Quote Of The Day - Brian Sims

(Tipped by JMG reader Brandon)

Headline Of The Day

Details. (Tipped by JMG reader David)

NEW YORK CITY: At The Out 100 Party

Pennsylvania state Rep. Brian Sims and boyfriend Brandon McMullin were among the gay glitterati in attendance at last night's Out 100 party at Stage 48 in Hell's Kitchen. Also seen above are Out 100 honorees Freedom To Marry head Evan Wolfson with his husband Cheng He, journalist Chris Geidner, Liz Margolies, founder of the National LGBT Cancer Network, and her trans activist husband Scout, director of LGBT Health Link. Orange Is The New Black actress Lea DeLaria hosted and pop singer Mary Lambert was among the performers. I hung out for a bit with NYC Councilman Corey Johnson and Dan Pepitone (above) and caught glimpses of Jason Collins and Zachary Quinto, but didn't get a chance to grab a photo, dammit.

PENNSYLVANIA: House Democrats Hold Hearing On Reinstating Hate Crimes Law

Via CBS Philadelphia:

In the wake of the September 11th gay bashing incident in Center City, the House Democratic Policy Committee held a public hearing on LGBT hate crimes Thursday. “We have an uphill battle in this legislative climate to pass LGBT hate crimes laws,” said State representative Brian Sims. Sims called the hearing, which was held at the Kimmel Center. He told dozens who sat in the audience the goal is to build a record to support an amendment that would add sexual orientation, gender identity and disability to the state’s hate crime statute. Victims, experts, and LGBT leaders testified. Alicia Gonzolez of GALEAI says LGBT people are disproportionately targeted: “Many gay bashing crimes are unsolved and many more are unnoticed.”

Read more about the hearing on Sims' Twitter feed. The current legislative session ends on November 30th.

Tweet Of The Day - Rep. Brian Sims

Over 300 people ignored rain to rally against #LGBT hate crimes - Thank you! A summary: http://t.co/FfXzDDb3pN pic.twitter.com/aXMzs9ap9E— Rep. Brian Sims (@RepSims) September 25, 2014

RELATED: This morning Sims appeared on public radio.

Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams has pressed charges against two men and one woman in connection with the Sept. 11 assault on a gay couple in Center City. The case has renewed calls to expand Pennsylvania’s hate crime law to people based on their sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and disability. The Commonwealth’s existing hate crimes law covers race, religion color and national origin. Today on Radio Times we’ll talk about the need for such legislation on the state and national level, its history in Pennsylvania, and its purpose as a prosecutorial tool and a deterrence to crime targeting specific groups of people. Our guests are State Representative BRIAN SIMS, who is leading the call for reform, law professor STACEY SOBEL, former executive director of Equality Advocates Pennsylvania, and New York University professor ANN PELLEGRINI, co-author of “You Can Tell Just By Looking” and "20 Other Myths about LGBT Life and People."

PENNSYLVANIA: Rep. Brian Sims Rages For Passage Of Hate Crimes Bill

Pennsylvania state Rep. Brian Sims has apparently been convinced about the possibility of passing a hate crimes bill during the current legislative session. Watch as he denounces foot-dragging during today's rally at the capitol building in Harrisburg.

PHILADELPHIA: Multiple Arrests Expected In Brutal Mob Gay-Bashing Case

Via Jen Coletta at Philadelphia Gay News:

A police source said this week that they were nearly "ready to go" in terms of making arrests and said charges are expected "this week." A key witness, the source said, was due in for an interview Monday, "the girl who was right in the middle of it all." After that, the source said, the District Attorney's Office will review all of the evidence collected in the case and make a decision about charges. "People are going to get locked up," the source said.

As the men were being attacked, one of their bags, containing a cell phone and wallet, fell to the ground and one of the assailants took it. A source close to the investigation said one of the members of the group said she picked up the bag in the melee thinking it belonged to a companion and, upon realizing it did not, dropped it at 16th and Walnut streets. The bag was discovered by a homeless person, who used one of the victim's credit cards. "The credit card was used several different places, so we've had to go to all the places the card was used and investigate," the source said.

As of Monday morning, police had completed 18 interviews with members of the group and witnesses. Each interview, the source said, takes about four hours. Prolonging the process, the source added, is that each person in the group has retained a separate, private attorney. "What happens with cases like this is that, if you rush it and don't do a good job, they'll start throwing out charges later on. These kids all have top-notch attorneys, so if our case isn't put together on our end, they're going to pick it apart. But we've put together a great case for the DA and we'll be working in conjunction with the DA to bring the charges."

