On Tuesday evening, May 2, a live audience of over 100 attendees at Arch Street Presbyterian Church and an even larger audience watching live on Pennsylvania Cable Network had the opportunity to hear from five Philadelphia mayoral candidates answering probing questions related to issues facing marginalized communities.   
 
Mazzoni Center’s City of Humanly Love Mayoral Debate was hosted by President and Executive Officer, Sultan Shakir, and featured the presence of candidates Jeff Brown, Helen Gym, David Oh, Cherelle Parker, and Rebecca Rhynhart.
 
Mazzoni Center was delighted to have a long list of allied organizations partnering to support the debate, including ACT UP Philadelphia, Attic Youth Center, Bebashi, COLOURS, Community Control: Black and Latinx Philadelphia, Galaei, Independence Business Alliance: Greater Philadelphia’s LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce, Philadelphia Black Pride, Philadelphia FIGHT Community Health Center, Philly Trans March, Therapy Center of Philadelphia, and William Way LGBT Community Center.
 
Many of those partners played a role in helping to shape the evening’s questions, on topics ranging from LGBTQ healthcare inequities to public safety for black trans women to gender and sexuality education in the Philadelphia school system. Participating panelists included Dr. Billie Swiggard, Tatyana Woodard, and Gwen Luxemburg from Mazzoni Center, Michael Melvin from Bebashi, Ava Campbell from Attic Youth Center, and Veronica Rex from Sankofa Healing Studio.
 
A full recording of the May 2 Mazzoni Center Mayoral Debate is available on the PNC website by clicking here.