Alan Kennedy-Shaffer, Founder, Harrisburg Hope

If hope springs eternal, it must have had a talk with Alan Kennedy-Shaffer.

As founder in 2010 of Harrisburg Hope, the 27-year-old attorney has been able to do what no one else has been able to accomplish – get warring parties in a two-year old fiscal stalemate to talk to one another. He’s also created a level of trust between himself and Harrisburg Mayor Linda Thompson.

Dec. 1, 2011 about 125 people packed Harrisburg’s Midtown Scholar Bookstore when Kennedy-Shaffer brought together Attorney Mark Schwartz, who represented four Harrisburg City Council members filing for federal bankruptcy on behalf of city, a move since denied by a federal judge; PA Sen. Jeff Piccola, author of Harrisburg City takeover legislation; and Dauphin County Commissioner Mike Preis. The county is guarantor on loans made to the city.

Dec. 8, 2011 Kennedy-Shaffer drew in about 150 people when he hosted Harrisburg Mayor Linda Thompson in an “open mike” forum.

A Yale University and William & Mary Law School graduate, Kennedy-Shaffer is fitted to the role of convener.

“Harrisburg Hope is the only forum in which members of the audience get to ask the questions,” Kennedy-Shaffer explains. He starts off with his own short list of questions and then adroitly moderates for another hour or so, relying on time keepers to alert speakers that their time is up. And he enforces the time limit. He also doesn’t allow for “stun gun” questions. He politely acknowledges the questioner and then moves right along. His emerging signature gesture at the end of each program is to present all panelists with a “Civility Award”.

His sensitivity to civility may be his mom’s doing.

“My Mom used to take me and my brothers to gay pride marches in New York City, starting when I was 1-year old in a stroller,” he said. “I specifically remember the Stonewall 25th anniversary march (1994),” he said. He was 10 years old and today is no stranger to lgbt issues.

Kennedy-Shaffer is author of The Obama Revolution and Denial and Deception: A Study of the Bush Administration’s Rhetorical Case for Invading Iraq. He’s served as a regional field director for Barack Obama and the Democratic Party in Virginia and subsequently elected vice chairman of the Dauphin County Democratic Party. The Harrisburg resident is president of Danzante Community Art Center and former chairman of Broad Street Market.

Dec. 1`9, 2011 Kennedy-Shaffer hosted the recently court-appointed fiscal receiver David Unkovic. He is charged with crafting a plan from what seems like a mountain of previously proposed fiscal recovery scenarios that have all stalled out over various objections from one or another party to the problem.

In his simple but direct way, Kennedy-Shaffer is attempting to bring a measure of civility and order to what has become a dialogue of chaos and confusion. Currently an attorney with the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board and previously an attorney for the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency and he seems to have a fix on both bureaucracy and bullpucky.

Info: www.harrisburghope.com

The group is calling for participants ages 50 and over who identify as LGBT. The effort is part of showing how people have connected with the LGBT Community Center and to gather information in order to develop an Outreach Plan for use by the C-PLAN Program.

Interested? Contact Louie Marven, executive director, LGBT Community Center Coalition of Central PA by Fri., Jan.27 at lmarven@centralpalgbtcenter.org.

Medical Loan Closet Opens Feb. 1
In related activity, the C-PLAN Medical Loan Closet opens Feb. 1 at Harrisburg’s MCC of the Spirit. Medical Items such as crutches, canes, walkers, wheelchairs, and shower seats, will be available for loan to LGBT 50+ folks who are underinsured or do not have insurance.

Gypsy Fuzz - Havrilla & Kurm

Brian Sanders Junk Snowball

If you’re planning a trip to Philadelphia in the next month, be sure to mark your calendar for the return of two of the city’s most exciting performers, singer/songwriter Christine Havrilla and dancer/choreographer Brian Sanders (both featured in separate Central Voice posts in August and September).

First up, Havrilla will be rocking in the New Year at the Tin Angel, 20 S. 2nd Street in Old City, with two sets (at 8 and 10:30 pm) on December 31. She’ll perform signature songs from the Christine Havrilla Duo with Gretchen Schultz, along with cuts from her new Gypsy Fuzz CD, Searching.Finding.Living, which debuted in October, and was named one of Advocate.com’s Best Overlooked Albums of 2011. With Christine fronting Gypsy Fuzz on electric guitar, expect her original music and personal lyrics to be done in a dynamic and aggressive “’70s powerhouse rock” style. Tickets are available through the venue’s website at http://tinangel.com.

