Name:Matthew Izzo, designer/boutique owner
Affiliation: Matthew Izzo boutiques
His Story: Matthew Izzo opened his first shop in Philadelphia in 2002, and business has been booming ever since. Izzo, a pedigreed Manhattan interior designer, opened his business here because "Philly is fresh. I fell in love with the architecture and newness of it. I was tired of being one of a bunch. Here, I could make a name for myself." Izzo has accomplished that task, with a furniture and home accessories shop, a thriving design business, a hip clothing boutique and a hair salon. When he has time, he paints what he calls "soothing water concepts" in a mix of acrylic and oil. An upholstery line is next to launch. "I dress people, I show people how to live, and then they can get their hair done." How would he describe his style? "My look is urban, but with a European flair."

Name: Mark Segal, journalist/publisher/activist
Affiliation: Philadelphia Gay News
His Story: Mark Segal isn’t one to sit on the sidelines. The journalist/publisher/activist was involved in New York’s Action Group and infamous Stonewall Riots of June 1969, a trigger to the militant gay movement. That same year he also became a member of the Gay Liberation Front and founded the Gay Youth Group, which remains Manhattan’s longest existing LGBT organization. A few of his proudest accomplishments include protesting a lack of LGBT coverage on the national news in the early 70s, action which resulted in all three networks signing agreements to stop stereotyping gays and lesbians in programming and to cover news that affected the gay/lesbian community. In 1976, Segal founded the award-winning Philadelphia Gay News, a weekly publication known for its impassioned point of view. Segal has protested the treatment of gay people in Cuba, hosted the country’s first gay talk radio show and founded the Pride of Philadelphia Election Committee to strengthen the political muscle of the local gay and lesbian community. He also sits on the board of the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association.

Names:Michael Sparano and Rocco Giancaterino, salon/antique shop owners
Affiliation: Salon Royale Court
Their Story: It’s not every day that you can get your hair done and pick out the perfect mirror for the foyer. But that’s exactly what clients can do at Salon Royale Court, an artful combination of two businesses under one roof: a full service hair salon and an antique store specializing in 19th- century and early 20th-century English, French and American antiques. Located on two floors of their 11,000-square-foot Rittenhouse Square mansion, Salon Royale Court seamlessly combines Sparano and Giancaterino’s dual passions. "We treat it more like a studio than a hair salon," said Sparano, who had an antique shop in Chestnut Hill before moving into town. He manages the business, while Giancaterino serves as artistic director for the salon. Everything in the place, from the rugs, to art on the walls, to the lamps and vases, is for sale. Most of the inventory is mid-range decorative antiques and accessories—affordable enough to tempt customers to add that special mirror or hallway runner onto their bill for highlights and a manicure.

Name:Anh Dang, president
Affiliation: Fins Aquatics Club, Philadelphia’s GLBT swim team
His Story: Anh Dang graduated from Drexel University and now resides in the Washington Square West neighborhood. He works as a vaccine analyst, but his real passion is spending time in Philadelphia’s great outdoors. Besides serving as president of Philadelphia’s GLBT swim team, the Fins Aquatics Club, Dang says, &lquot;You can pretty much find me running on Kelly Drive every weekend year-round, whether I run by myself, with a training buddy or with Frontrunners Philadelphia.&rquot; When asked about his hometown of 15 years he asserts, "Philadelphia is a great gay-friendly destination because it offers big-city choices with friendlier attitudes and down-to-earth prices. And Philly is a very walkable city; you can brunch, shop and cruise a few works of art on foot, and still have the energy to dance your night away."

Name:Charlie Potje, owner/stylist
Affiliation: Charlie Salon
His Story: The Philly-born and -raised Charlie Potje, owner of his self-named salon, says his favorite activity is strolling through the different neighborhoods, each of which lends its own distinct characteristics to the spirit of the city. He thinks Philadelphia is beautiful, and he should know—he is in the beauty business. Everyone who works at his &lquot;Gayborhood&rquot; salon thrives on making other people look as good on the outside as they feel on the inside with cuts, color treatments, manicures, waxing, makeup services and full bridal party services.

