Dear neighbors,

In honor of Pride Month, let’s look back at an interesting piece of Lansdowne history: the Lansdowne Equality Action Project (LEAP) and the Gay/Lesbian Friends of Lansdowne (GLFL). Both are mentioned in this 2004 Delco Times article. Kevin Lee, who was interviewed for the article, went on to become the only openly gay official in Delco in 2005 and ended up dealing with a lot of hate from a local (and litigious) evangelical entity who shall not be named for obvious reasons. The controversy stemmed from Lee’s advocacy for a local domestic partnership registry in the pre-marriage-equality era, as well as equal benefits for borough employees in domestic partnerships and a local anti-discrimination policy. If you know more about either of these local groups (LEAP and GLFL), we’d love to hear from you! Critiques of homonormativity aside, it’s inspiring to see how LGBTQ+ Lansdowne residents were organizing 20 years ago, even when faced with hostile opposition.

Speaking of hostile opposition, we would be remiss not to mention the escalating brutality in Palestine. This article from Doctors Without Borders provides a good overview (with no gory photos), but in short: Israel has pushed 1.5 million Palestinian refugees into Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza. Israel then closed the border, blocked humanitarian aid (food, water, medicine), and bombed the region repeatedly, massacring at least 70 civilian refugees and injuring hundreds more. People of all ages lost their lives or their family members. The violent, traumatic imagery coming out of the region is beyond description. Israeli’s army has now fully moved into Rafah, crossing several supposed "red lines" from world leaders, including President Biden. We invite you to find a way to take action, to call your local representatives and demand a permanent ceasefire, and to speak candidly with those in your life who have been ignoring or dismissing these war crimes.

And to those that would say being pro-LGBTQ+ and supporting Palestine are ideologically at odds, consider this quote from an article about Israel’s pinkwashing strategy:

The interviewee, a queer Palestinian woman, understandably withheld her name for fear of being doxxed. But still, she spoke. Advocating for human rights is both risky and necessary. In the words of Paul Robeson, “There is no standing above the conflict on Olympian heights. There are no impartial observers. … The struggle invades the formerly cloistered halls of our universities and other seats of learning. The battlefront is everywhere.”

In solidarity,

Left of Lansdowne

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HOT TOPICS

Here’s are some notable conversations from this month’s council meetings:

• Lansdowne intends to install the new AEDs (automated external defibrillators) it purchased, but doesn’t seem to have a plan in place. They’re working on it, but you’d think that would have happened prior to purchasing the units. AED installation is on hold while the borough sorts this out.

• Mayor Byrne publicly apologized to Lansdowne’s chief of police for the community’s rejection of the ALPR program, saying she would have voted for them if she could. The chief also complained about the ALPR vote at a committee meeting about pedestrian safety later that month, though ALPRs wouldn’t have helped with that anyway.

• Councilman Hover asked the borough manager why we haven’t applied for any grants. The answer? We can’t do that without a full budget, letters of support from the community, and a capital plan, which Lansdowne does not have.

• Council members discussed overspending on Lansdowne events. According to the solicitor, most towns do not spend this much on catering, t-shirts etc. Mr. Hover argued that the t-shirts advertise the borough, but was ultimately blocked by Councilwoman Young’s successful motion for a 6-month moratorium on event spending. The borough manager has been asked to conduct a reconciliation of what has been spent on events.

• Borough council agreed to fund a $17,500 kitchen remodel for the police station, despite the fact that the whole building may get renovated later on. A part-time officer was also officially approved to be hired. Police spending continues to take up more than 40% of Lansdowne’s annual budget, not including extra allowances like the kitchen remodel.

• On June 13, the borough will vote on steering committee membership for the new Community Support Unit, which pairs a part-time social worker with Lansdowne Police Officers. We explained the program in detail in our first newsletter, if you missed it.

• At a committee meeting, Councilman Will Griffin discussed no longer supporting performative cultural resolutions, arguing instead for other methods to increase community engagement, such as social media acknowledgments and public events. In general, the conversation centered prioritizing action over passive proclamations.

• The Human Relations Commission wants 4 more community members, and is specifically interested in more diverse perspectives. They will be tabling at the Farmers Market to connect with residents and provide info on what HRC can do for the community.

• The zoning board approved several variances for William Penn High School, including construction height and size, and bicycle parking. The board did not approve changes to the new parking lot behind the admin building. Approval was contingent on proper fencing and a storm water management plan.

• Council will be asking the Lansdowne Theater to pay for their own security, as opposed to the borough funding it. They’re on track to open this October.

• The finance committee wants to update and improve the fee schedule for the 20th Century Club to make it more usable.

• Hoffman park’s lights will be replaced via an $85,000 grant. Also, the borough is planning to build a bridge in the park at some point.

• The borough’s solar tables charging stations were vandalized and will cost $3000 to repair (original cost: $30,000).

ON A LIGHTER NOTE

• Saturday, June 8: For pride month, Lansdowne will have a flag raising at Borough Greene, followed by a walk that ends at Lansdowne Landing. There will be water ice and pretzels.

• Saturday, June 15: Check out this free event at the 2020 House Gallery — “Floral Impressions: Botanical Rubbings & Origami Workshop” with Jean Wong.

• Saturday, June 22: Speaking of liberation… Celebrate Juneteenth with a flag raising and keynote speakers at the Borough Green, followed by a Jubilee event and Marketplace at the Lansdowne Landing.

• Friday, June 28: Enjoy a free cup of coffee with Mayor Byrne at Camellia Coffee House.

UPCOMING BOROUGH MEETINGS