Rue Landau, a 1987 graduate of Cheltenham High School and the first openly LGBTQ person on Philadelphia’s City Council, was featured in the June 2024 edition of Philadelphia Magazine.

The article profiles Landau’s life in a nutshell, from her Cheltenham High School beginnings (she said her worst subject was chemistry), her first job (Abington McDonald’s), her favorite movie or TV show about politics (Keep), among other personal anecdotes.

The interview includes Landau’s thoughts on affordable housing, Mayor Kenney, and Mayor Parker, and ends with her advice to the 53,251 residents who have left Philly since 2020: “Change is on the way. C’mon back. I have tremendous hope in the future of Philadelphia.”

Landau and her partner Kerry Smith became the first couple in Pennsylvania to receive a same-sex marriage license when it became legal on May 20, 2014. They have a son, Eli, who goes to Central High School and currently live in Bella Vista near Rue’s two siblings.

In January, Landau was named Person of the Year (2023) by Philadelphia Gay News.

Philadelphia Magazine’s article is below:

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Photos: Wikipedia. Chuck Langerman