First openly gay male judge in Phila. to take oath today

Jeff Guaracino of the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corp. says Anders "could have made a fortune as a partner, but he chose to ensure justice for the gay community."

In hard dollars, Anders took a $100,000 pay cut from his former salary. Given that he was on track to make partner next month, the difference would have been exponentially larger.

Off the bench, Anders appears to be your typical Macho Guy, aside from his fondness for Wonder Woman. ("She has the lasso of truth, and she's a pretty snappy dresser.")

He pumps iron. He drinks beer (well, ale). He plays poker. He also likes poker TV shows - a habit that doesn't sit well with his partner, Brian Moss. "If I really throw a fit, we can usually agree on Antiques Roadshow," says Moss, 26, the extroverted yin to Anders' self-contained yang.

Micah Mahjoubian, Mayor Street's deputy secretary of external affairs, hosts the weekly poker game. A low-stakes ($2 bet limit) affair, it includes a mostly heterosexual crowd. "Dan's a pretty skilled player," says Mahjoubian, who is gay. "He reads people. I haven't seen him try to bluff a lot. When he raises the bet, I take him seriously."

So does the Philadelphia judicial community.

Wonder Woman and her lasso of truth have arrived. All rise.