
tion with any sales conducted
by him.  Quintana, Hiram Quintana and
Very truly yours,
JEWELL WILLIAMS
Sheriff
City and County of
www.Officeof
Philadelphia
Sheriff.com
SPECIAL NOTE: All Sheriff’s
Sales are conducted pursuant
to the orders of the Courts and
Judges of the First Judicial
District. Only properties that
are subject to judgments issued
by the First Judicial District
are listed for sale. By law, the
if a property can be listed for
sale; only the District Courts
can order a property to be sold
at auction.
SHERIFF’S SALE
OF
Tuesday,
November 5, 2019
1911-301
3514 Sussex Ln 19114 66th wd.
2,681 Sq. Ft. OPA#661203800
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Margaret Piatkowski C.P.
January Term, 2019 No. 01848
KML Law Group, P.C.
1911-302
3600 Conshohocken Ave
Apartment 1410 19131 52nd wd.
940 Sq. Ft. OPA#888520563
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Cheryl D. Wesson C.P. April
Term, 2019 No. 00081 KML
Law Group, P.C.
1911-303
3514 Sussex Ln 19114 66th wd.
2,681 Sq. Ft. OPA#661203800
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Margaret Piatkowski C.P.
January Term, 2019 No. 01848
KML Law Group, P.C.
1911-304
2027 Widener Pl 19138
17th wd. Land: 1,007 Sq.
Ft.; Improvement: 978
Sq. Ft.; Total: 1,007 Sq.
Ft. OPA#134N24-459;
B R T # 1 7 1 1 9 7 5 0 0
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Samara Gathers C.P. March
Term, 2018 No. 03046 Richard
M. Squire & Associates, LLC
1911-305
926 N 15th St, #A 19130-
1623 47th wd. 0 (Land Area
Sq. Ft..); 1,586 (Improvement
Area Sq. Ft.) OPA#888470184
IMPROVEMENTS: RES
CONDO 4 STY MAS+OTH
Alpha United LP C.P.
September Term, 2018 No.
02247 Jay M. Levin, Esq.
1911-306
12 E Palmer St a/k/a 12 W
PGN
SHERIFF’S SALE
Palmer St 19125 18th wd.
1,113 Sq. Ft. BRT#183022400
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL DWELLING
Linda M. Hepworth C.P. June
Term, 2017 No. 00381 Martha
E. Von Rosenstiel, P.C.; Martha
Lorraine Gazzara Doyle, Esq
1911-307
4320 Main St 19127 21st wd.
2,468 Sq. Ft.; Land Area:
1,275 Sq. Ft. BRT#88-2-
7800-00 IMPROVEMENTS:
COMMERCIAL PROPERTY
Linda A. Westfall a/k/a Linda
A. Westphal and Linda A.
Westphal C.P. October Term,
2018 No. 04330 Mark Pfeiffer,
Esquire; Buchanan, Ingersoll &
Rooney, PC
1911-308
3423 Keim St 19134 33rd wd.
623 Sq. Ft. BRT#331280500
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL DWELLING
Juan Delgado-Quintana, Maria
David Ortiz, in their capacity
as Heir of Maria E. Quintana,
Deceased and Unknown heirs,
successors, assigns, and all
persons, firms, or associations
claiming right, title or
interest, from or under Maria
E. Quintana, Deceased C.P.
October Term, 2018 No. 00582
Martha E. Von Rosenstiel, P.C.;
Martha E. Von Rosenstiel, Esq.;
Lorraine Gazzara Doyle, Esq
1911-309
1927 Plymouth St 19138
10th wd. Land: 1,050 Sq.
Ft.; Improvement: 1,200
Sq. Ft.; Total: 1,200 Sq.
Ft. OPA#101319600
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Carlton Williams, solely as
Heir of the Estate of Linda
Marie Williams and Rozlyn
Marie Williams, solely as
Administratrix of the Estate
of Linda Marie Williams and
Yoland L. Ebo C.P. March
Term, 2018 No. 01575 Richard
M. Squire & Associates, LLC
1911-310
6127 Cottage St 19135 55th wd.
SEMI/DET 2 STY MASONRY;
1,350 Sq. Ft. BRT#552402900
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL DWELLING
Phylicia Samuels Executrix of
the Estate of Lloyd Samuels
C.P. January Term, 2019 No.
03215 McCabe, Weisberg, &
Conway, LLC
1911-311
6453 Woodcrest Ave
19151 34th wd. 2,464
Sq. Ft. BRT#344120100
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL Meredith
Fitzpatrick a/k/a Meredith R.
Fitzpatrick a/k/a Meredith
Fitpatrick and Thomas
Fitzpatrick C.P. March Term,
2019 No. 00073 Stern &
Eisenberg PC
1911-312
701 E Haines St 19144 59th wd.
1,564 Sq. Ft. BRT#592011000
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
REAL
ESTATE Seymour Nesmith C.P.
Stern & Eisenberg PC
1911-313
6047 Summerdale Ave
19149 53rd wd. 1,140
Sq. Ft. OPA#531242400
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
The Unknown Heirs of Susan
Conway C.P. November Term,
2018 No. 02565 KML Law
1911-314
214 E Upsal St 19119 22nd wd.
1,477 Sq. Ft. OPA#221077300
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
Lisa Dawson C.P. November
Term, 2018 No. 00981 KML
Law Group, P.C.
1911-315
6648 Vandike St 19135 41st wd.
1,481 Sq. Ft. OPA#411339300
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
SHERIFF’S SALE
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Kaitlyn Young C.P. April Term,
2019 No. 03150 KML Law
Group, P.C.
1911-316
9020 Pine Rd 19115 63rd wd.
17,550 Sq. Ft. OPA#632194000
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Susan Yeager and Vern J.
Yeager C.P. April Term, 2019
No. 02282 KML Law Group,
P.C.
1911-317
2033 W Nedro Ave
19138 17th wd. 1,018
Sq. Ft. OPA#171175900
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Daniel Heller and Maria Heller
C.P. March Term, 2019 No.
02090 KML Law Group, P.C.
1911-318
209 E Upsal St 19119-
2346 22nd wd. 960 Sq.
Ft. OPA#221092300
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Kevin Diggs, in His Capacity
as Heir of George P. Diggs,
Deceased; Unknown heirs,
successors, assigns, and all
persons, firms, or associations
claiming right, title, or interest
from or under George P. Diggs,
Deceased C.P. December
Term, 2016 No. 00317 Phelan
Hallinan Diamond & Jones,
LLP
1911-319
4437 Richmond St 19137-
2033 45th wd. 1,392 Sq. Ft.
OPA#453319300 Subject to
Mortgage IMPROVEMENTS:
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Christopher Newton C.P. July
Term, 2018 No. 03623 Phelan
Hallinan Diamond & Jones,
LLP
1911-320
5845 Penn St a/k/a 5845 N
Penn St 19149-3417 62nd wd.
1,340 Sq. Ft. OPA#621493200
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Errin Murphy-Davis; Anthony
Davis C.P. December Term,
2017 No. 00561 Phelan
Hallinan Diamond & Jones,
LLP
1911-321
6543 Buist Ave 19142 40th wd.
1,228 Sq. Ft. BRT#406252300
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL REAL
ESTATE Robert M. Heyward
C.P. February Term, 2019 No.
00918 Stern & Eisenberg PC
1911-322
1168 Anchor St 19124 62nd wd.
1,210 Sq. Ft. BRT#621065000
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL REAL
ESTATE John M. Stevens C.P.
October Term, 2018 No. 03543
Stern & Eisenberg PC
1911-323
5866 Malvern Ave 19131-
3028 52nd wd. 1,296
Sq. Ft. BRT#522115100
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL REAL
ESTATE Gregory A. Hyman
C.P. January Term, 2019 No.
01592 Stern & Eisenberg PC
1911-324
430 W Chew Ave 19120-2356
61st wd. (formerly 87th wd.)
1,944 Sq. Ft. OPA#871582450
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Dennis L. Anderson C.P. June
Term, 2019 No. 05143 Phelan
Hallinan Diamond & Jones,
LLP
1911-325
4936 N Franklin St 19120 49th
wd. 976 Sq. Ft. BRT#491241300
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL REAL
ESTATE Aaliyah Russell,
solely in her capacity as
Executrix of the Estate of
Brenda A. Ellerbee, deceased
C.P. January Term, 2019 No.
02780 Stern & Eisenberg PC
1911-326
7528 Fayette St 19150 50th wd.
1,214 Sq. Ft. OPA#501016900
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
SHERIFF’S SALE
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Karen L. Lett a/k/a Karen Lett
C.P. December Term, 2017 No.
00310 KML Law Group, P.C.
1911-327
4226 J St 19124 33rd wd. ROW
B/GAR 2 STY MASONRY;
1,080 Sq. Ft. BRT#332235400
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL DWELLING
Felix Then a/k/a Felix Then
Cotorreal and Vielka P.
Almonte Ramirez a/k/a Vielka
Paola Almonte Ramirez C.P.
October Term, 2018 No. 01736
McCabe, Weisberg, & Conway,
LLC
1911-328
8079 Fayette St 19150 50th wd.
1,612 Sq. Ft. OPA#501039700
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
The Unknown Heirs of
Josephine Fisher Gay Deceased
C.P. January Term, 2019 No.
00859 KML Law Group, P.C.
1911-329
6070 W Girard Ave
19151 34th wd. 1,642
Sq. Ft. OPA#341058200
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Brian Butcher C.P. March
Term, 2019 No. 01752 KML
Law Group, P.C.
1911-330
5845 Norfolk St 19143 3rd wd.
1,032 Sq. Ft. OPA#033043300
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Etta Newman, a/k/a Etta D.
Newman C.P. June Term,
2017 No. 01942 Cristina L.
Connor, Esquire; Manley Deas
Kochalski, LLC
1911-331
2146 Homer St 19138 10th wd.
1,320 Sq. Ft. OPA#102145700
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Ashley Jackson and Kian
Jackson C.P. June Term, 2018
No. 03513 KML Law Group,
P.C.
1911-332
1613 Benner St 19149 62nd wd.
1,710 Sq. Ft. OPA#621149500
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Charles Edward Johnson Jr.
C.P. April Term, 2019 No.
02293 KML Law Group, P.C.
1911-333
1838 S 4th St 19148 1st wd.
1,062 Sq. Ft. OPA#011435900
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Michael J Bailey a/k/a Michael
J. Bailey C.P. February Term,
2018 No. 01150 Cristina L.
Connor, Esquire; Manley Deas
Kochalski, LLC
1911-334
4806 N Broad St 19141-
2108 13th wd. 3,207 Sq. Ft.
OPA#871519410 Subject to
Mortgage IMPROVEMENTS:
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Deidra L. Rockemore, in Her
Capacity as Heir of Elaine
Watson a/k/a Elaine Watson-
Straker, Deceased; Unknown
heirs, successors, assigns,
and all persons, firms, or
associations claiming right,
title, or interest from or under
Elaine Watson a/k/a Elaine
Watson-Straker, Deceased C.P.
