INSIDE: CENTRAL PA PRIDE FESTIVAL GUIDE • JULY 25 to JULY 27 thecentralvoice.ning.com OFFICIAL PRIDE GUIDE JULY 26, 2014 HARRISBURG, PA FREE JULY/AUGUST 2014 OFFICIAL PRIDE GUIDE 2014 CENTRAL VOICE 1 Marriage Bringing Milestone History Out bout 100 people rallied on the steps of the State CapitalA Building May 20 to celebrate a federal judge over- of the Closet turning Pennsylvania’s 1996 By Barry A. Loveland Defense of Marriage Act that banned same-sex marriage. Joe Burns looks over hundreds of documents laid out Federal Middle District Judge in piles on the large dining room table in his sister’s central John E. Jones III ruled that Pennsylvania home. He is carefully examining, organizing, Pennsylvania’s gay marriage cataloguing and recording them in a timeline highlight- ban is unconstitutional. Julie ing some of the key historical developments in the early Lobur and Marla Cattermole lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) civil rights (pictured bottom left) were movement in small cities through- among 23 people challenging out Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania’s anti-same-sex Burns is just one of many ...the marriage law in court. Lobur’s LGBT individuals in the Keystone partner of 28 years, Catter- documentation State whose stories are being mole told Central Voice last of LGBT discovered, inventoried, preserved September, "..we’d like our re- and presented by the Lesbian Gay history is lationship legally recognized.” Bisexual Transgendered Center They are legally married in the not easily of Central Pennsylvania His- state of Iowa.” With today’s found and tory Project, headquartered in decision, their marriage is midtown Harrisburg. The project the subject now recognized. More photos on page 10 began in August 2012 and has matter has recorded video oral history inter- views with more than 25 individu- been largely als, while more than 80 remain on ignored... a waiting list. It’s a number keeps Hbg. Mayor Stand Up for Equality growing. “This is really an important letter,” Burns says as Presides Over By Central Voice he holds out a piece of paper. It is a letter he received in Gay Wedding pg 10 1969 from New York’s Mattachine Society, founded in A cross-section of religious and business leaders, elected officials and advocates Continued on page 14 - 34 in all - gathered in state capital June 16 to urge passage of Senate and House Bills 300. The twin measures will update the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act to include York to Host 1st LGBT individuals in housing and in public accommodations protections. Equality Fest pg 22 Called the Campaign to End Discrimination, House Bill 300 has the bi-partisan support of 96 House members, including 14 Republicans. Senate Bill 300 has 25 bi-partisan co-sponsors, the highest number yet for a set of “This place needs CV Wants to bills introduced in the last five, 2-year sessions of to get it together.” the state’s General Assembly. Share Cher “This is embarrassing, sad, and annoying,” - Sen. Larry Farnese With You! pg 18 said Sen. Larry Farnese. “This place needs to get it together.” Press conference placards pointed out that only 32% of Pennsylvanians are currently protected by local LGBT non-discrimination ordinances. That leaves 68% who could be fired for being gay. A contingent from the Penn- Local speakers included: Patty Busik, Harrisburg Regional Chamber of Com- sylvania Rural Gay Caucus poses with their hand-made banner at the Philadelphia gay pride parade ca. 1976. (Photo by Bari Weaver, merce; Hava Pell, uFinancial Group; Rabbi Carl Choper, The Interfaith Alliance of from the LGBT History Project collection of the Dickinson College Archives PA; Jeanine Rusham, TransCentral PA.and Ted Martin, Equality PA. and Special Collections) 2 july • august 2014 thecentralvoice.ning.com world voice Political Update • MARRIAGE EQUALITY MAP • 44% of Americans live in 19 states plus DC that have adopted full marriage equal- ity, and more live in cities, counties or states with partial equality. 46% live in 33 states and territories that still ban all types of unions except one- man-one-woman couples. Complete details can be found at marriageequality.org/current-status. • PA Gay Republican Fleck to Run as Democrat funding, GOProud will be shutting down immediately - an 6. The Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO) had re- Fleck Republican State Rep. Mike homage to an era gone by. The shuttering is undoubtedly ceived strong support from local advocates who spoke out a Fleck, the state’s first openly gay leg- necessary as the organization’s full effectiveness has been live-streamed meeting of city council members. Many anti- islator, will appear on the November’s tarnished. The organization may rebrand and regroup later, LGBT activists spoke as well, reiterating widely-discredited general election ballot as a Democratic but for now, the organization will no longer be functioning. myths particularly about the use of bathrooms by transgen- after losing