Following their smash hit, Dancing Dead, at this year’s Philadelphia Fringe Festival, Brian Sanders’ JUNK takes on a winter white theme with Snowball. Featuring Sanders’ daredevil, cutting-edge choreography and his incomparable troupe of young dancers, the non-profit company’s fundraiser is a one-night only event on January 21, at Hamilton Hall, University of the Arts, 320 S. Broad Street. With white cocktails and JUNK food, white dress, a winter wonderland of art installations, and additional performances by dancers from Cirque de Soleil, Koresh Dance Company, MOMIX, and Pilobolus, Snowball promises to be a night to remember. VIP reception begins at 7, general admission at 8. For tickets, log on to www.briansandersjunk.com.

SHREK THE MUSICAL, based on the Oscar®-winning DreamWorks film that started it all, brings the hilarious story of everyone’s favorite ogre to life on stage. In a faraway kingdom turned upside down, things get ugly when an unseemly ogre – not a handsome prince – shows up to rescue a feisty princess. Throw in a donkey who won’t shut up, a villain with a SHORT temper, a cookie with an attitude and over a dozen other fairy tale misfits, and you’ve got the kind of mess that calls for a real hero. Luckily, there’s one on hand… and his name is Shrek. It features a terrific score of 19 all-new songs, big laughs, great dancing and breathtaking scenery.

The show is part romance, part twisted fairy tale and all irreverent fun for everyone!

Pride Discount offer:
Offer: $5.00 discount per ticket on first 3 price levels (does not apply to $25 cloud club seating)
Valid: Tuesday 12/27 at 7:30 pm; Wednesday 12/28 at 7:30 pm
Password: Just ask for “Pride Discount”
Additional Performances: Thurs 12/29 at 7:30pm, Fri 12/30 at 2:00 pm & 7:30 pm, Sat. 12/31 at 11:00 am and 4:30 pm, Sun. 1/1 at 2:00 pm.
Ticket Limit: None

Tickets: Call (717) 534-3405 or http://www.hersheytheatre.comLocated in downtown Hershey, Pennsylvania, this magnificent theatre has established itself as the area’s premier performing arts center, presenting the finest in touring Broadway shows, classical music and dance attractions, and world-renowned entertainers. Hershey Theatre, 15 E. Caracas Ave., Hershey, PA 17033

Central Voice – Central to your life.

Chris Dietz announces run for General Assembly

Dauphin County resident and Millersburg Borough Council president Chris Dietz announced Dec. 14 his candidacy for the 104th district of the Pa. House of Representatives.

He will run in the May 2012 Primary Election followed by the November General Election.

Following a contentious redistricting statewide, the newly drawn map of the 104th House district includes the boroughs of Dauphin, Halifax, Millersburg and Penbrook and the townships of East Hanover (in Dauphin and Lebanon Counties), Halifax, Jefferson, Middle Paxton, North Annville, Reed, Rush, Susquehanna, Upper Paxton, Wayne, and Wards 4 and 7 in Swatara.

Dietz tells Central Voice the voter registration for the new 104th approximates that of the old district. President Obama carried 49% of the old district’s vote. US Senator Robert Casey and his US House counterpart Congressman Tim Holden carried about 50% of the vote in their last election cycle. “It’s a swing district in play,” Dietz said.

A 2011 FAB award honoree for service to the region’s LGB T community, Dietz is a proponent of eco-tourism and government reformer.

Why run?

“Local family sustaining jobs, legislative reform, quality public education, and conservation are very important to my friends and neighbors,” Dietz said. “At a time when state government should be helping citizens, our legislature is more disconnected than ever from the common citizen. The legislature’s automatic pay raises are not reflective of stagnant wages and high rates of unemployment in the private sector,” Dietz said. “It is time for our state government to reaffirm its commitment to making Pennsylvania the best state in which to live, work, play, and raise a family.”

Diane Bowman, president of the Susquehanna Township Commissioners and former chair of the Dauphin County Democratic Committee will chair Dietz’s campaign. Dietz has, Bowman says, “what it takes to advocate for those community-minded values from inside the General Assembly.”