March Term, 2019 No. 02254
Phelan Hallinan Diamond &
Jones, LLP
1911-335
2029 S Hollywood St
19145-2414 48th wd. 1,120
Sq. Ft. OPA#482391500
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Joseph Diorio C.P. March
Term, 2019 No. 02653 Phelan
Hallinan Diamond & Jones,
LLP
1911-336
3115 Levick St 19149 55th wd.
1,539 Sq. Ft. BRT#551021400
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
MELISSA R. STEDING C.P.
June Term, 2015 No. 00234
Scott A. Dietterick, Esq., and/or
Kathryn L. Mason, Esquire
SHERIFF’S SALE
1911-337
5512 Ridgewood St 19143 51st
wd. 1,067 Sq. Ft. OPA#51-3-
250500 IMPROVEMENTS:
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Sheila D. Lockwood C.P. July
Term, 2018 No. 00589 Shapiro
& DeNardo, LLC
1911-338
1300 W Rockland St
19141-2610 49th wd. 2,070
Sq. Ft. OPA#491118300
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Earlene Dupree C.P. February
Term, 2019 No. 02248 Phelan
Hallinan Diamond & Jones,
LLP
1911-339
7856 Nixon St 19128 21st wd.
3,020 Sq. Ft. OPA#212412940
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Steven F. Massa C.P. May
Term, 2018 No. 00296 Shapiro
& DeNardo, LLC
1911-340
1010 E Rittenhouse St
19138-1803 59th wd. 1,520
Sq. Ft. OPA#591115500
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Michael K. Simmons C.P.
October Term, 2016 No. 00496
Phelan Hallinan Diamond &
Jones, LLP
1911-341
3900 Ford Rd 20S 19131 52nd
wd. 0 Sq. Ft. OPA#888520310
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Eleanor Parris, Executrix of
the Estate of Charlotte Parris,
deceased C.P. March Term,
2019 No. 02403 Shapiro &
DeNardo, LLC
1911-342
2320 S Ithan St 19143-
6110 40th wd. 648 Sq.
Ft. OPA#402007600
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Crystal B. Hough; 2320 Ithan
Property Trust C.P. February
Term, 2019 No. 03037 Phelan
Hallinan Diamond & Jones,
LLP
1911-343
4448 Leiper St 19124 23rd wd.
5,000 Sq. Ft. OPA#234259000
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Terracita Seybold, Co-
Administratrix of the Estate
of Walter J. Lewis, deceased
and Nancy Lewis, Co-
Administratrix of the Estate of
Walter J. Lewis, deceased C.P.
February Term, 2019 No. 02818
Shapiro & DeNardo, LLC
1911-344
31 Hamilton Cir F/K/A, 506
N. 19th St, Unit B 19130-
3821 8th wd. 1,694 Sq. Ft.
OPA#084050785 Subject to
Mortgage IMPROVEMENTS:
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Mitchell Prensky a/k/a Mitchell
H. Prensky; Jennifer Prensky
a/k/a Jennifer L. Prensky C.P.
March Term, 2019 No. 01476
Phelan Hallinan Diamond &
Jones, LLP
1911-345
5037 Wade St 19144-2954
12th wd. 1,374 Sq. Ft.
OPA#123142500 Subject to
Mortgage IMPROVEMENTS:
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Norma Oaks C.P. March
Term, 2019 No. 00822 Phelan
Hallinan Diamond & Jones,
LLP
1911-346
3301 Ashfield Ln 19114
66th wd. 1,440 Sq.
Ft. OPA#661165000
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Lorenzo Davis C.P. April
Term, 2018 No. 00824 Phelan
Hallinan Diamond & Jones,
LLP
1911-347
2538 S Hicks St 19145-
4604 26th wd. 1,040
Sq. Ft. OPA#261202300
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Susan Cornaglia; Michael
35
SHERIFF’S SALE
Cornaglia C.P. April Term, 2015
No. 00081 Phelan Hallinan
Diamond & Jones, LLP
1911-348
1907 S 29th St 19145 48th wd.
1,450 Sq. Ft. OPA#482379300
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Vincent Digregorio C.P. March
Term, 2019 No. 00627 KML
Law Group, P.C.
1911-349
7143 Louise St 19138-
2028 10th wd. 1,504
Sq. Ft. OPA#102454900
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Minnie Glover, Individually and
in Her Capacity as Heir of Janie
Glover, Deceased; Unknown
Heirs, Successors, Assigns,
and All Persons, Firms, or
Associations Claiming Right,
Title or Interest From or
Under Janie Glover, Deceased
C.P. September Term, 2018
No. 02883 Phelan Hallinan
Diamond & Jones, LLP
1911-350
5911 Summerdale Ave
19149 53rd wd. 1,443
Sq. Ft. OPA#531239000
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Oscar E. Oquendo C.P. January
Term, 2019 No. 01851 KML
Law Group, P.C.
1911-351
2940 Elbridge St 19149 55th wd.
1,271 Sq. Ft. OPA#551025500
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Mohamed Sesay and Sebatu
Sheriff C.P. November Term,
2014 No. 02557 KML Law
Group, P.C.
1911-352
5029 Saul St 19124 62nd wd.
2,062 Sq. Ft. OPA#621460100
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Inefable Jean Baptiste a/k/a
Inefable Baptiste C.P. July
Term, 2017 No. 01452 KML
Law Group, P.C.
1911-353
361 W. Duval St 19144
59th wd. 5,741 Sq. Ft.
OPA#593120600 Subject to
Mortgage IMPROVEMENTS:
RESIDENTIAL DWELLING
Rhoda M. Toperzer C.P. March
Term, 2017 No. 00253 Joseph
R. Loverdi, Esquire
1911-354
1604 W Tioga St 19140
8th wd. Land: 2,000 Sq.
Ft.; Improvement: 2,054
Sq. Ft.; Total: 2,054 Sq.
Ft. OPA#112084300
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Levis W. Kenney, Sr., solely
as Administrator of the Estate
of Annie Clemons, deceased
C.P. April Term, 2018 No.
02438 Richard M. Squire &
Associates, LLC
1911-355
1748 N 59th St 19151 34th wd.
1,425 Sq. Ft. BRT#342157300
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL DWELLING
Andrea Nadine Ford-Tilghman,
Personal Representative of the
Estate of Mary Anna White-
Littlejohn, Deceased C.P. April
Term, 2019 No. 01164 Law
Office of Gregory Javardian,
LLC
1911-356
7371 Rugby St 19138 10th wd.
1,323 Sq. Ft. OPA#102466500
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Lisa Hunter and Nadene Hunter
C.P. November Term, 2018 No.
00954 KML Law Group, P.C.
1911-357
6614 Woodland Ave
19142 40th wd. 1,941
Sq. Ft. BRT#403150000
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL DWELLING
Any Loui C.P. January Term,
2019 No. 00916 Law Office of
Gregory Javardian, LLC
1911-358
7737 Overbrook Ave
19151 34th wd. 1,781 Sq.
36
SHERIFF’S SALE
Ft.; Improvements: 1,120
Sq. Ft. OPA#343262400
IMPROVEMENTS: ROW
W/DE GAR 2 STY MAS
Shelia Jones, in Her Capacity
as Heir of Marian J. Norfleet
a/k/a Marian Norfleet; Derrick
Maxwell, in His Capacity as
Heir of Marian J. Norfleet
a/k/a Marian Norfleet; Oliver
Maxwell, in His Capacity as
Heir of Marian J. Norfleet a/k/a
Marian Norfleet C.P. December
Term, 2018 No. 02450 Robert
Crawley, Esq.
1911-359
528 E Penn St 19144 12th wd.
1,166 Sq. Ft. BRT#121141600
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL DWELLING
Tahirah A. Barnes C.P. January
Term, 2018 No. 02283 Martha
E. Von Rosenstiel, Esq.;
Lorraine Gazzara Doyle, Esq
1911-360
133 W Washington Ln
19144 59th wd. 3,750
Sq. Ft. BRT#593089100
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL DWELLING
Flora Maclin, Administratrix of
the Estate of Maude B. Shelton,
Deceased C.P. August Term,
2015 No. 04449 Law Office of
Gregory Javardian, LLC
1911-361
139 S 61st St 19139-
3043 3rd wd. 1,200 Sq.
Ft. OPA#031171400
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Lanette Whitted, Individually
and in Her Capacity as Co-
Administratrix of the Estate
of Lillian Whitted; Zsavette
Whitted, Individually and in Her
Capacity as Co-Administratrix
of the Estate of Lillian Whitted;
Unknown heirs, successors,
assigns, and all persons, firms,
or associations claiming right,
title, or interest from or under
Lillian Whitted, Deceased C.P.
March Term, 2019 No. 03815
Phelan Hallinan Diamond &
Jones, LLP
1911-362
316 Delphine St 19120 42nd wd.
670 Sq. Ft. BRT#422264400
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL DWELLING
Robert L. Heifet C.P. January
Term, 2019 No. 01489 Law
Office of Gregory Javardian,
LLC
1911-363
2114 Carver St 19124 41st wd.
915 Sq. Ft. OPA#411046500
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Richard Kubacki C.P. June
Term, 2017 No. 01741 KML
Law Group, P.C.
1911-364
7920 Michener Ave
19150 50th wd. 1,447
Sq. Ft. OPA#501121300
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL DWELLING
Unknown heirs, successors,
assigns, and all persons, firms,
or associations claiming right,
title, or interest from or under
Patrick Gary Dean, Deceased;
Patricia Dean, in Her Capacity
as Heir of, Patrick Gary Dean,
Deceased; Patrick Dean Jr, in
His Capacity as Heir of Patrick
Gary Dean, Deceased; Derek
Dean in His Capacity as Heir
of Patrick Gary Dean, Deceased
C.P. April Term, 2018 No.
