Waiting for a flight at Philadelphia International Airport proved to be a lesson on how and why Philadelphia is a leader in LGBT inclusion.
As I was walking to Terminal A, I discovered the airport’s tribute to the civil-rights movement over the last 50 years. Included in the exhibit is a very large collection of pictures from our march towards LGBT equality. The pictures go back to even before 1965, when the first-ever march for “homosexual equality” was held outside Independence Hall.
Another of the pictures is that of a demonstration held years before even the infamous Stonewall Riots of 1969: the sit-ins at Dewey’s lunch counter in Philadelphia.
This action was similar to Stonewall, but this time in a restaurant where the owners didn’t like the behavior or dress of the LGBT patrons. They reacted by asking them to leave and pledged to not serve people in “non-conformist clothing.” Several stood their ground and said no. Days after, the Janus Society, an early gay-rights organization in Philadelphia, picketed and handed out leaflets about the restaurant’s discriminatory policies.
Philadelphia today is a city deep in LGBT history to be proud of and a city that now welcomes us into all aspects of city life. Philadelphia is a showcase of what other cities around the nation can achieve.
It’s no wonder Human Rights Campaign has designated Philadelphia one of the most inclusive and LGBT-friendly cities in America. Take pride, Philly.