The case was broken open last week after a Twitter sleuth identified the mob via photos and their social media accounts. Almost immediately, a basketball coach at a local Catholic high school either resigned or was terminated (accounts differ) due to his involvement. That coach, Fran McGlinn, has supporters on Twitter who are using the hashtag #McGlinnocent. (Tipped by JMG readers Str8 Grandmother and Paul)

RELATED: The attack on the two men has spawned renewed and widespread support for the resurrection of an LGBT-inclusive hate crimes law in Pennsylvania, including from Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Wolf. A previously existing law was overturned by the state supreme court several years ago following a lawsuit by the anti-gay hate group Repent America. This Thursday state Rep. Brian Sims will co-host a Philadelphia rally in support of the pending legislation.

PHILADELPHIA: Activists To Rally For Passage Of Hate Crimes Bill

Via Philadelphia Daily News:

More than a week later, the story of two gay men savagely beaten in Center City continues to spread. Yesterday, as police sources said detectives were nearing the end of their investigation, word reached Harrisburg, where state legislators are calling their colleagues to action. "The gay guy in me and the Philly guy in me are pissed," said state Rep. Brian Sims, "but I'm a legislator, and my job is to change policy. If we can do anything to draw enough attention to this to give the hate crime bill some buoyancy, we need to do it."

Sims, a Democrat whose district includes the site of the attack, is organizing a rally Thursday in LOVE Park, at which officials and members of the city's LGBT community will push for change in Pennsylvania's hate-crime law. He's joined in his efforts by state Sen. Larry Farnese - a Democrat whose district serves parts of North Philly, Center City and South Philly - who will hold a news conference inside the Capitol on Tuesday. "It upsets me that it takes something like this, a horrific assault, to cast light on the fact that Pennsylvania is woefully behind in protecting its people," Farnese said last night. "We should not have to hold press conferences on equality in 2014."

Detail on the rally are at Sims' Facebook page.

Quote Of The Day - PA Rep. Brian Sims

"One of the things I’ve learned is that sometimes it takes a horribly negative experience to get people out of their seats, for them to be active and engaged. It’s not necessarily because they’re opposed but because they aren’t aware of the need. So we are going to be sure to utilize this horrible event to make sure that they hear about it. I’m going to be bringing two people with me who will be able to tell them all about it." - Pennsylvania state Rep. Brian Sims, vowing to take the Philadelphia gay-bashing victims with him to the state capitol to spur attention to the pending bill that would re-add sexual orientation and gender identity to state hate crime laws. Sims represents the Center City area where the attack took place. (Tipped by JMG reader Edward)

RELATED: A Change.org petition was launched this morning which urges Pennsylvania legislators to vote for the bill.

PHILADELPHIA: Rep. Brian Sims Joins Mayor In Courting DNC Convention Team

Pennsylvania state Rep. Brian Sims joined Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter today in glad-handing the DNC's 2016 convention team, which was in Brooklyn earlier this week. Sims represents Philly's Center City, which is home to many of the hotels that would likely host attendees.  Philadelphia and Columbus are considered the leading contenders to win the convention.

Columbus has access to about 26,000 hotel rooms across five counties and 16,000 rooms within the city itself, said Brian Ross, chief executive of the Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau. With no mass transit options, Columbus officials are looking at using chartered buses to shuttle delegates from their hotel rooms to convention events. Alternative transport options also were being explored, including compact and electric car rentals and the city's bike-share program. In Philadelphia, about 65% of the hotel rooms required to host the event were within a 15 minute walking distance of the Wells Fargo Center, where the convention would be held, said Kevin Washo, lead strategist for the Philadelphia host committee. Another 3,500 rooms were located across the river in University City, he said. "Brooklyn has 3,500 hotel rooms. We have 3,500 just in our University City location," he said.

Last week the RNC unanimously selected Cleveland for their 2016 convention.

Yesterday In Provincetown

Left to right: Chris Turner, Andy Towle, Michael Goff, Armistead Maupin, some short dude, Brian Sims.

Today In Provincetown

Ito, fetch me a sidecar.

At The Brian Sims Fundraiser

Today's re-election fundraiser for Pennsylvania state Rep. Brian Sims brought out a big Bear Week crowd of admirers, some of whom are not actual Pennsylvania voters. How very curious. Seen with Sims in the top photo is Manhattan-based DJ Bill Pfeiffer, whose mixes have been featured here on JMG. In the bottom photo is the five-member Brian Sims Cub Club, some of whom are not even Americans. Again, curious.