04876 Robert Flacco, Esq.
1911-365
3328 Edgemont St 19134-
5306 45th wd. 1,500
Sq. Ft. OPA#451218200
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Jennifer Bytof C.P. May
Term, 2019 No. 01456 Phelan
Hallinan Diamond & Jones,
LLP
1911-366
1740 Church Ln 19141 49th wd.
1,360 Sq. Ft. OPA#171232400
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Michael J. Brooks C.P. May
Term, 2015 No. 00715 Phelan
PGN
Philadelphia Gay News . epgn.com
SHERIFF’S SALE SHERIFF’S SALE SHERIFF’S SALE SHERIFF’S SALE SHERIFF’S SALE SHERIFF’S SALE SHERIFF’S SALE
Hallinan Diamond & Jones, I M P ROV E M E N T S : 2019 No. 01391 Shapiro & 1911-398 RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY 1911-427
LLP RESIDENTIAL Shante Brown DeNardo, LLC 1853 S Sartain St 19148 Phyllis McCowan C.P. February Unknown heirs, successors, 2318 Rhawn St 19152-
1911-367 and Kiri Gaffney C.P. May 1911-389 39th wd. Land Area: 696 Term, 2019 No. 01741 Shapiro assigns, and all persons, firms, 3316 53rd wd. 2,947
433 Saint Luke St 19140- Term, 2018 No. 01054 Stern & 2652 E Toronto St. 19134 25th Sq. Ft. BRT#394584300 & DeNardo, LLC or associations claiming right, Sq. Ft. OPA#561593400
2410 7th wd. 1,120 Sq. Eisenberg PC wd. 763 Sq. Ft. BRT#251084400 I M P ROV E M E N T S : 1911-408 title, or interest from or under I M P ROV E M E N T S :
Ft. OPA#072245800 1911-378 I M P ROV E M E N T S : RESIDENTIAL DWELLING 830 Levick St 19111 35th wd. Joseph Karwoski, Deceased, RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
I M P ROV E M E N T S : 1620 W Erie Ave 19140 13th wd. RESIDENTIAL DWELLING Carlo Altieri and Susan Altieri 2,825 Sq. Ft. BRT#353039770 Patricia Karwoski n/k/a Patricia Robert Coll; Cherrie Coll C.P.
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY 2,595 Sq. Ft. BRT#131043400 Jeffrey M. Beebe C.P. January C.P. August Term, 2017 No. I M P ROV E M E N T S : Macholl, Known Heir of Joseph February Term, 2010 No. 02435
Hector L. Almodovar C.P. April I M P ROV E M E N T S : Term, 2014 No. 02614 Martha 01413 Martha E. Von Rosenstiel, RESIDENTIAL Rudy E. Korwoski, Deceased, Kevin Phelan Hallinan Diamond &
Term, 2019 No. 02852 Phelan RESIDENTIAL REAL E. Von Rosenstiel, P.C.; Martha P.C.; Martha E. Von Rosenstiel, Drayton and Tracey L. Drayton Karwoski, Known Heir of Jones, LLP
Hallinan Diamond & Jones, ESTATE Rasool Nasir, solely E. Von Rosenstiel, Esq.; Esq.; Lorraine Gazzara Doyle, C.P. December Term, 2018 No. Joseph Karwoski, Deceased, 1911-428
LLP as Administrator of the Estate Lorraine Gazzara Doyle, Esq Esq 03204 Stern & Eisenberg PC Steven Karwoski, Known Heir 400 Fanshawe St 19111-
1911-368 of Merrill Johnson a/k/a 1911-390 1911-399 1911-409 of Joseph Karwoski, Deceased, 4608 35th wd. 2,100
11823 Colman Terr Merrill Albert Johnson a/k/a 636 E Courtland St 19120- 5416 N Water St 19120 42nd 1845 Nolan St 19138 10th wd. David J. Karwoski, Known Heir Sq. Ft. OPA#353111200
19154 66th wd. 3,515 Merrill Nasir C.P. December 4643 42nd wd. 800 Sq. wd. Land Area: 3,345 Sq. Ft.; 1,426 Sq. Ft. OPA#102228100 of Joseph Karwoski, Deceased I M P ROV E M E N T S :
Sq. Ft. BRT#662011700 Term, 2015 No. 00283 Stern & Ft. OPA#421024600 Improvement Area: 1,358 I M P ROV E M E N T S : and Jennifer Kreszswick, RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
I M P ROV E M E N T S : Eisenberg PC I M P ROV E M E N T S : Sq. Ft. OPA#421284800 RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY Known Heir of Joseph Julia Roldan; Ellen Howell C.P.
RESIDENTIAL REAL 1911-379 RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY IMPROVEMENTS: SEM/DET Wardell Gadson, Administrator Karwoski, Deceased C.P. May Term, 2018 No. 01595
ESTATE Elizabeth A. Gerney 1319 W Eleanor St Carmen M. Guzman C.P. April 3 STY FRAME Phia Hang C.P. of Estate of Renee McLaughlin, October Term, 2018 No. 04334 Phelan Hallinan Diamond &
C.P. July Term, 2018 No. 00590 19141 49th wd. 1,605 Term, 2019 No. 03142 Phelan October Term, 2018 No. 01737 Deceased C.P. April Term, 2019 Shapiro & DeNardo, LLC Jones, LLP
Stern & Eisenberg PC Sq. Ft. OPA#491107000 Hallinan Diamond & Jones, Robert Flacco, Esq No. 01484 Shapiro & DeNardo, 1911-419 1911-429
1911-369 I M P ROV E M E N T S : LLP 1911-400 LLC 6144 Webster St 19143 10776 Drumore Pl 19154-
644 S Yewdall St 19143- RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY 1911-391 5703 N 17th St 19141 17th wd. 1911-410 3rd wd. 3,316 Sq. Ft. 4105 66th wd. 1,520
2522 46th wd. 1,230 Sq. Ft. George D. Craddock C.P. 2617 Venango St 19134 45th wd. 1,632 Sq. Ft. BRT#172186700 6126 Hazel Ave 19143 3rd wd. OPA#033037400 Subject to Sq. Ft. OPA#662106000
OPA#463175000 Subject to March Term, 2016 No. 03072 1,995 Sq. Ft. OPA#871570270 I M P ROV E M E N T S : 2,250 Sq. Ft. OPA#032120700 Mortgage IMPROVEMENTS: I M P ROV E M E N T S :
Mortgage IMPROVEMENTS: Shapiro & DeNardo, LLC I M P ROV E M E N T S : RESIDENTIAL Any and All I M P ROV E M E N T S : RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY 1911-380 RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY Known and Unknown Heirs, RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY Joree Pettey C.P. May Term, Michael Levin, in His Capacity
Brian J. Williams C.P. January 3744 Bandon Dr 19154 66th wd. RIBACZONOK, INC. C.P. Executors, Adminstrators Ayanna Smith C.P. September 2016 No. 02317 Meredith H. as Devisee of Last Will and
Term, 2018 No. 00104 Phelan 1,800 Sq. Ft. BRT#663399000 January Term, 2019 No. 01028 and Devisees of the Estate of Term, 2016 No. 02586 KML Wooters, Esquire; Manley Deas Testament of Herman Levin
Hallinan Diamond & Jones, I M P ROV E M E N T S : Law Office Joseph Kelly Ramona Gordy, deceased C.P. Law Group, P.C. Kochalski, LLC a/k/a Herman N. Levin; Jeffrey
LLP RESIDENTIAL REAL 1911-392 March Term, 2019 No. 03830 1911-411 1911-420 A. Levin, in His Capacity
1911-370 ESTATE Jennine R. Avila C.P. 233 Pierce St 19148 1st wd. Stern & Eisenberg PC 2926 Elbridge St 19149 55th wd. 1230 Arch St Unit 6C a/k/a as Devisee of Last Will and
8836 Roosevelt Blvd April Term, 2018 No. 00556 700 Sq. Ft.; Improvements: 1911-401 1,268 Sq. Ft. OPA#551024800 1228-1232 Arch St, Unit 6C Testament of Herman Levin
19115 56th wd. 4,177 Stern & Eisenberg PC 980 Sq. Ft. OPA#011130200 1702 E Mayland St I M P ROV E M E N T S : 19107 5th wd. 856 Sq. Ft. a/k/a Herman N. Levin;
Sq. Ft. BRT#562464000 1911-381 IMPROVEMENTS: ROW 19138 10th wd. 1,360 RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY OPA#888038100 Subject to Unknown heirs, successors,
I M P ROV E M E N T S : 12532 Knights Terr 2 STY MASONRY Thomas Sq. Ft. OPA#102256500 Victoria E. Thornton Solely in Mortgage IMPROVEMENTS: assigns, and all persons, firms,
RESIDENTIAL Deborah 19154 66th wd. 2,389 Boland; Erin K. Hennessy C.P. I M P ROV E M E N T S : Her Capacity as Heir of Owner RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY or associations claiming right,
Campbell a/k/a Deborah Sq. Ft. BRT#663360300 April Term, 2019 No. 00003 RESIDENTIAL DWELLING Ceffron C. Thornton Deceased John Bennett C.P. December title, or interest from or under
Stevenson a/k/a Deborah I M P ROV E M E N T S : Robert Flacco Devon Kamper, in His Capacity and Ceffron C. Thornton, Jr. Term, 2018 No. 00078 Cristina Herman Levin a/k/a Herman
Stephenson and Linda Marie RESIDENTIAL REAL 1911-393 as Heir of Constance A. Kamper; Solely in His Capacity as Heir L. Connor, Esquire; Manley N. Levin, Deceased C.P. March
Wilhelm C.P. September Term, ESTATE Mohammed A. 5924 N 13th St 19141 49th wd. Ciara Kamper, in Her Capacity of Owner Ceffron C. Thornton Deas Kochalski, LLC Term, 2018 No. 02303 Phelan
2018 No. 03504 Stern & Chughtai C.P. April Term, 2016 2,368 Sq. Ft. BRT#493217300 as Heir of Constance A. Kamper; Deceased C.P. November Term, 1911-421 Hallinan Diamond & Jones,
Eisenberg PC No. 01603 Stern & Eisenberg I M P ROV E M E N T S : Unknown heirs, successors, 2018 No. 03225 KML Law 2521 S 73rd St 19142 LLP
1911-371 PC RESIDENTIAL REAL assigns, and all persons, firms, Group, P.C. 40th wd. 1,120 Sq. Ft. 1911-430
847 E. Westmoreland St 19134 1911-382 ESTATE Melvin T. Sharpe, or associations claiming right, 1911-412 OPA#404070600 Subject to 3405 W Penn St 19129 38th wd.