Dietz is one of three known and out candidates running for seats in the state house. Pa. State Rep. Babette Josephs faces a challenge for her 182nd District seat from Philadelphia attorney Brian Sims, who last election cycle served as her campaign finance chair.

Josh Young, a Caln Township commissioner in Chester County is also running for a newly created House seat in that county that was formed due to population growth. Map makers removed one seat in Allegheny County where population had been declining.

Info: www.VoteDietz.com; info@VoteDietz.com

Chris Dietz Bio
Chris Dietz is graduated from West Perry High School and a 1999 Penn State Mechanical Engineering graduate (B.S.). He cites his membership in community groups, including the Boy Scouts of America and church youth groups, as having instilled in him a sense of public service. Part of the Millersburg Bicentennial Celebration, he worked with others to raise more than $300,000 to support the event. Dietz co-founded the Tour de Millersburg cycling race as a component of the Bicentennial, and has served as president of the Tour for three years raising $25,000 in proceeds for community non-profit groups. Dietz and his partner Alexander Reber enjoy getting to know their community and spending time with Chris’s cat Chief.

By a seven to one bipartisan vote Susquehanna Twp. Commissioners on Dec. 8 adopted a non-discrimination ordinance proposed by township resident Steve Dorko. One commissioner was absent.

The process began last July and garnered mostly support from township residents, although anti-gay Pittsburgh-based American Family Association of PA unsuccessfully joined the debate.

The township is the 26th municipality in the state to pass such an ordinance. The new law bans discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and discrimination based on genetic information for what the municipality defines as public accommodations.

At press time, advocates in Cheltenham Township were working through the new ordinance process with that municipality’s board of commissioners. Equality PA president Adrian Shanker told Central Voice that he’d testified before the board that passing the ordinance makes it clear “discrimination against anyone, including LGBT people, is simply unwelcome” and that “discrimination is not a value of this community.” The proposed Cheltenham measure applies to employment, housing, and public accommodation.

There were 14 speakers at the meeting with 12 speaking in favor of passage, two speakers were opposed. The other big issue item on the agenda was the 2012 budget. “The budget did not draw a single comment,” Dorko noted.

“Ordinance comments were overwhelming positive,” Dorko said, pointing out that the American Family Association of PA did circulate email communications to township residents advising readers not “to make the same mistake several southeastern Pennsylvania townships have made recently.”

“I don’t see our actions as making a mistake,” township board of commissioners president Diane Bowman told Central Voice. LGBT residents are “not unworthy, just different.”

Upon initially proposing the ordinance, Dorko cited inaction by the Pa. General Assembly in enacting statewide anti-discrimination protections, even though 25 municipalities in the state already have such protections, although the state’s three largest cities – Altoona, Wilkes-Barre, and Williamsport – do not.

Most recently, Jenkintown Borough and Whitemarsh Township, both in Montgomery County, passed protective ordinances, preceded by Bethlehem. The complete list includes: Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie (County), Allegheny (County), Reading, Scranton, Bethlehem, Lancaster (City), Harrisburg, York, State College, Easton, Newton Borough, Swarthmore, Lower Merion Township, West Chester, New Hope, Landsdown, Doylestown, Conshohocken, Haverford, Springfield Township, and Montgomery County.

Over the past year, Equality PA has combined efforts with locally-based advocates to pass ordinances in eight municipalities.
“We are really just doing what state legislators have told us to do all along on non-discrimination,” Equality PA executive director Ted Martin told Central Voice. “Pass local ordinances and that will build grassroots pressure on us to act they say. So we have made passing ordinances a top priority and we wanted 25 on the books by 2012,” he said.

“Many ordinances have passed with bipartisan support and our opposition has learned that the world did not end,” Martin said. “We have 12 other communities” in various stages of organizing ways to have similar ordinances passed in their municipalities, he noted, adding “we get more calls on this subject than you can imagine.”

Susquehanna Twp. resident Steve Dorko proposes anti-discrimination ordinance.

Dorko now calls on all interested parties to contact Susquehanna Twp. Commissioners to express their support of the measure.

At last night’s regular commissioner meeting, Dorko and about 15 supporters of the measure, and Equality PA’s Ted Martin, spoke in favor of the measure.

In the ordinance, Dauphin County’s Susquehanna Township bans discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and discrimination based on genetic information, as explained to Central Voice by board of commissioners president Diane Bowman.

