Philly Mayor Details LGBT Business Initiatives

During a breakfast Feb. 18 sponsored by LGBT chamber of commerce Independence Business Alliance, which drew about 100 members, Nutter said the city is committed to expanding opportunities for LGBT business owners to participate directly in the economic rejuvenation of the city.

U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-8th Dist.) also attended, and discussed his efforts to repeal the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” ban on openly gay servicemembers and his backing of stimulus bills in Congress to strengthen the economy.

During his speech, Nutter said the city is considering incorporating the LGBT certification offered to business owners by the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce into its minority-contract process.

Bill Gehrman, president of IBA, said only Washington, D.C., and San Diego include NGLCC-certified business owners as eligible for city contracts designated for minority-owned businesses.

“The city wouldn’t actually certify LGBT businesses, but the mayor was talking about the idea of using LGBT-certified businesses who’ve been approved by the NGLCC in minority-purchasing programs,” Gehrman explained. “So the mayor’s saying he wants to look at that possibly and he supports it, and that’s extremely important. That’s been one of the main goals of the IBA.”

More at: PGN!

Philly Resident Receives EPA Diversity Award

Contact Information: Donna Heron 215-814-5113 / heron.donna@epa.gov

PHILADELPHIA (August 5, 2009) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency presented its Suzanne E. Olive Award for Exemplary Leadership in National Equal Employment Opportunity to 15 managers nationwide from the agency’s Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) Diversity Programs at a ceremony held June 12, 2009, at the Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C. Mike Frankel, of EPA’s mid-Atlantic region, headquartered in Philadelphia was a recipient.

The award recognizes employees who excel in promoting the tenets of equal employment opportunity and civil rights, and for demonstrated commitment to workforce diversity through actions that clearly exceed the responsibilities of their immediate position or assignment. Frankel has served as an officer on the agency’s national GLBT Advisory Council and as manager of the regional GLBT diversity program for more than six years and was a founder of the regional program.

“This award is very special. The recipients are an amazing group of dedicated people from across the country whose tenacity inspires me,” said Frankel. “EPA is at the forefront of federal agencies working toward GLBT inclusion and equality in the workplace. Diversity requires the attention of all of us to ensure fairness and equal opportunity to everyone.”

Frankel’s work on diversity is in addition to his primary duties as a communications coordinator for the agency. Frankel regularly conducts workshops on “Creating and Maintaining a GLBT Friendly Workplace.” Most recently, Frankel brought his presentation to the Federal Executive Board’s annual EEO day of training in Philadelphia. That event provided training to managers from many of the federal agencies located in the mid-Atlantic region with more than 600 managers in attendance.

In October Frankel will be part of a group of EPA GLBT diversity program managers presenting at the 2009 Out & Equal Workplace Summit, being held in Orlando, Fla. Out & Equal is the pre-eminent national organization devoted to the GLBT community in the workplace.

He is also a recent addition to the City of Philadelphia’s Police Liaison Committee to the GLBT community.

Frankel, who grew up in Bucks County and in South Florida, graduated from Nova High School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla, and received a bachelor’s degree in humanities/communications from Thomas Edison State College in Trenton, N.J.

Gay-Porn Actor Gets 3-8 Years for Burglaries

Gay-porn star Taleon Goffney won’t be making any new Internet videos with his twin brother anytime soon. Instead, he’ll be serving three to eight years in state prison for two February 2008 rooftop burglaries of businesses near 9th Street and Washington Avenue, in South Philadelphia.

“Thank you for your lenience in accepting my plea,” Goffney, who was previously charged with similar burglaries and has been incarcerated since his February 2008 arrest, told Judge Lisa M. Rau in court yesterday. “These crimes won’t be happening again.”

Read the rest at Philly.com!

A Routine Life Shows Gains Gays Have Made

I was born on the day of the Stonewall riots – June 27, 1969 – so my life is an individual history of the 40-year-old modern gay-rights movement. What makes my story particularly representative is just how conventional my life has become.

I grew up on a farm in Pennsylvania. My parents were liberal college professors, but I was aware in high school – in the 1980s, when there was no treatment for AIDS and hatred for gays reached a fever pitch – that they wanted both of their boys to be heterosexual. Logically, it seemed to be the only path to a happy, successful life. I knew I was gay, but said nothing.

I applied only to urban universities, seeing the city as a place to find other people like myself. When I decided toward the end of college that it was time to “come out,” it seemed like a big deal – as any grand declaration would be. Back then, you couldn’t just live your life. You had to say, “I’m gay!” and hope to be accepted, or learn to live with the rejection.

Read more at Philly.com!

Philly Gay Rights Rally Draws Hundreds

Hundreds rallied and marched through the streets of Philadelphia on Sunday for the progression of LGBT rights and equality including equal rights in marriage, the workplace and in health care.

Sunday’s National Equality Rally was noted as the first national demonstration outside of Washington since 2000 for LGBT rights. The marchers displayed pride flags, signs from dozens of organizations and photos of people who have been murdered because of their sexuality.

After the march, demonstrators gathered in front of Independence Hall in “the city of brotherly love”, as speakers called for support for marriage equality, more money for AIDS research and an end to workplace discrimination and the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.

If you want to know more, check out nationalequalityrally.com!

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