Mel Heifetz

Mel Heifetz (born November 4, 1935) is a Philadelphia-based real estate developer, philanthropist, and LGBT activist. He is a nation-wide supporter of gay rights causes in America.[1] and in 2018, he was awarded the Philadelphia Award.[2]

Mel Heifetz accepting his Philadelphia Award

Early life

Heifetz grew up poor[3] in South Philadelphia and had working class Jewish parents. Heifetz's parents were hairdressers and from the age of eight, he began working by cleaning his parents' salon and selling door-to-door with his father.[4] Heifetz enrolled at Temple University to study real estate but left after one year.[4][5]

Heifetz is a distant relative of violinist Jascha Heifetz.[4]

Career and activism

Heifetz maintains a relationship with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), whose attorneys successfully defended him in the 1950s when his first business, the Humoresque coffeehouse, was raided by police for welcoming interracial and gay couples.[6][7][8] Heifetz's experience with Humoresque and the ACLU marked the beginning of his activism against injustice and abuse.[8]

Heifetz built himself as a businessman and developed real estate, gay bars, and hotels, including the Alexander Inn, Philadelphia’s first gay hotel.[8][9] From 1996 until 2013, Heifetz owned and operated Sisters, Philadelphia's only lesbian bar.[10][11]

Heifetz made a major donation in 2005, which paid off the mortgage of Philadelphia’s William Way LGBT Community Center.[12] In 2015, the William Way LGBT Community Center honored Heifetz with their Humanitarian of the Year Award.[13]

In October 2017, Heifetz donated $16 million to The Philadelphia Foundation’s GLBT Fund of America, with the fund’s income annually supporting LGBT groups.[14][12] The GLBT Fund of America was initially established in 2007 and its money supports civil rights causes, social justice, and health needs through LGBT groups such as The Trevor Project, Attic Youth Center, and GALAEI.[4][15] Also in 2017, Heifetz became a founding benefactor to the Gloria Casarez Residence, Pennsylvania’s first young adult LGBT-friendly permanent supporting housing project.[16][17]

Through donating $1 million to President Barack Obama's 2012 Presidential reelection campaign[18] and $1 million to Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign[1], Heifetz officially became the biggest political donor in Pennsylvania.[19] In his February 2016 Huffington Post piece, Heifetz cites Barack Obama's track record on LGBT rights as a motivating factor for supporting him.[3]

Awards and recognition

In addition to the 2018 Philadelphia Award and the 2015 William Way LGBT Community Center Humanitarian of the Year award, Heifetz was the 2014 recipient of the Delaware Valley Legacy Fund Lifetime Legacy Award[20] and the 2008 Human Rights Campaign Equality Award.[21] The Philadelphia Award was established by Edward William Bok and past winners of the award include businesswoman and philanthropist Leonore Annenberg and architect Louis Kahn [22].

In September 2019, the Equality Forum and LGBT History Month awarded Heifetz with their Frank Kameny award, named in honor of LGBT civil rights movement leader Frank Kameny [23]. Past recipients of Equality Forum’s Frank Kameny award include activist Peter Staley [24] and former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell [25]

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References
  1. Fitzgerald, Thomas. "Philly donor gives $1 million to help elect Hillary". philly.com.
  2. Boren, Michael. "Gay rights activist Mel Heifetz wins Philadelphia Award for helping LGBT causes". philly.com.
  3. Heifetz, Mel (6 August 2012). "Why I Gave One Million Dollars to Re-elect President Obama".
  4. Dobrin, Peter. "With $16 million gift, gay causes get a big boost". philly.com. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  5. Boren, Michael. "Gay rights activist Mel Heifetz wins Philadelphia Award for helping LGBT causes". philly.com. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  6. "Mel Heifetz - The Philadelphia Award".
  7. Stern, Marissa (6 June 2018). "LGBTQ Rights Activist Honored for Work".
  8. Cooperstein, Paige. "William Way honors local leaders at Indigo Ball". PGN - The Philadelphia Gay News. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  9. "Mel Heifetz". Inside Philanthropy.
  10. "A Philly real estate investor just donated $16 million to support the LGBT community". billypenn.com. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  11. Staff, P. G. N. "Philly's only lesbian bar shuts down". PGN - The Philadelphia Gay News. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  12. Dobrin, Peter. "With $16 million gift, gay causes get a big boost". www.philly.com.
  13. "Mel Heifetz, Jennifer Higdon to be Featured at Indigo Ball - G Philly". 30 September 2015.
  14. Rodriguez, Jeremy. "Gay philanthropist donates $16 million to LGBT fund". PGN - The Philadelphia Gay News. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  15. "Mel Heifetz - The Philadelphia Award". philadelphiaaward.org. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  16. "Homeless Youth & LGBTQ Lions". queertimes.net.
  17. Inquirer, Sr Mary Scullion, For the Philadelphia. "Pa.'s first young-adult LGBTQ-friendly permanent supportive housing honors Philly pioneer - Opinion". www.philly.com.
  18. Segal, Cheryl (2 January 2016). "Five donors you've never heard of who could shape the 2016 race". TheHill.
  19. Shelly, Jared (8 August 2013). "Learn more about the No.1 political donor in Pennsylvania". bizjournals.com. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  20. Colletta, Jen. "DVLF to honor community 'heroes'". PGN - The Philadelphia Gay News. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  21. "EDGE sits down with gay philanthropist Mel Heifetz". EDGE Media Network.
  22. "Louis Kahn | The Philadelphia Award".
  23. "Event - Equality Forum 2019 Awards Celebration | Equality Forum". equalityforum.com.
  24. http://www.epgn.com/news/local/12556-equality-forum-celebrates-25th-anniversary-names-historic-markers
  25. "Pelosi to Receive LGBT 'International Role Model' Award". CNSNews.com. July 22, 2016.
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