Tag Archives: Philadelphia

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter spoke today at the Haas Convening for gay journalists, where he explained his desire to make Philly “the nation’s most progressive city.” Tomorrow we’ll visit the construction site for Philadelphia’s coming housing center for gay seniors, which had its groundbreaking with Nutter in November. UPDATE: When Nutter took the podium, lots of folks took out their …

The fourth annual Haas Convening is underway in Philadelphia, where about 70 LGBT journalists have gathered for brainstorming and training on critical issues facing the community. Among today’s presenters are noted lawyer Lavi Soloway, who advocates for bi-national couples who face DOMA-related deportations. Other issues on today’s agenda include LGBT rights abroad and asylum rights, aging and seniors in the …

This weekend I’ll be in Philadelphia to attend the fourth annual Haas Convening, a symposium for LGBT journalists sponsored by the Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund and the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association. Organizer Bil Browning gives a preview at Bilerico: “This year’s convening is focusing on coalition building. We’ll have presentations on immigration reform, international issues, the …

Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput has issued the above letter in support of NOM’s hate march on SCOTUS and tells Catholic Vote that he’ll be organizing buses from all five of his districts. RELATED: In 2011 the Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced that it was investigating 37 active priests on suspicion of child molestation.  In June of 2012, high-ranking Philadelphia Archdiocese official …

Yesterday Father Charles Englehart was found guilty of molesting an altar boy in the 1990s.  The case is tied to the same cover-up scandal for which a Catholic official was sent to prison last year. Via National Catholic Reporter: The jury of eight men and four women found Fr. Charles Engelhardt guilty of indecent assault of a minor, corruption of …

Via press release from Visit Philly: Philadelphia drag star Ian Morrison, a.k.a Ms. Brittany Lynn, and her Drag Mafia will be the first “Drag Brigade” to ever march in the Philadelphia Mummer’s Day Parade on New Year’s Day. James Julia, President of the Mummers Brigade Association, and Rocco Gallelli the current Mummers Board President, asked Morrison and his Drag Mafia …

Philadelphia’s tourism agency sends us the above photo of today’s groundbreaking for a new LGBT seniors housing center. Among those pictured: U.S. Rep. Bob Brady, Union boss John Dougherty, PGN Publisher Mark Segal, Mayor Michael Nutter, and City Councilman Mark Squilla. Photo credit: Patrick Hagerty.

Via press release: Known as the Mother of the LGBT Civil Rights Movement, Gittings (July 31, 1932 – February 18, 2007) resided in Philadelphia. She was the editor of the first lesbian publication. With Frank Kameny, she organized the Annual Reminders at Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, which launched the LGBT civil rights movement. Gittings spearheaded the successful initiative …

Thousands of Christianists rallied in downtown Philadelphia yesterday where notorious hate group leaders exhorted the crowd to declare that America belongs to Jesus. Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson and Family Research Council president Tony Perkins topped a full day of speakers at “The America for Jesus 2012” prayer rally. Robertson, a former Republican candidate for president, called the election important, but …

It never ends for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, which yesterday was hit by another flurry of molestation lawsuits. Eight men and a woman publicly accused Roman Catholic priests and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia on Tuesday of child sex abuse, saying they found courage to come forward after the conviction in June of a top church official in the wide-ranging pedophilia …

“True individual freedom includes allowing consenting adults to marry the partners they choose, regardless of gender. To those for whom same-sex marriage is personally objectionable, their free choice is simple: Don’t enter into one. But don’t impede the freedom of others to do so. As long as Chick-fil-A operates within the boundaries of the law, municipalities and institutions should leave …

That should prove interesting come re-election time.

“As an American you are legally entitled to your opinion, regardless of how insensitive and intolerant it may be, but as a fellow American and an elected member of Philadelphia City Council; I am entitled to express my opinion as well. So please – take a hike and take your intolerance with you. There is no place for this type …

Monsignor William Lynn was sentenced to three to six years in prison today by a Philadelphia court for his role in hiding years of child molestation by priests under his command. Lynn is the first-ever American Catholic official ordered to prison for shielding pedophiles but not committing any abuses himself. “You knew full well what was right, Monsignor Lynn, but …

In a historic verdict, today a Philadelphia jury found a high-ranking Catholic Church official guilty of child endangerment for shielding the crimes of pedophile priests. This is the first time an American church official has been convicted of such charges. Monsignor William Lynn helped the archdiocese keep predators in ministry, and the public in the dark, by telling parishes their …

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter is backing Bloomberg’s proposed ban on large servings of sugary drinks. “Sugary drinks, like soda, fruit drinks and sweetened teas, are the single largest sources of sugar in the American diet,” Nutter said, according to the text of his speech. “On average, Americans drink 20 ounces of soda a day,” he said, adding that Bloomberg’s proposed …

Is everybody buying this? Via Gothamist.

In an unprecedented case, Philadelphia Catholic Archdiocese Monsignor William Lynn is on trial for shielding pedophile priests. Yesterday jurors heard some of the most repulsive testimony yet. In the day’s most startling testimony, a detective read internal church memos about a priest who allegedly “joked about how hard it was to have sex with three boys in one week.” His …