There is no shortage of Mark Segal stories.
There's the one about the time in 1973 when Segal, then a radical gay activist, stormed onto Walter Cronkite's live newscast, demanding better coverage of lesbians and gays. The one about how Segal, publisher of the Philadelphia Gay News, dressed as a priest to get the story behind the Mariel boatlift. And the one about how, egged on by his prankster pal Ed Rendell, he engineered a guerrilla photo op with Bill Clinton.
But there's one story that illustrates the complex role Segal and his weekly often play in gay and lesbian life in the city: the tale of the 1999 mayoral primary.
After weeks of debate, Segal agreed to go along with the majority vote of a coalition of gay and lesbian organizations (pulled together by his own Pride of Philadelphia Election Committee) and back John White for mayor.
After the decision had been announced, PGN endorsed Marty Weinberg, the candidate of Segal's buddy, Vince Fumo. Segal's explanation? It was PGN's endorsement, not his. The howls of protest were deafening.
"People have wanted my head on a plate for 30 years," an unapologetic Segal said in a recent interview. "And guess what? It's still attached."
This week, Segal's Philadelphia Gay News marks its 25th anniversary - no small accomplishment in the volatile world of gay publishing. Besides simply enduring, PGN and its founder have come to play an influential - and complicated - role in the city and in the gay community.
"I think every town needs a town crier, and I think PGN plays that role very well," said Kirk Parsons, an organizer of the PGN-supported Blue Ball, the annual fund-raiser for the AIDS organization Philadelphia Fight. "Mark enjoys being in the middle of things, and often that's to our benefit."
Over the last 25 years, Segal and PGN have fought for gay rights, covered the AIDS crisis, pressed for domestic-partner benefits for Philadelphia city workers, and helped raise money to create the William Way community center. The newspaper also has covered financial scandals in AIDS groups, drawing criticism within the gay community. "It's not our job," Segal said, "to be the cheerleader every day."
Segal has a very public forum with his weekly PGN column, "Mark My Words," in which he promotes favorite causes, excoriates enemies, and writes about life with his partner of 20 years, associate PGN publisher Tony Lombardo, and his Boston terriers, Sadie and Moishe.