Brian Sims Will Be At Bear Week

Pennsylvania state Rep. Brian Sims will attend Bear Week in Provincetown and will hold a re-election fundraiser there next Tuesday afternoon. He knows his demo. Bear Week begins on Saturday.

Rep. Brian Sims Celebrates At Philly Rally

Feminists To Honor PA Rep. Brian Sims

Next week openly gay Pennsylvania state Rep. Brian Sims will receive the National Champion Of Choice Award from NARAL Pro-Choice America. Via press release:

"As President Obama said in the State of the Union, when women succeed, America succeeds! As a first-term representative, I am humbled and honored to receive this national award for my defense of women's rights, and I will continue to stand up for those rights and oppose the attacks on them. Women's rights are human rights," Sims said. Sims is strongly pro-choice and attracted national acclaim for his impassioned defense of women's rights during an April 2013 state House debate on legislation that restricts a woman's right to an abortion and access to health care by putting government restrictions on private insurance companies and how women can spend their own money.

Sims has sponsored a Pennsylvania House bill that makes it easier for women to sue for equal pay and benefits. The bill also protects women from retaliation by employers for making such demands. As a member of the Women's Health Caucus, Sims is also backing the outlawing of so-called "revenge porn" - in which jilted partners use social media to post harassing sexual photos of their exes.

VIDEO: Here is the 2013 speech which gained Sims national attention.

Out's 100 Most Eligible Bachelors

Out Magazine has published its annual 100 Most Eligible Bachelors list and while bear icon/PA state Rep. Brian Sims is on the list...so is Ken Mehlman.  Also featured: Jason Collins, Mo Rocca, Nate Silver, and Ricky Martin.

UPDATE: Out is asking readers to vote on their favorites. Sims is currently in second place behind Adam Lambert.

HomoQuotable - Brian Sims

"Dear Senator Toomey, As I am sure you know, the nation learned in the last several days that not only will the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) likely be put up for a long overdue vote next week by Sen. Harry Reid, but also that the three remaining members of the Senate Democratic Caucus who were not yet supporters of the bill, now indicate their support. These Senators have added their voices to the majority of the Senate which supports this bill, including a number of your Republican colleagues who have either signed on as co-sponsors or voted the bill out of Committee. Senator, I not only urge you as an openly gay man, but also as a fellow lawmaker and Pennsylvanian to vote in favor of ENDA when the legislation comes up for a vote next week, but I encourage you in the strongest terms possible to state right now, unequivocally, that you will be a co-sponsor of the bill as well." - Pennsylvania state Rep. Brian Sims, in an open letter published by Huffington Post. (Tipped by JMG reader Rudy)

PENNSYLVANIA: Sims & McCarter Call On Gov. Corbett To Give Up Like Christie

Just in via press release:

State Reps. Brian Sims, D-Phila., and Steve McCarter, D-Montgomery/Phila., sponsors of a Pennsylvania marriage-equality bill, called on Gov. Tom Corbett to follow the lead of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie in dropping his appeal to legalized same-sex marriages in New Jersey.

“Once again, we’re seeing that even conservative Republicans are realizing that all Americans deserve equal rights,” Sims said. “Unfortunately, here in Pennsylvania, where LGBT Pennsylvanians lack even a single LGBT civil right, some members of the Republican Party would sooner be the Republicans of 1955 rather than 2025. It’s unconscionable that Pennsylvanians who get married out of state can still be fired for putting a wedding photo on their desks.”

“It’s a black eye on the state of Pennsylvania that nearly all of our neighboring states have decided to enter the 21st century and grant equality to all their citizens, yet we still are stuck in the Stone Age,” McCarter said. “Plain and simple, the fact that Pennsylvanians can now cross a border and be granted more rights than they currently have in their own state is a problem that needs to be addressed and it needs to be addressed now.”

PREVIOUSLY ON JMG: Two weeks ago Corbett filed a brief claiming that he is exempt from the marriage suit filed in federal court by the ACLU. Three days earlier he compared same-sex marriage to incest during an interview with a Harrisburg television station. In early September he hired an expensive outside firm to defend the state against the ACLU's case after state Attorney General Kathleen Kane refused to take the case. In August he filed an ultimately successful suit to halt the issuing of marriage licenses by Montgomery County Clerk Bruce Hanes.

Maddow Plays Politician Or Porn-ititian

Rachel Maddow and Michael Strahan appeared on Andy Cohen's show last night for a round of Politician Or Porn-itician, during which Maddow appeared to identify Pennsylvania state Rep. Brian Sims as NOM president Brian Brown. Oopsie.