In response to “SEPTA to drop gender markers next month,” June 7-13:
I am writing in response to Angela Thomas’ excellent story about the removal of the irrational gender marker stickers on SEPTA’s ironically named trans passes. While we at Mazzoni Center Legal Services are pleased to learn that SEPTA will be phasing out the stickers, we remain concerned about the transit agency’s ongoing legal action, in which they continue to argue that they are exempt from Philadelphia’s Fair Practices Ordinance. Your article acknowledged the lawsuit filed by SEPTA back in 2009, but suggested that this matter was no longer a concern in light of the gender-marker policy change. This is actually not the case, and SEPTA has literally taken this case to the state Supreme Court to argue that they should not be required to abide by the Philadelphia Fair Practices Ordinance, which protects all LGBT people from discrimination. If they are successful in this argument, this means they would have the right to discriminate against employees and passengers on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Literally, this would allow SEPTA to kick LGBT people off any bus, or fire all their LGBT employees legally. It also could result in the re-imposition of the trans stickers that we’ve all fought so hard to eliminate. So, while we celebrate along with our client, Charlene Arcilla, and appreciate all of the hard work of the folks at RAGE and other activists who successfully fought for the elimination of the stickers, we continue to take on the larger issues of fairness and equality for all Philadelphians. On behalf of all LGBT people who use SEPTA’s services, we are preparing to file an amicus brief in the state Supreme Court to hold them accountable to the same laws that all businesses in Philadelphia are expected to obey.
— David Rosenblum Mazzoni Center legal director
What is happening to the gay Pride I love? I love the Pride parade and festival, I really do. But what I saw [Sunday] broke my heart. What did I (and all of us) see? A huge and unnecessary line; a host past his prime; and a straight woman whose D-level claim to celebrity status came from riding the coattails of a racist homophobe. Before we get to her, let’s start from the beginning.
Lines to get in? Do we really not know how to check bracelets yet? This thing is 25 years old. We should not be waiting in crazy lines to get into Penn’s Landing. There are literally a dozen well-trained bouncers that work the Gayborhood every weekend that do this for a living. They could easily host a seminar for the volunteers. “Hi, I’m Bill from Woody’s and this is how you let paying customers into your event.” Pull it together, event staff.
Henri David is a nice man and for about 30 seconds it’s funny that he wears goofy outfits. Please can we get a host that can manage a stage? He rushed Jim Donovan off stage only to tell us to wait for the next 10 minutes. There was no one on stage, just an old man yelling off to the side at our headliner and then an occasional “keep dancing” into the microphone. That command was for the crowd, which was not dancing. Very charming. There was one joke (probably as old as the festival) about how one-third of us are crazy. Is there really no one else in Philadelphia who can pick up a microphone and host? Henri, come to Pride and watch it from the seats with the rest of us next year.
I know that we can’t have great celebrities every year. I get it. They are expensive and a pain to host. Omarosa Manigault? Admittedly, I am not the best judge of celebrities, but even I know that this is a lame choice. She didn’t even prepare a speech. She just walked past those Attic youth (the real celebrities) asking them to say their name and then adding a quip about how someone reminds her of herself, because of sass, or panache, or something. Whatever she was paid, let’s just save it and make admission free. There is enough queer talent in this town to fill that stage. We really don’t need a headliner. No one paid $10 to see Omarosa. No one. They paid $10 to have access to tables of rainbow gear, shirtless men and women and to have fun with their friends.
Do I have a solution? Not really. I was just disappointed in what I saw. Maybe I have outgrown Pride. I don’t know. I really hope I haven’t. The festival just seems a little old hat. Maybe it is time to shake it up a little bit. This town is full of some of the most interesting and creative queers I have ever met. I hope they are at the drawing board next year.
— Josh Ferris Fishtown