33rd wd. Improvement Area: 5347 Large St 19124 62nd wd. Jr., Known Heir to the Estate title, or interest from or under 111 E Mayland St a/k/a 111 Mortgage IMPROVEMENTS: 960 Sq. Ft. OPA#383021900
1,350 Sq. Ft.; Land Area: 1,376 Sq. Ft. (land area); 1,368 of Melvin T. Sharp, Karen Constance A. Kamper C.P. Mayland St 19144 59th wd. RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY I M P ROV E M E N T S :
923 Sq. Ft. OPA#331107900 Sq. Ft. (improvement area) Sharpe, Known Heir to the January Term, 2019 No. 01474 1,900 Sq. Ft. OPA#592129500 Robin Tucker C.P. December RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
I M P ROV E M E N T S : BRT#621338200 Subject to Estate of Melvin T. Sharp, Ras Citron, LLC I M P ROV E M E N T S : Term, 2013 No. 01130 Justin F. Dorothy M. Selgrath C.P. April
ROW 2 STY MASONRY; Mortgage IMPROVEMENTS: Jonathan Bennett, Known 1911-402 RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY Kobeski, Esquire; Manley Deas Term, 2015 No. 03700 Shapiro
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY ROW B/GAR 2 STY Heir to the Estate of Melvin T. 1007 Sanibel St 19116 58th wd. Travis Hamilton Sr. and Kochalski LLC & DeNardo, LLC
JDM Land Development, LLC MASONRY Donna M. Rizzo Sharp and The Unknown Heirs, 6,000 Sq. Ft. OPA#582214800 Marquita J. Hamilton C.P. May 1911-422 1911-431
C.P. February Term, 2015 No. (Deceased) C.P. January Term, Executors, and Devisees to the I M P ROV E M E N T S : Term, 2018 No. 03399 KML 5925 Charles St 19135 62nd wd. 1391 Anchor St 19124-
01164 Ryan A. Gower and 2019 No. 02428 Benjamin N. Estate of Melvin T. Sharp C.P. RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY Law Group, P.C. 2,701 Sq. Ft. OPA#622301800 1203 62nd wd. 1,192
Joseph J. Lee Hoen, Esquire August Term, 2016 No. 02357 Barbara Figard, Known Heir of 1911-413 I M P ROV E M E N T S : Sq. Ft. OPA#621071500
1911-372 1911-383 Stern & Eisenberg PC May L. Turner, Deceased, John 3411 Prima Ct 19145 26th wd. RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY I M P ROV E M E N T S :
856 E Woodlawn St 2540 W Cheltenham Ave 1911-394 H. Turner, Known Heir of May 3,026 Sq. Ft. BRT#26-2367500 Carmon R. Dixon-Rollins RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
19138 12th wd. 3,098 19150 46th wd. 3,584 5447 Cedar Ave 19143- L. Turner, Deceased, Lawrence IMPROVEMENTS: ROW W/ a/k/a Carmon R. Dixon C.P. Miguel Fuentes; Maria Victoria
Sq. Ft. BRT#122088000 Sq. Ft. BRT#882970545 1953 46th wd. 1,280 Sq. Turner, Jr., Known Heir of CAR 2.5 MASONRY Francis September Term, 2017 No. Fuentes a/k/a Maria V. Fuentes
I M P ROV E M E N T S : I M P ROV E M E N T S : Ft. PRCL#463038700 May L. Turner, Deceased and D. Punzo and Frieda L. Punzo 01333 Cristina L. Connor, C.P. January Term, 2019
RESIDENTIAL Bertha RESIDENTIAL REAL I M P ROV E M E N T S : Unknown heirs, successors, C.P. April Term, 2017 No. Esquire; Manley Deas No. 00076 Phelan Hallinan
Coleman and Antoinette ESTATE Brenton Walker RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY assigns, and all persons, firms, or 02968 Emmanuel J. Argentieri, Kochalski, LLC Diamond & Jones, LLP
Jackson C.P. August Term, and Marjorie Y. Walker C.P. Attoh Moutchia C.P. June associations claiming right, title, Esquire 1911-423 1911-432
2018 No. 02255 Stern & February Term, 2015 No. 02995 Term, 2013 No. 01568 Phelan or interest from or under May L. 1911-414 646 E Wensley St 19134- 8313 Woolston Ave 19150-
Eisenberg PC Stern & Eisenberg PC Hallinan Diamond & Jones, Turner, Deceased C.P. November 5009 N 4th St 19120 42nd wd. 1828 33rd wd. 756 Sq. 2917 50th wd. 1,140
1911-373 1911-384 LLP Term, 2018 No. 02582 Shapiro & 784 Sq. Ft. OPA#422449700 Ft. OPA#331129900 Sq. Ft. OPA#502075910
957 E. Schiller St 19134 332 Magee Ave 19111 1911-395 DeNardo, LLC I M P ROV E M E N T S : I M P ROV E M E N T S : I M P ROV E M E N T S :
33rd wd. Improvement Area: 35th wd. Land: 2,495 Sq. 5736 Chestnut St 19139 1911-403 RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
1,176 Sq. Ft.; Land Area: Ft.; Improvement: 1,320 60th wd. 1,216 Sq. 2616 S 72nd St 19153 Curtis M. Brown, II, a/k/a Michelle M. Tavani a/k/a Priscilla James C.P. May
976 Sq. Ft. OPA#331196300 Sq. Ft. BRT#353095800 Ft. OPA#604023900 40th wd. 1,093 Sq. Ft. Curtis Maurice Brown, II, Michelle Marie Torres Tavani, Term, 2017 No. 01457 Phelan
I M P ROV E M E N T S : I M P ROV E M E N T S : I M P ROV E M E N T S : OPA#404008500 Subject to Individaully and as Executor in Her Capacity as Executrix Hallinan Diamond & Jones,
ROW 2 STY MASONRY; RESIDENTIAL REAL RESIDENTIAL DWELLING Mortgage IMPROVEMENTS: of the Estate of Curtis Brown, and Devisee of The Estate of LLP
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY ESTATE Steven J. Campbell Donald T. Hightower a/k/a RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY deceased C.P. September Term, Aracelis Torres; Angel Torres, 1911-433
JDM Land Development, LLC C.P. October Term, 2016 No. Donald T. Weatherly, in His James R. Jackson, a/k/a James 2018 No. 01356 Shapiro & in His Capacity as Devisee 6214 Wheeler St 19142-
C.P. February Term, 2015 No. 04036 Stern & Eisenberg PC Capacity as Heir of Helen H. Jackson C.P. December Term, DeNardo, LLC of The Estate of Aracelis 2914 40th wd. 1,116 Sq. Ft.
01163 Ryan A. Gower and 1911-385 Weatherly; Michael Hightower, 2018 No. 00084 Meredith H. 1911-415 Torres C.P. June Term, 2019 OPA#402185600 Subject to
Joseph J. Lee 438 W Somerville Ave in His Capacity as Heir of Helen Wooters, Esquire; Manley Deas 7317 Palmetto St 19111 56th No. 05348 Phelan Hallinan Mortgage IMPROVEMENTS:
1911-374 19120 42nd wd. 1,980 H. Weatherly; Unknown heirs, Kochalski, LLC wd. 2,908 Sq. Ft. OPA#56-1- Diamond & Jones, LLP RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
6626 Horrocks St 19140 Sq. Ft. BRT#422276800 successors, assigns, and all 1911-404 0111-00 IMPROVEMENTS: 1911-424 Helen Beyer C.P. February
54th wd. 1,279 Sq. I M P ROV E M E N T S : persons, firms, or associations 527 W Rockland St RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY 335 E Cliveden St 19119 Term, 2019 No. 00732 Phelan
Ft. BRT#541231700 RESIDENTIAL Robert Lee claiming right, title, or interest 19120 49th wd. 1,275 Edgar Laboy, Jr. C.P. March 22nd wd. 2,699 Sq. Hallinan Diamond & Jones,
I M P ROV E M E N T S : Jones C.P. May Term, 2017 No. from or under Helen H. Sq. Ft. OPA#491120900 Term, 2019 No. 02559 Shapiro Ft. OPA#221049200 LLP
RESIDENTIAL Elizabeth 03569 Stern & Eisenberg PC Weatherly C.P. January Term, I M P ROV E M E N T S : & DeNardo, LLC I M P ROV E M E N T S : 1911-434
Cristobal C.P. May Term, 2016 1911-386 2019 No. 00844 RAS Citron, RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY 1911-416 RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY 833 Corinthian Ave 19130-
No. 04053 Stern & Eisenberg 3520 Churchill Ln LLC; Robert Flacco, Esq Bethzaida Ruiz and Wilfredo 937 N 50th St 19131 44th wd. Vance Wright, a/k/a Vance L. 1415 15th wd. 1,276
PC 19114 66th wd. 1,989 1911-396 Vargas C.P. March Term, 2019 1,870 Sq. Ft. OPA#442225100 Wright C.P. December Term, Sq. Ft. OPA#151101400
1911-375 Sq. Ft. OPA#661170300 417 W George St 19123 No. 02567 Shapiro & DeNardo, I M P ROV E M E N T S : 2018 No. 00079 Cristina L. I M P ROV E M E N T S :
821 E. Westmoreland St 19134 I M P ROV E M E N T S : 5th wd. 1,054 Sq. Ft. LLC RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY Connor, Esquire; Manley Deas RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
33rd wd. Improvement Area: RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY OPA#057200400 Subject to 1911-405 Gary H. Jenkins C.P. October Kochalski, LLC Andrea Aldridge a/k/a Andrea
1,350 Sq. Ft.; Land Area: Kevin Fallon and Erin Fallon Mortgage IMPROVEMENTS: 1203 S Edgewood St 19143 3rd Term, 2018 No. 02337 Shapiro 1911-425 Edmonds, in Her Capacity
900 Sq. Ft. OPA#331106600 C.P. February Term, 2019 No. RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY wd. 960 Sq. Ft. OPA#033216500 & DeNardo, LLC 8141 Lister St 19152 64th wd. as Executrix and Devisee
I M P ROV E M E N T S : 00494 Shapiro & DeNardo, Edwardo Roman; Carmen I M P ROV E M E N T S : 1911-417 2,979 Sq. Ft. OPA#641094900 of the Estate of Glennie M.
ROW 2 STY MASONRY; LLC Roman, as Administrator to the RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY 3086 1/2 Ruth St 19134 25th wd. I M P ROV E M E N T S : Aldridge; Royzell Aldridge,
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY 1911-387 Estate of Luciano Roman, Sr.; Malesa Ramseur C.P. March 784 Sq. Ft. OPA#252567100 RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY in His Capacity as Devisee
JDM Land Development, LLC 721 Arnold St 19111 63rd wd. Luciano Roman, Jr., Known Term, 2019 No. 03810 Shapiro I M P ROV E M E N T S : Kaitlyn Kern, as Administratrix of the Estate of Glennie M.
C.P. February Term, 2015 No. 2,845 Sq. Ft. OPA#632014400 Heir of Luciano Roman, Sr.; & DeNardo, LLC RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY to the Estate of George Aldridge C.P. April Term, 2019
00997 Ryan A. Gower and I M P ROV E M E N T S : Richard Roman, Known Heir 1911-406 Norma Rentas and Unknown Kern C.P. November Term, No. 00338 Phelan Hallinan
Joseph J. Lee RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY of Luciano Roman, Sr. C.P. 827 Almond St 19125 18th wd. heirs, successors, assigns, 2018 No. 01081 Cristina L. Diamond & Jones, LLP
1911-376 Paula Agard a/k/a Paula Fein- June Term, 2015 No. 03805 756 Sq. Ft. BRT#181414900 and all persons, firms, or Connor, Esquire; Manley Deas 1911-435
5939 N 3rd st 19120 61st wd. Agard, Executrix of the Estate Meredith H. Wooters, Esquire; IMPROVEMENTS: ROW 3 associations claiming right, Kochalski, LLC 1958 Goodnaw St 19115
1,233 Sq. Ft. OPA#612389500 of Arline Rasper, deceased Manley Deas Kochalski, LLC STY MASONRY Margarete title, or under Providencia 1911-426 56th wd. 3,214 Sq.