the primary to his challenger, Co-director Matthew Bechstein stated in an interview that der residents. Huntingdon County treasurer Richard the “brand is broken” and a rebrand is necessary. Fleck Irvin. Irvin started out on the Republi- • Church's Lawsuit Fights Anti-gay Marriage Ban can primary ballot but was removed over a filing error. In- • Schuylkill County Official To Appeal North Carolina clergy and stead, he ran a successful write-in campaign against Fleck, After losing her initial appeal June national officers of the United who ran as both a Republican and Democratic candidate 18 before the judge who May 20 overturned Church of Christ have filed suit winning 901-886. Pennsylvania's law banning same-sex mar- against North Carolina and its riage, Schuylkill County Register of Wills anti-LGBT constitutional amend- • Log Cabin Republicans Split with Texas GOP Martin Theresa Santai-Gaffney is taking her case to ment, citing First Amendment Following the denial to formally participate in this block gay marriages in PA to a federal appeals court. guarantees of freedom of religion. year’s Texas State Republican Convention, Log Cabin Santai-Gaffney made her announcement imme- UCC Pastor Nancy Ellett Allison Republicans announced they will Metroplex Republicans diately after U.S. District Judge John E. Jones III denied said North Carolina’s laws discriminating against same- , denouncing the Texas GOP’s stance against the organiza- the county row officer's request to intervene and appeal sex couples violate her church’s and congregants’ religious tion. “Overall, Log Cabin Republicans of Texas has found his ruling. Specifically, she wanted Jones to halt same-sex freedoms. “North Carolina’s laws prohibiting same-gender incredible support within the Republican party -- Texans, marriages in the state until the U.S. Supreme Court had a marriage designate some citizens as unfit for the blessings like the rest of the country, are evolving on LGBT rights chance to weight in the issue. Her case is expected to reach of God,” Allison said. “We reject that notion. As all of God’s issues,” said LCR/Texas chairman Jeffrey Davis. This the nation's highest court. children are welcome to receive the sacraments of commu- development takes place 16 years after LCR was similarly Gov. Tom Corbett's administration was defending nion and of baptism, so all of God’s children should be able denied participation at the Texas State GOP’s Convention, the law, but declined to appeal Jones' May 20 decision to to receive the sacrament of holy union and marriage.” Of all an exclusion that was chronicled at the time in the mini- strike down the 1996 law. marriage cases nationwide — now 66 separate lawsuits — documentary “On the Front Lines,” which can be viewed Equality PA's Ted Martin said in a statement when the church and its legal team believe their lawsuit is the first on youtube. the appeal was filed, “We have branches of government for to cite the First Amendment and a religious freedom argu- a reason, and the judicial branch has a legitimate right to ment in fighting an anti-LGBT amendment on marriage. • LGBT Rep. Group GOProud to Shut Down interpret whether laws meet the constitutional standards Bilerico writer Andrew Markle reports that LGBT that our nation's founders created. We are glad that Judge • Oregon 18th State to Allow Gay Marriage Republican group GOProud is shutting down for good. Jones examined the case and came to a reasonable conclu- Dozens of same-sex couples were In 2004, GOProud was born when Jimmy LaSalvia and sion. We also thank Gov. Corbett for recognizing that the officially married after a federal judge Chris Barron split from the Log Cabin Republicans. Both majority of Pennsylvanian's understand that love is love." ruled that Oregon’s voter-approved ban have stepped down from the organization. GOProud has Pennsylvania was the last northeastern state to bar on same-sex marriage was unconstitu- been mired by several controversies since the departure of gay marriage. Same-sex marriage is now legal in the state. tional. their founders. The group has bled donors since the widely U.S. District Judge Michael Mc- reported departure of Jimmy LaSalvia from the Republican • Houston Passes Trans-inclusive Ordinance Shane said the ban discriminates against Party earlier this year. His departure was so loud, but it fo- Houston’s City Council passed a non-discrimination gay couples and ordered Oregon not to cused primarily on his shift of ideology and thus projected ordinance that will protect city contracting, housing, public enforce it. Oregon officials earlier refused a new image onto the organization that he helped found. accommodations and private employees on the basis of to defend the ban in court. Finding it difficult to continue without securing more gender identity and sexual orientation in a vote of 11 to Jubilant couples began applying for marriage licenses Continued on page 6 thecentralvoice.ning.com july • august 2014 3 publisher’s voice Central to your life.