Philadelphia Gay News, Jan. 27-Feb. 2

Struggle, success mark 30 years of Philadelphia Gay News

By Mark Segal
PGN Publisher

I've been paging through 30 years of Philadelphia Gay News. It has been an emotional journey. I was so busy on that journey that I never had the time to look back. I never realized until taking a look at that wealth of community and PGN history and achievement how hard it really was. We just fought the fight that had to be fought.

This newspaper has survived bomb threats, broken windows, graffiti, suicides, cars deliberately plowing into our vending boxes, the trashing of our offices, and the American Nazi Party putting us on its hit list.

And PGN staff, on occasion, had to watch as their publisher went off to jail (last time courtesy of Chris Bartlett).

PGN covered too many gay-bashings and murders. Many times, PGN was the sole voice yelling out in the darkness of a silent press. One last week continues to haunt us: the murder of Anthony Milano. His murder was covered by former PGN editor Tommi Avicolli Mecca. Milano's throat was cut 23 times, but the cuts didn't kill him. The Bucks County man drowned in his own blood. And last week, the U.S. Supreme Court's refusal to hear an appeal means that his accused killers will get a new trial - on a technicality.

Then, there are the deaths that only PGN seems to care about, including the death of West Philadelphia trans woman Nizah Morris.

We started this newspaper with no money and when there were very few people who would advertise in a gay publication. Our first office had no plumbing, and when it rained, we had to put up a plastic tarp.

We had to build an industry. When we first asked for membership in the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association, we were ignored - each year for 10 years. At times, the only way we paid bills was to use the quarters from our vending boxes.

Through all of that, we not only persevered, we helped build a community. We helped a community navigate through the halls of power, educated them during a crisis, and formed the structures that serve as a permanent base for generations to build on.

No other organization or institution can boast of such accomplishments in the city or state. From our first issue in 1976, we pushed governors and mayors, legislative bodies, corporate officers, insurance companies and for-profit and non-profit organizations alike. We asked why the police raided gay bars, why the district attorney didn't go after known blackmailers, and why politicians had no openly gay staff members.

And we fought institutions, including the American Red Cross, the United Way and even Blue Cross of Greater Philadelphia.

If it weren't for the founders of PGN and the likes of people such as Scott Wilds, David Fair and Rita Addessa, there would be no gay-rights legislation in Philadelphia.

Without PGN and the likes of Andy Chirls, Andrew Park and what is now the Center for Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights, there would be no domestic-partner law in Philadelphia.

If it weren't for Tony Green, Jeff Moran, Jon Cabira, John Herzins and PGN, the William Way Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center would still be looking for a building.

And during the biggest crisis this community ever faced, it was PGN, along with Jane Shull, which organized Philadelphia's first AIDS Awareness Day, bringing in every weekly newspaper and TV station in Philadelphia.

We pushed every envelope, including but definitely not limited to: police hiring, lesbian nuns, runaway gay children, the homeless in our community, AIDS, community funding, equal employment and domestic partners.

We've done it all, and we do it proudly with our name and commitment attached. You see, it was our first decision as a company. In a day when few people were openly gay, we made a statement by labeling this newspaper Philadelphia Gay News, and we put it boldly on the cover. People working for PGN used their names. Agree or disagree, you know where we stand, and our name is attached.

We also made a commitment that PGN will publish views opposite to our own.

Looking back, we've kept our promise, and in return, you've made PGN a trusted member of your family.

Today, PGN sits on the board of the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association. Today, PGN has more awards and firsts than space allows me to print here.

As you can see, 30 years ago, like our community, PGN had very little. But more importantly, today we have the William Way Center, The Attic Youth Center, an openly gay man just was chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association, Philadelphia elected an out lesbian, Ann Butchart, to be judge, and Alba Martinez is president of the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania, and we have broadcasters on the evening news.

Thirty years ago, we had one openly gay public official, Dr. Walter Lear, our first cover boy. Today, there are more appointed members of city and state government than I can list here.

Thirty years ago, we had one softball team. Today, we have almost 40 in Philadelphia, a bowling league, and Team Philadelphia has almost every kind of Olympic sport covered.

We can make the same claim in almost every field known.

And for 30 years, PGN has chronicled our community's climb. We will continue to do so with more energy and resources. The future will be as exciting as the past was eventful.

Like the community that it covers, PGN will continue to evolve, and like our beginning, the journey ahead will be a struggle: a struggle for marriage equality, a battle for our men and women in the military, a struggle for our children to have safe schools and homes, a fight for adoption rights and religious freedom.

Wherever that struggle takes us, we'll go there together, and PGN will continue to fight the good fight along with you!