Upon initially proposing the ordinance, Dorko cited inaction by the Pa. General Assembly in enacting statewide anti-discrimination protections, even though 22 municipalities in the state already have such protections. Dorko now calls for interested parties to contact commissioners regarding the proposed ordinance.

“We need people who live, work, visit, or otherwise spend dollars in the township to contact Susquehanna Twp. Commissioners,” Dorko said. To show support for such ordinances, Equality PA commissioned Susquehanna Polling and Research in February and learned that state residents support anti-discrimination legislation by more than a two to one margin, or 69% in favor to 24% opposed. Martin said Pennsylvanians “have shown overwhelming support for comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation.”

Twenty-three Pennsylvania municipalities have ordinance protections in place, although the state’s three largest cities – Altoona, Wilkes-Barre, and Williamsport – do not. Most recently, Springfield Township in Montgomery County passed a protective ordinance, preceded by Bethlehem.

The complete list includes: Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie (County), Allegheny (County), Reading, Scranton, Bethlehem, Lancaster (City), Harrisburg, York, State College, Easton, Newton Borough, Swarthmore, Lower Merion Township, West Chester, New Hope, Landsdown, Doylestown, Conshohocken, Haverford, Springfield Township, and Montgomery County.

IF YOU COMMENT:
Comments on the proposed ordinance can be made by phone, email, or US mail.
One letter sent to “The Susquehanna Township Board of Commissioners” gets copied to all nine commissioners. Send to: Susquehanna Township Board of Commissioners, 1900 Linglestown Rd., Harrisburg, PA 17110. If you’d like to make public comments Dec. 8, contact Gary Myers, Township Manager (gmyers@susquehannatwp.com, 909-9222) in advance of the meeting. More info: Steve Dorko, 717-657-2683; steve.dorko@gmail.com

Jene Newsome

The event was organized by the Central PA LGBT Aging Network (CPLAN), affiliated with The LGBT Community Center and whose mission is to promote a positive and healthy environment for lgbt elderly, many of whom served in the military. Equality PA’s executive director Ted Martin served as master of ceremonies.

Newsome had been discharged in February 2010 under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” but has since been reinstated. At the time, she told Central Voice “I’ve always played by the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell rules, all nine years of my Air Force service. There was no reason for the police to inform the military about my personal life,” referring to the fact that a legal issue with her partner lead police to their home where they observed, through a window, the couple’s marriage license.

Coincidentally, the US Senate Judiciary Committee today voted to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which redefined marriage for federal purposes to exclude same-sex unions that are valid under state law. Martin noted in his remarks that although DADT has been repealed, DOMA stands in glaring contradiction with the intent of DADT. For example, although DADT’s repeal allows Newsome back into the armed services, there are, as of yet, no ways for her marriage to be recognized on par with heterosexual couples.

When her discharge troubles began, Newsome’s service friends and family “were right there for me,” she said. “They were accepting of my engagement and commitment ceremony,” she said.

Acceptance has been a challenge for Danielle Finnegan, a member of the region’s transgender community, served for 46 years in the service. She is also active with TransCentralPA, an organization that promotes education and understanding on transgender issues. Finnegan spoke with emotion about her near half century of service. “Transgender individuals have always served in the Armed Forces,” she said.

A 20-year veteran, Capt. Esteban Diaz, who served 20 years in the Air Force, including service in Dessert Storm, Iraqi Freedom, and Enduring Freedom, told Central Voice “I know the military is more than capable of implementing DADT repeal and all that my mean to service members.” He noted that military service is purely merit based and now “gay people can judged on merit” not sexuality.

CPLAN is mounting a monthly slate of events and activities to bring increased awareness around lgbt senior issues. Temple MSW candidate Donald Anklam has recently been spearheading the CPLAN effort. He is known to the region from his recent role as Central PA Pride Festival’s vice-president and fundraising chair.

“We’re planning something monthly for the community and actively working with organizations to raise awareness around lgbt issues,” Anklam said. He is using a two-pronged approach: Real events for real people and real “product” oriented services so that, for example, nursing homes and senior agencies can best implement inclusive policies called for in upcoming implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

“By 2014, health care reform measures will be looking at ways organizations are responsive to lgbt needs,” Anklam pointed out. LGBT needs are not special needs by any means Anklam stresses. “Asking that lgbt people be treated with dignity and respect isn’t a special request.”