Celebrating 10 years of the John C. Anderson Apartments

Center City (WPVI) — The Philadelphia Gay News is hosting this 10th anniversary celebration of the John C. Anderson Apartments in Center City.

It was 2014 when the apartments welcomed their first residents, LGBTQ+ senior citizens. The complex was the first of its kind, not just in Philadelphia, but in the United States.

At the time, many of those residents were from the first generation of out, gay citizens in Philadelphia. Gay News publisher Mark Segal said then “if you came out in the 1960s, for the most part you didn’t have the support of your family. You couldn’t get a decent job. They’re now in their 60s, 70s, and 80s and they don’t have a decent place to live, and we wanted to create an environment so they could live with dignity in their own community, and I hope we’ve done it.”

Segal is leading the 10th anniversary celebration, and will be one of the speakers at the event. Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker is also scheduled to speak.

Today’s honorees are:

Jacob Fisher – Regional Vice President, New Jersey & Pennsylvania Pennrose Micah Mahjoubian – Former DMHFUND Board Member Pa. State Rep. Mary Isaacson

Other featured speakers include:

John-Paul C. Hayworth – LGBTQ+Strategy Director, AARPElizabeth Coffey Williams – LGBTQ+ Advocate