PGN was invited to participate in a panel discussion Tuesday evening entitled “Being Other in Philly,” an event that produced fruitful, meaningful conversation that pointed to the need for vast cooperation among minority communities in order to achieve societal gains that will benefit all populations who feel “othered. ”
Sponsored by the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists and Global Citizen, the discussion was led by journalists at the helm of the city’s leading minority publications. The forum was launched in response to Philadelphia Magazine’s controversial “Being White in Philly” feature this spring, as a way to explore the need for media outlets to address the needs of minority populations.
Each panelist and audience member brought his or her own experiences, and those of his or her respective communities, to the table. One participant talked about covering the issue of gun violence in Asian communities; another addressed the complexities of balancing coverage of issues impacting Jewish communities across the political spectrum; and another looked at the need for enhanced coverage of how the city’s schools are meeting the needs of African-American youth. PGN led discussion on the victories that have been won for LGBT rights but the continued need for public pressure to garner full equality. The issues discussed were vast but each person in the room shared one common element: Everyone had felt “other” at some point because of his or her identity.
Embracing that commonality enabled all attendees to see how and why they should work together for their respective goals. Just as the labor and immigration-reform movements have become increasingly aligned with the LGBT-rights movement, so too can other populations and movements. Not everyone fighting for equal treatment of African-American, Asian or Jewish communities may share a complete ideology with the LGBT community. None of these populations is monolithic: We each represent a broad swatch of Philadelphians who hail from different backgrounds and have a range of interests and ideals. But, working to enlist allies who personally understand what it means to be a minority, who have faced discrimination and who know the desire and drive it takes to fight for equal rights can be a key tool in achieving advances for each of these groups.
Being “other” in Philly is not uncommon. Nor is it something that people should accept. In a city whose diversity is as rich as its history, Philadelphians should not stand for feeling anything less than a full citizen. By joining with communities who are also labeled “other” — by societal prejudices, by mainstream media or by history — LGBTs can gain new allies in their own fight for justice and, perhaps, new perspective and drive to pursue equal rights for all.