RECOGNIZING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS

RECOGNIZING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 39 (Monday, March 2, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 39 (Monday, March 2, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E171] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] RECOGNIZING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS ______ HON. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of pennsylvania in the house of representatives Monday, March 2, 2026 Mr. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate and celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of Philadelphia Gay News (PGN), the second-longest continuously publishing LGBTQ newspaper in the Nation, and a pillar of the Philadelphia journalistic community. Under the extraordinary leadership of founder Mark Segal, PGN has remained the preeminent voice for Philadelphia's LGBTQ community for decades and has been a source of some of our region's finest journalism. From being the forum of the first ever op-ed from a major- party presidential candidate published in an LGBTQ newspaper, to being recognized with an historical marker by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, PGN has been a trailblazing publication since its founding in 1976. PGN could not have had the tremendous success that it has had over the last half-century if not for the vision and exceptional leadership of Mark Segal. Mark's role as both a longtime civic leader in Philadelphia and as an icon of our Nation's LGBTQ community cannot be overstated. He founded Gay Youth in 1970 and was a founding member of the Gay Liberation Front in 1969. Mark also partnered with the Obama Administration in 2012 to create the John C. Anderson Apartments in Philadelphia, the Nation's first LGBTQ-friendly senior affordable housing facility. The same tireless work ethic that helped him build PGN continues to influence his various civic efforts, for which our city and country are immeasurably better off and for which we are all grateful. Mr. Speaker, I hope my colleagues will join me in recognizing and congratulating Mark and the entire Philadelphia Gay News team as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of this extraordinary journalistic institution. ____________________