I M P ROV E M E N T S : C.P. November Term, 2018 No. 1911-397 Almashaqbeh, Eugene J. Delbrey, Deceased C.P. 1543 E Hunting Park Ave Ft. BRT#562293300
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY 02584 Shapiro & DeNardo, 4521 N Broad St 19140 39th wd. Robinson, Deceased, and November Term, 2018 No. 19124 33rd wd. 1,378 I M P ROV E M E N T S :
Christina R. Guiden C.P. LLC 1,037 Sq. Ft.; Improvements: Patricia Robinson, Deceased C.P. 02537 Shapiro & DeNardo, Sq. Ft. OPA#332084800 RESIDENTIAL DWELLING
December Term, 2018 No. 1911-388 1,431 Sq. Ft. OPA#491540200 October Term, 2014 No. 03002 LLC I M P ROV E M E N T S : Dominick DeSimone in His
01502 Shapiro & DeNardo, 1018 Rosalie St 19149 35th wd. IMPROVEMENTS: ROW Milstead & Associates, LLC 1911-418 RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY Capacity as Heir of Theresa
LLC 1,184 Sq. Ft. OPA#352030800 CONV/APT3 STY MASONRY 1911-407 4314 Shelmire Ave Rebecca I. Cintron C.P. July A. Martin, Deceased, Helen
1911-377 I M P ROV E M E N T S : Debbie McElveen C.P. August 7200 Dicks Ave 19153 40th wd. 19136 41st wd. 1,088 Term, 2017 No. 01456 Cristina DeSimone in Her Capacity
727 S Cecil St 19143 46th wd. RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY Term, 2011 No. 01514 Robert 1,168 Sq. Ft. OPA#404335900 Sq. Ft. OPA#412219700 L. Connor, Esquire; Manley as Heir of Theresa A. Martin,
960 Sq. Ft. BRT#463267800 Troy Small C.P. January Term, Crawley I M P ROV E M E N T S : I M P ROV E M E N T S : Deas Kochalski, LLC Deceased, Mary Marciante in
OCTOBER 25-31, 2019
PGN
37

SHERIFF’S SALE
Her Capacity as Heir of Theresa
A. Martin, Deceased, Theresa
Del Gaiso in Her Capacity as
Heir of Theresa A. Martin,
Deceased Mortgagor and Real
Owner and Unknown heirs,
successors, assigns, and all
persons, firms, or associations
claiming right, title, or interest
from or under Theresa A.
Martin, Deceased Mortgagor
and Real Owner C.P. August
Term, 2018 No. 02997 Martha
E. Von Rosenstiel, P.C.; Martha
E. Von Rosenstiel, Esq.;
Lorraine Gazzara Doyle, Esq
1911-436
233 Stearly St 19111 35th wd.
1,215 Sq. Ft. OPA#352172400
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Nasonya T. Nock C.P. August
Term, 2018 No. 02213 Shapiro
& DeNardo, LLC
1911-437
3021 Hellerman St
19149 55th wd. 1,777
Sq. Ft. OPA#551049100
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
David J. McBride a/k/a David
McBride C.P. December Term,
2018 No. 01110 Shapiro &
DeNardo, LLC
1911-438
578 Rector St 19128 21st wd.
2,939 Sq. Ft. OPA#213138800
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Hedy Altschuler C.P. October
Term, 2018 No. 04283 Shapiro
& DeNardo, LLC
1911-439
1529 E Duval St 19138 10th wd.
2,250 Sq. Ft. OPA#102292000
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Cherise L. Mercer C.P.
November Term, 2018 No.
01084 Shapiro & DeNardo,
LLC
1911-440
5730 Greys Ave 19143 40th wd.
1,260 Sq. Ft. OPA#402155726
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Bobby E. Lowe, Individually
and as Trustee for Mother’s
Life Estate and Lillian Lowe
Davis a/k/a Lillian Davis C.P.
December Term, 2016 No.
02747 Shapiro & DeNardo,
LLC
1911-441
1912 S 5th St 19148 39th wd.
1,108 Sq. Ft. BRT#392284600
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL REAL
ESTATE Vance Cooper C.P.
June Term, 2018 No. 01172
Stern & Eisenberg PC
1911-442
9330 Tulip St 19114 41st wd.
(formerly 23rd wd.) 7,500
Sq. Ft. of land with 1,582
Sq. Ft. of improvements
OPA#652392100 Subject to
Mortgage IMPROVEMENTS:
RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURE
A and S Property Preservation
Specialist, LLC C.P. February
Term, 2019 No. 02779 Oleg
Sokolov, Esq.; Sokolov Law,
P.C.
1911-443
3218-20 W. Cheltenham Ave
19150 50th wd. Land: 1,890
Sq. Ft.; Improvement: 1,413
Sq. Ft. BRT#775107505
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL REAL
ESTATE Reginald Covington
C.P. November Term, 2017 No.
001730 Stern & Eisenberg PC
1911-444
1420 Locust St, Unit No.
36G 19102 8th wd. 789
Sq. Ft. OPA#888080857
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Bruce S. Marks, Administrator
of the Estate of Irvin Schwartz,
deceased C.P. February Term,
2019 No. 02193 Shapiro &
DeNardo, LLC
1911-445
35 W Rockland St
19144 12th wd. 1,431
Sq. Ft. BRT#123037500
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
SHERIFF’S SALE
RESIDENTIAL Cora Lee
Blackson and Paul Blackson
C.P. January Term, 2018 No.
02709 Stern & Eisenberg PC
1911-446
7504 Beverly Rd 19138 50th wd.
1,360 Sq. Ft. OPA#501364700
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Andrea C. Strothers C.P. June
Term, 2017 No. 02656 KML
Law Group, P.C.
1911-447
1924 E Atlantic
19134 45th wd. 1,080
Sq. Ft. OPA#452130100
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Catalina M. Monteiro C.P. July
Term, 2016 No. 03271 Shapiro
& DeNardo, LLC
1911-448
630 Marlyn Rd 19151-
3841 34th wd. 1,110
Sq. Ft. OPA#344277100
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Charlene A. Hodges, in Her
Capacity as Heir of Charles A.
Hodges, Deceased; Unknown
heirs, successors, assigns,
and all persons, firms, or
associations claiming right,
title, or interest from or under
Charles A. Hodges, Deceased
C.P. July Term, 2018 No. 03127
Phelan Hallinan Diamond &
Jones, LLP
1911-449
747 E Thayer St 19134 33rd wd.
825 Sq. Ft. BRT#331150100
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL Elba
Dones a/k/a Elba Inez Rivera
individually and as trustee for
Rosa Alida-Nunez and Orisa-
Carida Lara and Tomas Lara
C.P. December Term, 2018 No.
03103 Stern & Eisenberg PC
1911-450
5718 Woodbine Ave 19131-
2221 52nd wd. 1,805
Sq. Ft. OPA#522172300
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Herman Davis, Jr.
November Term, 2017 No.
00614 Phelan Hallinan
Diamond & Jones, LLP
1911-451
2304 Amber St 19125 31st wd.
1,674 Sq. Ft. OPA#311124900
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
James Wilson a/k/a James J.
Wilson C.P. April Term, 2019
No. 00341 KML Law Group,
P.C.
1911-452
440 Glen Echo
19119 22nd wd. 2,884
Sq. Ft. BRT#223167200
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL Tanika Davis
C.P. December Term, 2017 No.
03051 Stern & Eisenberg PC
1911-453
668 Wendover St 19128 21st wd.
1,473 Sq. Ft. OPA#213121100
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Frank Shindel a/k/a Frank H.
Shindel C.P. January Term,
2019 No. 01214 KML Law
Group, P.C.
1911-454
526 E Gorgas Ln 19119
22nd wd. 5,793
Ft. OPA#222110100
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Willie J. Allen and Donna P.
Allen C.P. June Term, 2017 No.
02226 KML Law Group, P.C.
1911-455
7815 Woolston
19150 50th wd. 1,152
Sq. Ft. OPA#502066700
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Carolyn C. Carson C.P.
February Term, 2019 No. 00188
KML Law Group, P.C.
1911-456
349 Van Kirk St 19120 35th wd.
1,185 Sq. Ft. OPA#352108900
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
April L. Anderson C.P. April
Term, 2019 No. 00340 KML
SHERIFF’S SALE
Law Group, P.C.
1911-457
963 Allengrove St 19124
23rd wd. 1,408 Sq.
Ft. OPA#233044800
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Ana L. Vargas and Marcos O.
Vargas C.P. August Term, 2017
No. 03162 KML Law Group,
P.C.
1911-458
4606 Mckinley St 19135
St 41st wd. 2,025 Sq.
Ft. OPA#411157300
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Maxine H. Reed C.P. April
Term, 2019 No. 03998 KML
Law Group, P.C.
1911-459
5307 N 12th St 19141 49th wd.
2,105 Sq. Ft. BRT#493115500
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL DWELLING
Floyd Williams C.P. August
Term, 2018 No. 01122 Martha
E. Von Rosenstiel, P.C.; Martha
E. Von Rosenstiel, Esq.;
Lorraine Gazzara Doyle, Esq
1911-460
6725 Marsden St 19135 41st wd.
2,075 Sq. Ft. BRT#412383800
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL DWELLING
Ingrid Rodriguez C.P. May
Term, 2018 No. 03552 Martha
E. Von Rosenstiel, P.C.; Martha
E. Von Rosenstiel, Esq.;
Lorraine Gazzara Doyle, Esq
1911-461
1446 N Vodges St 19131 4th wd.
I. 757 Sq. Ft. OPA#041324300
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Damar Alston Solely in His
Capacity as Heir of Doris
Alston Deceased, Lefere Alston
Solely in Her Capacity as Heir
of Doris Alston Deceased,
Tyrone Alston Solely in His
Capacity as Heir of Doris
Alston Deceased, Darnice B.
Alston Solely in Her Capacity
as Heir of Doris Alston
C.P. Deceased, Samuel E. Alston
Solely in His Capacity as Heir
of Doris Alston Deceased,
Lucreatia G. Alston Solely
in Her Capacity as Heir of
Doris Alston Deceased and
Valerie Kim Alston Solely
in Her Capacity as Heir of
Doris Alston Deceased C.P.
December Term, 2018 No.
03771 KML Law Group, P.C.
1911-462
1826 E Lippincott St
19134 25th wd. 833 Sq.
Rd Ft. BRT#252269600
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL DWELLING
Nilda Gonzalez C.P. June Term,
2018 No. 02063 Law Office of
Gregory Javardian, LLC
1911-463
1247 Orthodox St 19124-
3132 23rd wd. 1,266
Sq. Ft. OPA#234063100
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Elease Gindraw C.P. April
Term, 2018 No. 05047 Phelan
Hallinan Diamond & Jones,
LLP
1911-464
1739 Page St a/k/a 1739 W
Sq. Page St 19121 32nd wd. 1,268
Sq. Ft. BRT#321162022
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL DWELLING
Beverly J. Brooks a/k/a Beverly
J. Tyler-Brooks C.P. June Term,
2018 No. 01306 Law Office of
Gregory Javardian, LLC
Ave 1911-465
5752 N 6th St 19120-
2202 61st wd. 1,268 Sq.
