Lawyers, LGBT community advocate for new group

By Jen Colletta
PGN Staff Writer
© 2008 Philadelphia Gay News

LGBT and allied lawyers and other community members will come together next week to learn more about a new LGBT advocacy group and discuss various political issues affecting this community.

The Delaware Valley Legacy Fund will host “Advocate Equal Rights in the Workplace” from 8:45-10:15 a.m. July 28 at the Ritz-Carlton, 10 Avenue of the Arts.

Although billed as a “lawyers’ breakfast,” the event is open to all interested members of the community.

The breakfast will serve as the unveiling of Equality Action Pennsylvania, an offshoot of Equality Advocates Pennsylvania, the statewide LGBT civil-rights group.

Equality Action’s launching is due in part to a DVLF grant.

Stacey Sobel, executive director of Equality Advocates Pennsylvania, said the new group grew out of the desire of Equality Advocates’ supporters to have more of a political voice; Equality Advocates obtained 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status and, as such, is not able to fully pursue certain political avenues.

“As a 501(c)(3), Equality Advocates is limited by law on how much lobbying we can do, and we can’t be engaged in any political activities,” Sobel said. “Equality Action will be a 501(c)(4) organization that will give our community additional tools for advocacy. It will be a complementary component of our efforts to achieve equality for the LGBT community.”

Sobel will be the featured speaker at the breakfast and will introduce her group and its mission to the participants, previewing the issues that the group will first tackle, such as the state’s lack of an LGBT-inclusive employment nondiscrimination law.

“We wanted to give her a chance to tell people, ‘Hey, we’re starting this group up and here’s all that we’re going to be able to do with this tool,’” said Perry Monastero, DVLF executive director. “Stacey is going to talk about where we’re at in issues like workplace discrimination and tell folks about how the new (c)(4) will be able to add some tools to the toolbox so that they can be more effective in advancing equal rights for lesbians and gays in the state of Pennsylvania.”

Sobel said she’s eager to drum up support for the fledgling group in order to affect change on various issues impacting the local LGBT community.

“I hope to educate people about why this new entity is critical to our success as a community and why working on LGBT equality issues on a state level is so important right now,” she said.

Along with Sobel, other guests include local attorneys Kevin Ray, Louis Thomas, Emily Weisgrau and Deborah Willig.

Tickets for the event begin at $100. To RSVP, contact Monastero at pmonastero@philafound.org or at (215) 563-6317.

Jen Colletta can be reached at jen@epgn.com.