Mel Heifetz
{{Short description|American businessperson, philanthropist and activist}}
Mel Heifetz (born November 4, 1935) is a Philadelphia-based real estate developer, philanthropist, and LGBT activist. He is a nationwide supporter of gay rights causes in America.{{cite web|url=http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/big_tent/Phila-donor-gives-1-million-to-help-elect-Hillary.html|title=Philly donor gives $1 million to help elect Hillary|first=Thomas|last=Fitzgerald|website=philly.com|date=2 August 2016 }} and in 2018, he was awarded the Philadelphia Award.{{cite web|url=http://www.philly.com/philly/news/mel-heifetz-philadelphia-award-lgbt-william-way-philadelphia-foundation-20180522.html|title=Gay rights activist Mel Heifetz wins Philadelphia Award for helping LGBT causes|first=Michael|last=Boren|website=philly.com|date=22 May 2018 }}
Early life
Heifetz grew up poor{{cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/mel-heifetz/obama-donors_b_1749041.html|title=Why I Gave One Million Dollars to Re-elect President Obama|first=Mel|last=Heifetz|website=HuffPost|date=6 August 2012|publisher=}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.philly.com/philly/business/with-16-million-gift-gay-causes-get-a-big-boost-20171020.html|title=With $16 million gift, gay causes get a big boost|first=Peter|last=Dobrin|date=20 October 2017|website=philly.com|accessdate=12 February 2019}} Heifetz enrolled at Temple University to study real estate but left after one year.{{cite web|url=https://www.philly.com/philly/news/mel-heifetz-philadelphia-award-lgbt-william-way-philadelphia-foundation-20180522.html|title=Gay rights activist Mel Heifetz wins Philadelphia Award for helping LGBT causes|first=Michael|last=Boren|date=22 May 2018|website=philly.com|accessdate=12 February 2019}}
Heifetz is a distant relative of violinist Jascha Heifetz.
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.{{cite web|url=http://philadelphiaaward.org/mel-heifetz/|title=Mel Heifetz - The Philadelphia Award|publisher=}}{{cite web|url=http://jewishexponent.com/2018/06/06/lgbtq-rights-activist-honored-for-work/|title=LGBTQ Rights Activist Honored for Work|first=Marissa|last=Stern|date=6 June 2018|publisher=}} Heifetz's experience with Humoresque and the ACLU marked the beginning of his activism against injustice and abuse.{{cite web|url=http://www.epgn.com/news/local/9499-william-way-honors-local-leaders-at-indigo-ball|title=William Way honors local leaders at Indigo Ball|first=Paige|last=Cooperstein|date=|website=PGN - The Philadelphia Gay News|accessdate=12 February 2019}}
Heifetz built himself as a businessman and developed real estate, gay bars, and hotels, including the Alexander Inn, Philadelphia’s first gay hotel.{{cite web|url=https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/real-estate-givers/mel-heifetz|title=Mel Heifetz|website=Inside Philanthropy|date=10 August 2022 }} From 1996 until 2013, Heifetz owned and operated Sisters, Philadelphia's only lesbian bar.{{cite web|url=https://billypenn.com/2017/10/20/a-philly-real-estate-investor-just-donated-16-million-to-support-the-lgbt-community/|title=A Philly real estate investor just donated $16 million to support the LGBT community|author=|date=20 October 2017|website=billypenn.com|accessdate=12 February 2019}}{{cite web|url=http://www.epgn.com/news/local/6274-23375679-phillys-only-lesbian-bar-shuts-down|title=Philly's only lesbian bar shuts down|first=P. G. N.|last=Staff|date=|website=PGN - The Philadelphia Gay News|accessdate=12 February 2019}}
Heifetz made a major donation in 2005, which paid off the mortgage of Philadelphia’s William Way LGBT Community Center.{{cite web|url=http://www.philly.com/philly/business/with-16-million-gift-gay-causes-get-a-big-boost-20171020.html|title=With $16 million gift, gay causes get a big boost|first=Peter|last=Dobrin|website=www.philly.com|date=20 October 2017 }} In 2015, the William Way LGBT Community Center honored Heifetz with their Humanitarian of the Year Award.{{cite web|url=https://www.phillymag.com/g-philly/2015/09/30/mel-heifetz-jennifer-higdon-indigo-ball/|title=Mel Heifetz, Jennifer Higdon to be Featured at Indigo Ball - G Philly|date=30 September 2015|publisher=}}