Name:RJ Thornburg and Warren Muller, owners
Affiliation: bahdeebahdu
Their Story: Together for almost 10 years, RJ Thornburg and Warren Muller are partners in business and in life. After a chance meeting at Buddakan in Historic Philadelphia’s Old City, the two were inseparable. Thornburg, a self-proclaimed &lquot;fabulist,&rquot; and Muller, a talented luminary, see the immense local talent in the city, and they do their best to support and nurture that through their business/studio/gallery, bahdeebahdu. In their gallery, the couple displays an eclectic mix of art and art-furniture, both functional and ornamental. Here, interior design meets installations, light sculptures and fantastical exhibitions. They are proud papas to two daughters from Thornburg’s previous marriage. Their oldest daughter, who will graduate from Ursinus College this year, is following in her fathers’ creative footsteps by working with popular muralist Meg Saligman. The pair believes that people make a city, and Philadelphia’s non-discriminating residents make it a gay-friendly—or just plain friendly—destination.

Name:Stephen Carlino and Dennis Fee, owners
Affiliation: Tavern on Camac
Their Story: Stephen Carlino and Dennis Fee, both lifetime residents of Philadelphia, have been together for 12 years, and they have two cats, one dog and a thriving restaurant and bar to show for it. Their four-year-old Tavern on Camac, nestled on one of Philadelphia’s most charming streets, features fine dining downstairs and a lively second-floor nightclub, Ascend Lounge, where guys and gals get their groove on during karaoke and weekend dance parties. Carlino and Fee live in the Fitler Square area of Center City, and their favorite Philly activity is to walk the Schuylkill River Trail with their Siberian husky, Nikolai. They can’t pick just one thing that makes Philadelphia a great destination. Friendly people, small neighborhoods, historic attractions, museums, fun bars and restaurants and the walkability are on their short list!

Name: Tami Sortman, vice president, client services at Altus Group, and Melissa Kolczynski, actress and personal fitness instructor
Affiliation: Altus Group and 12th Street Gym
Their Story: By day, Tami Sortman works at the Altus Group, a full-service marketing communication agency that specializes in gay marketing, but she’s just as passionate about her position as president of the Philadelphia Gay Tourism Caucus, an organization that promotes gay-friendly Philadelphia to increase tourism. In her free time, Sortman enjoys playing for the Philadelphia Women’s Baseball League, Sister and Brotherly Love Softball League and the Doylestown Fall Ball League. She is also an avid mountain biker and motorcycle rider. Her partner, Melissa Kolczynski, works as a personal trainer at the 12thStreet Gym and as an actress for local theater companies. Kolczynski also sings with the Voices of the Pops, a 12-person vocal ensemble with Peter Nero and the Philly Pops. Kolczynski developed and produced a one-woman play and, most recently, wrote and produced a television pilot which she hopes to film entirely in Philadelphia. So when does this dynamic duo of more than six years spend time together? They certainly score quality time when walking their dogs around town. On their way to More Than Just Ice Cream, their favorite restaurant, Sortman and Kolczynski hold hands unabashedly, which is another reason they consider Philadelphia a great city.

Names:Valerie Safran and Marcie Turney, restaurant and boutique owners
Affiliation: Lolita, Grocery and Open House
Their Story: There’s nothing new about women in the kitchen. But lesbian partners running their own cafés and restaurants, now that’s a story not run often enough. For Valerie Safran and Marcie Turney, owning their own Philadelphia restaurant was the only way to go. The women met six years ago at Valanni restaurant, a bistro where Safran waitressed and Turney cooked. Both women were eager to strike out on their own. The couple took a risk and debuted Open House, a home accessories shop on 13th Street, in October 2002. Lolita, a contemporary Mexican restaurant across the street, came next. Creative fare, house-made margarita mix (bring your own tequila) and attentive service have put this intimate restaurant firmly on the Philadelphia dining map. The pair then opened Grocery, a café and market, also on 13th Street. Their newest venture, a modern Indian BYOB restaurant named Bindi, followed in December 2007. Safran and Turney believe that Philadelphians are open-minded and love their city—two attributes that combine to make a perfect gay destination. And as for their favorite thing to do in the city—eat, of course. Dmitri’s, Amada, Supper and Osteria are just a couple of their picks for delicious food.