Ft. OPA#612274000
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
David Emmanuel Tresilus
C.P. November Term, 2018
No. 01101 Phelan Hallinan
Diamond & Jones, LLP
1911-466
1200 Medary Ave a/k/a 6242
N 12th St 19141 49th wd.
Land Area: 4,116 Sq. Ft.;
Improvement Area: 3,440
SHERIFF’S SALE
Sq. Ft. OPA#493054100
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL DWELLING
Cynthia N. Devore a/k/a
Cynthia Devore a/k/a Cytnthia
N. Devore a/k/a Cynthian N.
Devore; John D. Devore III,
a/k/a John D. Devore, 3rd C.P.
February Term, 2019 No. 02617
RAS Citron, LLC; Robert
Flacco, Esq.
1911-467
3850 Woodhaven Rd #504
19154 66th wd. 1,133 Sq. Ft.
OPA#888660298 Subject to
Mortgage IMPROVEMENTS:
RES CONDO 2 STY MAS
OTH Timothy Langan C.P. May
Term, 2018 No. 03308 Gregory
B. Nalencz
1911-468
6301 Alma St 19149
53rd wd. 1,320 Sq. Ft.
BRT#531340200 Subject to
Mortgage IMPROVEMENTS:
RESIDENTIAL DWELLING
James A. Washington, IV C.P.
October Term, 2018 No. 00967
Thomas A Capehart, Esquire
1911-469
7929 Buist Ave a/k/a 7929
Buist Ave 19153 40th wd.
1,791 Sq. Ft. BRT#405755915
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL DWELLING
Joyce S. Barbour a/k/a Joyce
Barbour C.P. April Term, 2019
No. 03501 Powers Kirn, LLC
1911-470
526 Wartman St 19128-
3237 21st wd. 1,110 Sq. Ft.
OPA#214028400 Subject to
Mortgage IMPROVEMENTS:
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Joseph R. Levin C.P. April
Term, 2019 No. 00551 Phelan
Hallinan Diamond & Jones,
LLP
1911-471
115 E Roumfort Rd, Unit
13 19119 9th wd. 1,546
Sq. Ft. OPA#88-8-2001-
66 IMPROVEMENTS:
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Karen Brown C.P. November
Term, 2018 No. 01432 Shapiro
& DeNardo, LLC
1911-472
2542 E Somerset St 19134-
4743 25th wd. 1,150
Sq. Ft. OPA#251005500
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Kenneth Mcmillan; Barbara
Mcmillan C.P. March Term,
2019 No. 01227 Phelan
Hallinan Diamond & Jones,
LLP
1911-473
884 N 66th St 19151-
3023 34th wd. 1,260
Sq. Ft. OPA#344373800
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Michael C. Nze C.P. June
Term, 2019 No. 06294 Phelan
Hallinan Diamond & Jones,
LLP
1911-474
2002 Hart Ln 19134-
4018 25th wd. 1,060
Sq. Ft. OPA#252047800
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Aisha Nguyen; Hong K.
Tran, in Her Capacity as Heir
of Hung P. Tran, Deceased;
Unknown heirs, successors,
assigns, and all persons, firms,
or associations claiming right,
title, or interest from or under
Hung P. Tran, Deceased C.P.
April Term, 2018 No. 00233
Phelan Hallinan Diamond &
Jones, LLP
1911-475
805 Lawler St 19116-
3435 58th wd. 1,224
Sq. Ft. OPA#582100300
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Kevin Walsh a/k/a Kevin M.
Walsh; Marci Walsh a/k/a
Marci A. Walsh C.P. November
Term, 2018 No. 00029 Phelan
Hallinan Diamond & Jones,
LLP
1911-476
400 Daly St 19148-
5703 39th wd. 1,568
SHERIFF’S SALE SHERIFF’S SALE
Sq. Ft. OPA#392148800 No. 01626 Hladik, Onorato &
I M P ROV E M E N T S : Federman, LLP
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY 1911-487
Hung C. Vuong a/k/a Hung 4407 Driftwood Dr #94
Vuong C.P. April Term, 2019 19129-1783 88th wd. 1,827
No. 03497 Phelan Hallinan Sq. Ft. OPA#888380117
Diamond & Jones, LLP I M P ROV E M E N T S :
1911-477 RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
1046 E Howell St 19149 35th Olanrewaju Sanni C.P.
wd. 928 Sq. Ft. OPA#352129200 December Term, 2018 No.
I M P ROV E M E N T S : 03437 Phelan Hallinan
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY Diamond & Jones, LLP
Franklin A. Bennett III 1911-488
and Jaime L. Waisner C.P. 825 S 13th St 19147-2635
September Term, 2013 No. 2nd wd. 1,540 Sq. Ft.
00198 KML Law Group, P.C. OPA#022330400 Subject to
1911-478 Mortgage IMPROVEMENTS:
1019 S. Chadwick St 19146 RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
30th wd. Improvement Area: Pasquale Digiulio, Jr. C.P. July
896 Sq. Ft.; Land Area: 800 Term, 2016 No. 02920 Phelan
Sq. Ft. OPA#301316500 Hallinan Diamond & Jones,
I M P ROV E M E N T S : LLP
ROW 2 STY MASONRY; 1911-489
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY 5413 Gainor Rd 19131-
Michelle Brown, in Her 1329 52nd wd. 2,296
Capacity as Known Heir of Sq. Ft. OPA#522105800
the Estate of Robert Brown I M P ROV E M E N T S :
a/k/a Akram Arif, deceased; RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Claudia Brown in her capacity Jacqueline Bentley C.P.
as known heir of the Estate of October Term, 2017 No. 00597
Robert Brown a/k/a Akram Phelan Hallinan Diamond &
Arif, deceased; The Estate of Jones, LLP
Robert Brown a/k/a Akram 1911-490
Arif, deceased C.P. September 6717 Cinnamon Dr 19128-
Term, 2018 No. 02228 Ryan A. 4550 21st wd. 1,920 Sq.
Gower & Joseph J. Lee Ft. OPA#212473731
1911-479 I M P ROV E M E N T S :
1630-1690 Welsh Rd, Unit RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
32D 19115 56th wd. 0 Andrew C. Stopani a/k/a
Sq. Ft. OPA#888561562 Andrew Stopani C.P. December
IMPROVEMENTS: RES Term, 2016 No. 01918 Phelan
CONDO 2.5 STY MASONRY Hallinan Diamond & Jones,
Michael Chilin and Juliett LLP
Barzilayev C.P. August Term, 1911-491
2016 No. 03263 Patrick J. 8001 Mars Pl 19153-
Wesner, Esquire 1111 40th wd. 1,290
1911-480 Sq. Ft. OPA#405882627
815 Piermont St 19116 I M P ROV E M E N T S :
58th wd. 8,211 Sq. Ft. RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
BRT#582217900 Subject to Robin P. Holcombe C.P. July
Mortgage IMPROVEMENTS: Term, 2018 No. 00028 Phelan
RESIDENTIAL DWELLING Hallinan Diamond & Jones,
Kelly A. Longacre-Sowa and LLP
Dwayne Sowa C.P. July Term, 1911-492
2018 No. 02216 Loren L. 7063 Forrest Ave 19138-
Speziale, Esquire 2005 10th wd. 1,394
1911-481 Sq. Ft. OPA#102533700
926 Marcella St 19124 35th wd. I M P ROV E M E N T S :
1,078 Sq. Ft. OPA#351123600 RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
I M P ROV E M E N T S : Valestine M. Wilson C.P. July
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY Term, 2018 No. 03516 Phelan
Alan K. Lux C.P. February Hallinan Diamond & Jones,
Term, 2017 No. 07629 KML LLP
Law Group, P.C. 1911-493
1911-482 6175 Lebanon Ave 19151-
316 W Fisher Ave a/k/a 316 W 3231 34th wd. 1,342
Fishers Ave 19120 42nd wd. Sq. Ft. OPA#342131300
1,290 Sq. Ft. OPA#422248000 I M P ROV E M E N T S :
I M P ROV E M E N T S : RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY Keenya Chandler C.P. April
David Roman C.P. April Term, Term, 2019 No. 04360 Phelan
2017 No. 02243 KML Law Hallinan Diamond & Jones,
Group, P.C. LLP
1911-483 1911-494
5172-74 Whitaker Ave 2671 Elbridge St 19149
19124 23rd wd. 3,186 62nd wd. 2,026 Sq.
Sq. Ft. OPA#233077800 Ft. OPA#621302900
I M P ROV E M E N T S : I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
James F. Wilkins III a/k/a James Francis Lee C.P. October Term,
F. Witkins III C.P. January 2015 No. 00817 Meredith H.
Term, 2018 No. 01896 KML Wooters, Esquire; Manley Deas
Law Group, P.C. Kochalski, LLC
1911-484 1911-495
10864 Modena Dr 19154- 585 Allengrove St 19120
3916 66th wd. 1,974 35th wd. 1,716 Sq.
Sq. Ft. OPA#662055600 Ft. OPA#351086468
I M P ROV E M E N T S : I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL DWELLING RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
John A. Kettell; United States Anita Jackson a/k/a Anita
of America C.P. July Term, M. Jackson C.P. April Term,
2018 No. 00030 RAS Citron, 2019 No. 02333 Meredith H.
LLC; Robert Flacco, Esq Wooters, Esquire; Manley Deas
1911-485 Kochalski, LLC
1501 S Stanley St 19146-3523 1911-496
36th wd. 96 Sq. Ft. OPA#87- 8277 Thouron Ave
1-5504-60 IMPROVEMENTS: 19150 50th wd. 2,160
ATTACHED SINGLE FAMILY Sq. Ft. OPA#502176100
RESIDENTIAL Lewis Real I M P ROV E M E N T S :
Estate Development, LLC C.P. RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
October Term, 2018 No. 02919 Wanda Trout, Executrix of
Hladik, Onorato & Federman, the Estate of George Pop, Jr.,
LLP Deceased C.P. January Term,
1911-486 2018 No. 01386 Meredith H.
6831 Lindbergh Blvd 19142 Wooters, Esquire; Manley Deas
40th wd. 1,731 Sq. Ft. OPA#40- Kochalski, LLC
6-5558-00 IMPROVEMENTS: 1911-497
ATTACHED RESIDENTIAL 1152 S 10th St 19147 2nd wd.
DWELLING Anwar Pasha 1,856 Sq. Ft. OPA#021548700
C.P. November Term, 2018 I M P ROV E M E N T S :
SHERIFF’S SALE SHERIFF’S SALE
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY assigns, and all persons, firms,
Harold Evans, a/k/a Harold or associations claiming right,
A. Evans C.P. August Term, title, or interest from or under
2018 No. 03198 Meredith H. Mable R. Cox a/k/a Mabel R.
Wooters, Esquire; Manley Deas Cox C.P. December Term, 2018
Kochalski, LLC No. 03161 Robert Flacco, Esq.