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.{{cite web|url=http://www.epgn.com/news/local/12669-gay-philanthropist-donates-16-million-to-lgbt-fund|title=Gay philanthropist donates $16 million to LGBT fund|first=Jeremy|last=Rodriguez|date=|website=PGN - The Philadelphia Gay News|accessdate=12 February 2019}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://philadelphiaaward.org/mel-heifetz/|title=Mel Heifetz - The Philadelphia Award|author=|date=|website=philadelphiaaward.org|accessdate=12 February 2019}} Also in 2017, Heifetz became a founding benefactor to the Gloria Casarez Residence, Pennsylvania’s first young adult LGBT-friendly permanent supporting housing project.{{cite web|url=http://www.queertimes.net/2017/12/08/homeless-youth-lgbtq-lions/|title=Homeless Youth & LGBTQ Lions|website=queertimes.net}}{{cite web|url=http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/commentary/pennsylvania-first-young-adult-lgbtq-friendly-permanent-supportive-housing-gloria-casarez-20180115.html|title=Pa.'s first young-adult LGBTQ-friendly permanent supportive housing honors Philly pioneer - Opinion|first=Sr Mary Scullion, For the Philadelphia|last=Inquirer|website=www.philly.com|date=15 January 2018 }}
Through donating $1 million to President Barack Obama's 2012 Presidential reelection campaign{{cite web|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/264474-five-donors-youve-never-heard-of-who-could-shape-the-2016-campaign|title=Five donors you've never heard of who could shape the 2016 race|first=Cheryl|last=Segal|date=2 January 2016|website=TheHill}} and $1 million to Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign, Heifetz officially became the biggest political donor in Pennsylvania.{{cite web|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/news/2013/08/08/learn-more-about-the-no1-political.html|title=Learn more about the No.1 political donor in Pennsylvania|last=Shelly|first=Jared|date=8 August 2013|website=bizjournals.com|accessdate=28 February 2019}} In his February 2016 Huffington Post piece, Heifetz cites Barack Obama's track record on LGBT rights as a motivating factor for supporting him.
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{{cite web|url=http://www.epgn.com/news/local/1378-3274835-dvlf-to-honor-community-heroes|title=DVLF to honor community 'heroes'|first=Jen|last=Colletta|date=|website=PGN - The Philadelphia Gay News|accessdate=12 February 2019|archive-date=12 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200212213333/http://www.epgn.com/news/local/1378-3274835-dvlf-to-honor-community-heroes|url-status=dead}} and the 2008 Human Rights Campaign Equality Award.{{cite web|url=https://www.edgemedianetwork.com/news/national//115340|title=EDGE sits down with gay philanthropist Mel Heifetz|website=EDGE Media Network}} 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.{{Cite web|url=https://philadelphiaaward.org/louis-kahn/|title=Louis Kahn | The Philadelphia Award}}
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.{{Cite web|url=https://equalityforum.com/event/equality-forum-2019-awards-celebration|title=Event - Equality Forum 2019 Awards Celebration | Equality Forum|website=equalityforum.com}} Past recipients of Equality Forum’s Frank Kameny award include activist Peter Staley{{cite web| url = http://www.epgn.com/news/local/12556-equality-forum-celebrates-25th-anniversary-names-historic-markers| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171010025321/http://www.epgn.com/news/local/12556-equality-forum-celebrates-25th-anniversary-names-historic-markers| archive-date = 2017-10-10| title = Equality Forum celebrates 25th anniversary, names historic markers}} and former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell.{{cn|date=September 2022}}