Local and national headlines were dominated in the last week by news of the deadly building collapse at 22nd and Market streets, which killed six people and injured more than a dozen. The tragic incident elicited strong responses, from sadness to anger and everything in between, from Philadelphians of all walks of life. While this story may not seem to have an overt LGBT angle, it reinforces just how interconnected LGBTs are to other “mainstream” communities — and how mainstream incidents such as this reverberate with all communities.
One LGBT community member was driving north on 22nd Street, between Ludlow and Market streets, when the building collapsed. She had her twin 6-year-old sons with her, and their windshield was cracked by falling bricks. She had to move debris from in front of her car and move the vehicle so rescue workers could make it to the site. While all three were physically unharmed, the woman is now dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder and having trouble eating and sleeping after the incident.
The Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutritional Alliance, at 23rd and Ranstead, closed its kitchen early that evening and canceled that night’s volunteer shift. The agency provides nutritional meals to people with life-threatening illnesses, such as HIV/AIDS. All employees and volunteers were safe.
Gayborhood establishment Rosewood was also affected, and has been closed indefinitely while L&I looks into possible violations. The agency said the venue used the same contractor and expediter used for the property that collapsed.
And these are just three LGBT-related stories that have rolled in in the past week. When the building came down, there were likely hundreds of people in the vicinity, each with his or her own vantage point and story. The friends and families of the victims and survivors likely span a sea of states. And, as the investigation into this incident continues, it likely will include a review up the chain of command involved with the building’s demolition, which could include countless numbers of people.
Among these wide pools of stories there will undoubtedly be LGBT people. While opponents of LGBT rights do their best to promote the LGBT community as separate, other or divided from the mainstream heterosexual population, it’s instances like this that show our human communalities. The building collapse impacted innumerable people, in small ways and large, and sexual orientation or gender identity didn’t separate anyone touched by this.
Tragedy doesn’t discriminate.