1911-498 1911-509
4226 Ormond St 19124 33rd wd. 1432 N 60th St 19151 34th wd.
810 Sq. Ft. OPA#332535100 1,162 Sq. Ft. OPA#342208400
I M P ROV E M E N T S : I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Lapina Jamison a/k/a Lapena Kim Lindsay C.P. May Term,
Jamison C.P. October Term, 2015 No. 02492 KML Law
2017 No. 03612 KML Law Group, P.C.
Group, P.C. 1911-510
1911-499 2217 W Berks St 19121 48th
507 N 65th St 19151 34th wd. wd. ROW 3 STY MASONRY;
1,140 Sq. Ft. OPA#343115900 1,690 Sq. Ft. BRT#322231600
I M P ROV E M E N T S : I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY RESIDENTIAL DWELLING
Ayayi A. Ajavon a/k/a Ayayi Ariel Christina Pennick C.P.
Ajavon C.P. December Term, January Term, 2015 No. 01965
2015 No. 01885 KML Law McCabe, Weisberg, & Conway,
Group, P.C. LLC
1911-500 1911-511
3005 S 74th St 19153 40th wd. 4327 Manayunk Ave
1,797 Sq. Ft. OPA#406637800 19128 21st wd. 2,020
I M P ROV E M E N T S : Sq. Ft. BRT#212136700
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY I M P ROV E M E N T S :
Caryn Dempsey a/k/a Caryn RESIDENTIAL Henry J.
Whittington C.P. February McGuigan and Kendra S.
Term, 2018 No. 03149 KML McGuigan C.P. October Term,
Law Group, P.C. 2018 No. 03154 Stern &
1911-501 Eisenberg PC
2824 Walnut Hill St 1911-512
19152 57th wd. 5,324 7921 Ditman St 19136 65th wd.
Sq. Ft. OPA#571073307 1,172 Sq. Ft. BRT#651250000
I M P ROV E M E N T S : I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY RESIDENTIAL Nancy
Debbie L. Edwards C.P. Hughes a/k/a Nancy J.
February Term, 2018 No. 02915 Hughes, individually and as
KML Law Group, P.C. Administratrix of the Estate
1911-502 of John H. Dillon, Jr. a/k/a
1718 N 59th St 19151 34th wd. John H. Dillon and All Known
1,520 Sq. Ft. OPA#342155800 and Unknown Heirs, Personal
I M P ROV E M E N T S : Representatives, and Devisees
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY of the Estate of John H. Dillon,
Cheryl Burton C.P. April Term, Jr. a/k/a John H. Dillon C.P.
2018 No. 03798 KML Law March Term, 2019 No. 02249
Group, P.C. Stern & Eisenberg PC
1911-503 1911-513
7215 Ogontz Ave 19138- 4243 Elsinore St 19124 33rd wd.
1303 50th wd. 1,888 1,247 Sq. Ft. BRT#332221000
Sq. Ft. OPA#501305200 IMPROVEMENTS: ROW B/
IMPROVEMENTS: SINGLE GAR 2 STY MASONRY Carl
FAMILY RESIDENTIAL Lee and Linda Lee C.P. March
DWELLING Barbara E. Adams Term, 2016 No. 00983 Milstead
a/k/a Barbara E. Brown C.P. & Associates, LLC
October Term, 2017 No. 02956 1911-514
Hladik, Onorato & Federman, 500 W Duncannon Ave
LLP 19120 49th wd. 2,072
1911-504 Sq. Ft. BRT#492018900
5205 Church Rd 19131 52nd wd. I M P ROV E M E N T S :
708 Sq. Ft. BRT#521212900 RESIDENTIAL Sonja N.
I M P ROV E M E N T S : Drummond C.P. April Term,
RESIDENTIAL REAL 2019 No. 02388 Stern &
ESTATE Marie Wilkins Eisenberg PC
Walker and Yvonne Martin 1911-515
C.P. November Term, 2011 No. 2108 N Wanamaker St
00096 Stern & Eisenberg PC 19131 52nd wd. 1,293
1911-505 Sq. Ft. BRT#522234300
356 Fairway Ter 19128- IMPROVEMENTS: ROW
4615 21st wd. 906 Sq. B/GAR 2 STY MASONRY
Ft. OPA#212282400 Michael Coates a/k/a Michael
I M P ROV E M E N T S : F. Coates and Deneen Page C.P.
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY March Term, 2019 No. 00632
James M. Donnelly C.P. March Milstead & Associates, LLC
Term, 2019 No. 03447 Phelan 1911-516
Hallinan Diamond & Jones, 1618 W Ruscomb St 19141 17th
LLP wd. ROW 2 STY MASONRY;
1911-506 1,710 Sq. Ft. BRT#171044500
3572 Miller St 19134- I M P ROV E M E N T S :
5407 45th wd. 715 Sq. RESIDENTIAL DWELLING
Ft. OPA#451359100 Princess Holland, Known
I M P ROV E M E N T S : Surviving Heir of Walter L.
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY Holland, Ronald Holland,
Charlene E. Rosenberg C.P. Known Surviving Heir of
March Term, 2017 No. 02342 Walter L. Holland, and
Phelan Hallinan Diamond & Unknown Surviving Heirs
Jones, LLP of Walter L. Holland C.P.
1911-507 February Term, 2018 No. 00459
551 E Cambria St 19134 7th McCabe, Weisberg, & Conway,
wd. Land Area: 1,269 Sq. Ft.; LLC
Improvement Area: 3,400 Sq. 1911-517
Ft. OPA#871600305 Subject to 6551 N Lambert St
Mortgage IMPROVEMENTS: 19138 10th wd. 1,134
DWELLING Drew M. Hofman Sq. Ft. BRT#102083700
et. Al C.P. September Term, I M P ROV E M E N T S :
2013 No. 02154 Richard L. RESIDENTIAL REAL
Vanderslice, Esquire ESTATE Bobbie E. Williams
1911-508 C.P. August Term, 2018 No.
5532 Market St 19139 60th 02977 Stern & Eisenberg PC
wd. Land Area: 1,875 Sq. Ft.; 1911-518
Improvement Area: 1,396 1904 Stanwood St 19152
Sq. Ft. OPA#604001300 56th wd. SEMI/DET 2
IMPROVEMENTS: ROW 2 STY MASONRY; 1,512
STY MASONRY William Cox, Sq. Ft. BRT#562044500
in His Capacity as Heir of Mable I M P ROV E M E N T S :
R. Cox a/k/a Mabel R. Cox; RESIDENTIAL DWELLING
Unknown heirs, successors, Jose W. Cruz and Lisa M. Cruz
38 PGN
Philadelphia Gay News . epgn.com

SHERIFF’S SALE
C.P. March Term, 2019 No.
02252 McCabe, Weisberg, &
Conway, LLC
1911-519
3923 Brown St 19104 24th wd.
1,600 Sq. Ft. BRT#243122500
IMPROVEMENTS: ROW
3 STY MASONRY Richard
Wilson C.P. April Term,
2018 No. 01435 Milstead &
Associates, LLC
1911-520
5963 Woodcrest Ave 19131 50th
wd. Residential Row 2 Story
Masonry OPA#522165000
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
ERECTED THEREON William
K. Bradwell and Carla Hooks
Bradwell C.P. December Term,
2018 No. 03300 Christina J.
Pross, Esquire
1911-521
2285 Bryn Mawr Ave
19131 52nd wd. (formerly
part of 34th wd.) 37,500
Sq. Ft. BRT#521266700
I M P ROV E M E N T S :
RESIDENTIAL DWELLING
SHERIFF’S SALE SHERIFF’S SALE SHERIFF’S SALE SHERIFF’S SALE SHERIFF’S SALE SHERIFF’S SALE SHERIFF’S SALE
Tarani A. Johnson C.P. April III, Esquire, Personal RESIDENTIAL DWELLING 1911-529 Progressus, LLC C.P. April 45th wd. 3,232 Sq. 1911-535B
Term, 2010 No. 01188 Powers Representative of the Estate of Corey J. Brown C.P. February 315 S Camac St 19107 Term, 2019 No. 00077 Warren Ft. OPA#453351500 8019 Castor Ave, Unit B
Kirn, LLC Willie L. Irby a/k/a Willie Lee Term, 2019 No. 03047 McCabe, 7th wd. 1,720 Sq. Ft. S. Wolf, Esquire; Goldberg & I M P ROV E M E N T S : 19152 56th wd. Improvement
1911-522 Irby, Deceased C.P. April Term, Weisberg, & Conway, LLC OPA#053140200 Subject to Wolf, LLC RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY Area: 900 Sq. Ft.; Land Area:
1619 Spruce St, Unit #1 of 1619 2018 No. 00653 Law Office of 1911-527 Mortgage IMPROVEMENTS: 1911-532 Angel Jesus Morillo C.P. March 2,613 Sq. Ft. OPA#882926895
Spruce Street Condominium Gregory Javardian, LLC 215 Buckingham Pl RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY 2619 W Lehigh Ave 19132 Term, 2019 No. 00079 Justin F. IMPROVEMENTS: STORE
19103 8th wd. RES CONDO 1911-524 19104 27th wd. 1,493 Howard E. Mitchell, Jr., in 28th wd. Condition: Sealed/ Kobeski, Esquire; Manley Deas 1 STY MASONRY Glenn B.
