Mel Heifetz - The Outwords Archive

A portrait of Mel at age 5-6. He shares, “We were living in Philadelphia, PA as a poor working class family.”

Mel and his elementary school classmates at Eliza B. Kirkbride School, Philadelphia, PA. Mel is placed in the back row on the top step, “looking taller.”

Mel sitting inside the Humoresque Coffeeshop (his first business) in front of a mural with a handcuffed figure that reads “Breach of Peace?”, Philadelphia, PA, circa 1960s. He shares, “I was arrested here at 21 with forty high school age customers and later introduced to the ACLU [of Philadelphia] for the court case. Years later, it was revealed [that the police raid happened] because of gays and interracial customers.”

Mel (age 35) on the beach at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Mel at a gay beach in Acapulco, Mexico, 1970s-1980. He shares, “This was the best gay scene anywhere: hundreds of beautiful gay friends.”

Nestor, with whom Mel had a three-year relationship, in Acapulco, Mexico.

Mel at work in his apartment building, Philadelphia, PA, 1976.

Mel with his brother Sidney Heifetz at Ft. Jefferson when he owned Alexander Inn, Key West, FL.

A billboard for Mel’s hotel the Key Wester Inn that reads, “Key West’s Fun Place to Stay on the Ocean. Pool, Tennis, Restaurant, Inner Circle Lounge: Drink - Dine - Dance”. He owned the Majda facility in Key West, FL from 1976 to 1985.

Mel working at his desk in his hotel, the Key Wester Inn, Key West, FL.

Mel with his early partner Jim Spector. He shares, “We had a great relationship and 10 year friendship until he died of HIV.”

Mel (age 46) with his brother Sidney Heifetz.

Mel with his mother Claire Heifetz at home in Maui Beach.

Mel and his partner Jim Ross in the Grand Canyon, Arizona, 1990s.

Mel and his partner Jim Ross on a cruise, 1990s.

Mel in front of his airplane. He shares, “I owned my own airplane and, for eight years, would commute between Philadelphia and Key West with businesses in both places.”

Mel at the airport and under a plane, 1990s.

Mel and his partner Jim Ross in Europe on vacation, January 22, 1994.

Mel and his long-term partner Jim Ross at the airport, getting ready to fly to Key West, FL where Mel owned a major motel, 2004.

Mel with one of the three speedboats he has owned. He also kept wave runners at home on San Marco Island in South Beach, FL.

The exterior of the Alexander Inn, Philadelphia, PA. Mel shares, “I owned this building for 50 years and rehabbed it in 1998 into Philly’s first gay hotel.”

Mel at work in the Alexander Inn, Philadelphia, PA, 2000.

Mel with a plunger, coming to help clear a problem for a tenant.

A flier for the Sisters bar that Mel owned in Philadelphia, PA. It features two women sitting on a suitcase and reads, “Sisterhood in the Philly Gayborhood. Girls… Dining! Girls… Dancing! Girls… Socializing!” Mel shares, “I owned women’s bars in Philly as well. First was Hepburn’s, then later Sisters.”

Mel with Barbara Gittings and Kay Lahusen (Barbara’s partner), his friends of 40 years.

Mel with Kay Lahusen on the book she wrote. He holds a copy of “Inspired Philanthropy, the Second Edition”, December 16, 2009.

Mel with his supporter and best friend Brian Sims.

Mel at the dinner table with many young leaders during a gay function.

Mel burning the William Community Center mortgage, which he paid off in 2006, Philadelphia, PA.

Mel with President Barack Obama at a women’s political gathering in Washington, DC, 2016.

Mel in a tux attending a formal reception in honor of the Italian Prime Minister at the White House, Washington, DC, November 2016.

An event flier for the 97th Philadelphia Award, which was conferred on Mel Heifetz in Philadelphia, PA, June 7, 2018.

Mel Heifetz was born in Philadelphia on November 4, 1935, and raised in South Philadelphia. His parents could not afford to purchase property, and his family moved often. With the nickname “Firebug,” he frequently got into trouble as a child, but when he entered the Boy Scouts in his early teens, he excelled. By age 15, he got to serve as the honorary chief of police and had his sights set on becoming a pilot.

Unable to afford college, Mel enlisted in the army at 18 years old and worked as a radar operator communicating with Europe. While stationed in Germany, he walked past a boy scout troop meeting by chance and sat in on the meeting, where he was promptly invited to run the troop for the next year and a half. Throughout his time in the army, Mel remained closeted about his sexuality as a gay man.

Upon returning to Philadelphia with no job training, Mel purchased a coffee shop for $1,500, the Humoresque. The Humoresque had a gender neutral bathroom, and provided a rare safe haven for both gay and interracial young couples. As business improved, Mel started getting unexpected summonses to the police headquarters, where Captain of Police Frank Rizzo told Mel that he needed to “take better care of the police.” Out of the blue one weekend evening, the police raided the coffee shop and arrested Mel and his customers for “disorderly conduct.” They were all kept in jail overnight and then collectively fined the next morning. Volunteer attorneys with the ACLU tried to help Mel clear his criminal record to no avail. 20 years later, Mel found out from Rizzo’s personal driver that he was raided simply because Rizzo was angry to see interracial and gay couples regularly walk into the coffee shop.

Meanwhile, Mel refused to shy away from serving the LGBTQ+ community. He started leasing and refurbishing. Through the 1950s and 60s, Mel expanded his business to apartments and hotels. His businesses were openly gay-owned or gay-staffed, and quickly acquired a loyal stream of both gay and straight clientele.

Mel readily shared whatever wealth he earned with friends and family, and purchased a condo in Florida for his parents to own for the first time. He started making regular trips to visit his family and explore Key West, where he discovered a gay business community. He became inspired to start a bar in Philadelphia called Key West, a 3-story gay bar boasting a waterfall, seasonally rotated interior decoration, and cabaret and drag performances.

Alongside the flourishing of Key West, the HIV crisis mounted. Mel remained committed to supporting his employees, especially those diagnosed with HIV. While he received constant rejections from health insurance companies for his employees, he started handing out checks each month to help with expenses and medical bills.

Mel extended his philanthropy across LGBTQ+ causes, from helping local AIDS organization We the People pay rent, to funding political advertisements to preserve gay rights, to donating to the ACLU. He eventually established the GLBT Fund of America, a permanent fund of tens of millions to support LGBTQ+ organizations. He encourages others to practice generosity too — next time you’re at a bar and buying someone a drink, while you’re at it, “Buy a gay organization a drink, send them $10.”

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