4 STY MASONRY; 1,000 5916 Ellsworth St 19143 3rd wd. Sq. Ft. BRT#272136800 his capacity as an Heir to the Structurally Compromised; Kochalski LLC Truskin C.P. April Term, 2019
Sq. Ft. BRT#888103291 1,736 Sq. Ft. BRT#033145000 IMPROVEMENTS: S/D Estate of Nadine H. Mitchell, Beginning Point: 144’W 26th 1911-534B No. 01161 Kassia Fialkoff &
I M P ROV E M E N T S : I M P ROV E M E N T S : CONV APT 3 STY MASON deceased, and All Known and St.; Land Area: 1,120 Sq. Ft.; 2233 Orthodox St 19137 Brett L. Messinger
C O N D O M I N I U M RESIDENTIAL DWELLING Joseph S. Diaz a/k/a Joseph Unknown Heirs C.P. August Improvement Area: 2,134 45th wd. 3,232 Sq. 1911-536
DWELLING Andrew Mark McCleary and Linda Sean Diaz, Evangelyn E. Diaz, Term, 2018 No. 01728 Kevin J. Sq. Ft. PRCL# 87-1537600 Ft. OPA#453351600 1518 W Grange Ave
Boschetto, Known Surviving Syeh C.P. November Term, Edgardo B. Ebora and Evelyn Cummings, Esquire IMPROVEMENTS: Y50-STR/ I M P ROV E M E N T S : 19141-2512 17th wd. 1560
Heir of Todd R. Boschetto, 2018 No. 02082 Law Office of B. Ebora C.P. May Term, 1911-530 OFF + 3 STY MASONRY RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY Sq. Ft. OPA#171118500
Gaye Lynne Boschetto, Known Gregory Javardian, LLC 2015 No. 03341 Milstead & 4408 Benner St 19135- PHD Capital Holdings, LLC Angel Jesus Morillo C.P. March I M P ROV E M E N T S :
Surviving Heir of Todd R. 1911-525 Associates, LLC 3602 55th wd. 1,036 C.P. June Term, 2019 No. Term, 2019 No. 00079 Justin F. RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Boschetto, and Unknown 6449 N 15th St 19126 17th wd. 1911-528 Sq. Ft. OPA#552013100 06672 Vincent DiMaiolo, Jr., Kobeski, Esquire; Manley Deas Unknown heirs, successors,
Surviving Heirs of Todd R. 1,832 Sq. Ft. OPA#172054700 7345 Chelwynde Ave I M P ROV E M E N T S : Esq./Ashleigh Levy Marin, Esq. Kochalski LLC assigns and all persons, firms
Boschetto C.P. April Term, I M P ROV E M E N T S : 19153 40th wd. 1,120 RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY 1911-533 1911-535A or associations claiming right,
2019 No. 04313 McCabe, RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY Sq. Ft. BRT#404310400 Scott B. Terry; Tracey K. 8400 Fayette St 19150 50th wd. 8019 Castor Ave, Unit A title or interest from or under
Weisberg, & Conway, LLC Karen Coston C.P. December I M P ROV E M E N T S : Terry C.P. October Term, 2018 2,408 Sq. Ft. OPA#502297700 19152 56th wd. Improvement Ellen Willard, Deceased C.P.
1911-523 Term, 2017 No. 02092 Shapiro RESIDENTIAL DWELLING No. 02389 Phelan Hallinan I M P ROV E M E N T S : Area: 916 Sq. Ft.; Land Area: May Term, 2019 No. 01548
5610 Larchwood Ave & DeNardo, LLC Charles A.J. Halpin, III, Esquire, Diamond & Jones, LLP RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY 2,299 Sq. Ft. OPA#882926890 Phelan Hallinan Diamond &
19143 46th wd. 1,232 1911-526 Personal Representative of the 1911-531 Brian Reed C.P. March Term, IMPROVEMENTS: STORE Jones, LLP
Sq. Ft. BRT#463005400 1220 S 50th St 19143 27th Estate of Richard S. Tustin, 660 N. Union St 19104 24th wd. 2018 No. 00827 KML Law 1 STY MASONRY Glenn B.
I M P ROV E M E N T S : wd. ROW 2 STY MASONRY; Deceased C.P. March Term, 2,058 Sq. Ft. OPA#242238000 Group, P.C. Truskin C.P. April Term, 2019
RESIDENTIAL DWELLING 918 Sq. Ft. BRT#273082700 2019 No. 01524 Law Office of I M P ROV E M E N T S : 1911-534A No. 01161 Kassia Fialkoff &
Charles A.J. Halpin, I M P ROV E M E N T S : Gregory Javardian, LLC COMMERCIAL PROPERTY 2231 Orthodox St 19137 Brett L. Messinger

Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office

Sheriff Jewell Williams

Overview of the Sheriff Sale Process

There are two types of Sheriff Sales. the balance is rare but may be granted by number called the writ number, which is
The Judicial Mortgage Foreclosure the Sheriff upon written request. listed in the newspaper and on our online What should you do before you bid?
Sales and the Tax Sales. The Tax Sales listing before the property address. This Take a close look. It is strongly rec-
include Tax Lien, Tax Collection, and The second bidder number is used together with the prop- ommended that persons planning to bid
Tax Delinquent Sales. If you have been out-bid on a property, erty address when the property is offered at the sales make a site visit to the prop-
you can have your name recorded as the for sale. The sale is conducted by an erty prior to the sale. Many persons have
Tax Sales second bidder. If the highest bidder does auctioneer who calls out each party by bidded on vacant lots thinking that they
When the owner of a property located not pay the balance in 30 days, the sec- writ number and address. were bidding on a property containing
in the City of Philadelphia fails to make a ond bidder shall be granted the same 30 residential structures. The City is not
payment arrangement on municipal debt limit to make settlement with the Sheriff IMPORTANT: Notice of owner’s authorized to permit or arrange for entry
levied on his/her property, that property on his/her second bid. The second bid- Right of Redemption after a Tax into properties listed for Sheriff Sales.
may be sold at the Tax Sheriff Sale to der must be registered on any property Delinquent Sale In order to buy a property from any tax
allow the City to collect on that unpaid immediately after it is sold. The second Even if you win a bid on a Tax Sale sale, you must be tax compliant. Proof of
debt. These debts can include outstand- bidder must present the same amount of property, within nine months of the compliance must be provided at the time
ing water and sewer bills, School District deposit that the highest bidder delivers acknowledgement of the deed, the owner of final settlement. You can print a certif-
of Philadelphia taxes, and city property to the Sheriff at the stage. An extension of record can go to court and get permis- icate of compliance by visiting the web-
taxes. The sales also provide individu- of time under no circumstances will be sion to recover the property by paying site of the City Revenue Department.
als the opportunity bid on and become granted or honored by the Sheriff when- all back taxes and the money paid by Once at the site, you will have to accept
the owner of tax delinquent properties, ever a second bid is registered at the sale. the winning bidder. This is called the the terms of the website, then choose
thereby acquiring lots, houses, or com- Right of Redemption. Therefore, if pur- “Sheriff Sale” as the compliance type.
mercial and industrial buildings. How do I learn which properties are chase a property through Delinquent Tax You will then need to enter the name
to be sold? Sheriff Sale and invest funds to improve and tax id number of the person or entity
Judicial Mortgage Foreclosure Sale All properties that are court ordered to the property in the first year, beware purchasing the property. If the person
The Judicial Mortgage Foreclosure be sold at Sheriff Sales are advertised in that those funds can be lost. The right or entity is tax compliant, you will have
Sherriff Sale is the process by which the Legal Intelligencer and on a rotating of Redemption is only applicable if the an opportunity to print out a compliance
mortgage companies and other finan- basis in a paper of general circulation. property scheduled for Tax Sale is deter- certificate. Print this certificate out and
cial institutions seek to collect debts You can also view a list of properties to mined to be owner occupied 90 days bring it with you when you pay final bal-
owed to them, particularly in instances be sold at Sheriff Sale online by clicking prior to the sale. If the property is unoc- ance of sale.
where a homeowner defaults on his/her here. cupied or abandoned, there is no Right of Make sure you have a form of govern-
mortgage payments. As with Tax Sales, Redemption. ment issued identification. You will need
Foreclosure Sales allow individuals the When and where do the The Right of Redemption does to present this ID at the sale in order to
opportunity to bid on properties and Philadelphia Sheriff’s Sales take not apply to any property sold at the bid.
become homeowners. place? Mortgage Foreclosure Sheriff Sale. One Consider the rehab costs. While there
The Judicial Foreclosure Sale is held way to protect yourself is to contact are some bargains to be had at Sheriff
How much will a property cost? on the first Tuesday of each month. the City’s Department of Licenses and Sales, potential bidders, especially those
The lowest bid that can be offered is There are also four different Tax Sales Inspections to determine what outstand- seeking residential properties, are cau-
$600 and each successive bid must be conducted each month and one on a ing code violations, if any, exist in the tioned that the condition of properties
made in $100 increments. The highest quarterly basis. Click here for a list of property. may vary widely.
bidder will win the property and must be all Sheriff Sales currently scheduled. All Any work done to correct these vio- City loans and grants for income eli-
prepared to make a $600 or 10% deposit sales will take place at 9:00 AM at the lations must be reimbursed to you if the gible owner occupants are available for
(whichever is highest) with a certified First District AME Plaza located at 3801 original owner reclaims the property Sheriff Sale properties only after the
check or money order made out to the Market Street on the 3rd Floor. during the Right of Redemption period. Right of Redemption period has expired.
“Sheriff of Philadelphia.” The remain- How are the properties identified Therefore, make sure you get and keep The City has set this policy to ensure that
ing balance must be paid within 30 days before and during the sale? detailed and accurate receipts for code its limited resources do not benefit orig-
of the sale. An extension of time to pay Each property has an identification related renovations. inal owners.

Did you know the Sheriff’s Office gives free seminars in English and Spanish on “How To Buy A Property at Sheriff’s Sale”?
Check out https://www.officeofphiladelphiasheriff.com/en/real-estate/upcoming-seminars for the schedule of upcoming seminars.
OCTOBER 25-31, 2019
PGN
39

CLASSIFIEDS
All real-estate advertising is subject to Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act
of 1968 (Fair Housing Act), as amended. Title VIII of the Civil Rights
Act of 1968 (Fair Housing Act), as amended, prohibits discrimination
in the sale, rental and financing of dwellings, and in other housing-
related transactions, based on race, color, national origin, religion,
sex, familial status (including children under the age of 18 living with
parents or legal custodians, pregnant women, and people securing
custody of children under the age of 18), and handicap (disability).
PGN will not knowingly accept any real-estate advertising that is in
violation of any applicable law.
PGN does not accept advertising that is unlawful, false, misleading,
harmful, threatening, abusive, invasive of another’s privacy, harassing,
defamatory, vulgar, obscene, hateful or racially or otherwise
objectionable, including without limitation material of any kind or
nature that encourages conduct that could constitute a criminal
offense, give rise to civil liability or otherwise violate any applicable
local, state, provincial, national or international law or regulation, or
encourage the use of controlled substances.

Legal Notices Help Wanted

Court of Common Pleas for the County of Philadelphia,
September Term, 2019, No. 004453. NOTICE is hereby
given that on October 4th, 2019, the petition of Breonna
Michelle Singleton was filed, praying for a decree to change
Services & Home Improvement Directory petitioner’s name to Bryson Christopher Johnson.
The Court has fixed October 31st, 2019, at 9:30 AM, in
Courtroom No. 691, in Philadelphia City Hall as the time
and place for the hearing of said petition. All persons
interested may appear then and there and show cause, if
they have any, why the prayer of the said petition should
not be granted.
ONLY ________________________________________43-42
Court of Common Pleas for the County of Philadelphia,
Adonis Cinema/Sansom St. Gym looking for a cashier/
cleaner with good people skills. Drug free environment. In
person applications on Mon. Wed. & Friday. 2026 Sansom
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_____________________________________________43-43
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IN October Term 2019, No. 003823

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on the 1st day of October,
2019, the Petition for Change of Name, filled by Petitioner,
Nathan James Bohnel, was filled, praying for a decree to
________________________________________43-42
Dental Insurance: Call Physicians Mutual Insurance
company for details. NOT just a discount plan, REAL
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pgn change her name to Nataline Rose Kolbe. The Court has
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