Mummers leadership has spent the last week meeting with LGBT leaders to discuss the nuances of the LGBT community and how to “punch up” in satire to avoid maligning a traditionally oppressed group.
There are also plans in the “embryonic stage” for a review process, so Mummers leaders can see each brigade’s planned performance before the annual parade to celebrate the New Year. Brigades have not previously revealed their routines in advance.
“The intention is to be self-policing,” said George Badey, Mummers spokesman, “but in an appropriate way by reaching out to the right people for feedback.”
Mummers leaders have met with Nellie Fitzpatrick, director of the Philadelphia Office of LGBT Affairs; Rue Landau, executive director of the city Commission on Human Relations; and Mark Segal, publisher of PGN.
“We had a really good meeting. We are all going toward the same goal: Have a good parade and be more inclusive,” said Badey, who noted that Mummers leaders first met with each other on New Year’s Day to discuss the LGBT issues at the parade.
Finnegan New Year Brigade performed a skit that included the Aerosmith song “Dude (Looks Like a Lady)” and signs that compared Caitlyn Jenner’s Wheaties cereal box to a box of Froot Loops. A member of the brigade can be heard shouting “F— the gays” in a video posted to YouTube. Around the same time as the Finnegan performance, other Mummers wearing patriotic colors and face paint allegedly assaulted a 28-year-old gay man, James Holtz, after calling him a faggot.
“We don’t want to cause trouble like this,” Badey said, noting the Finnegan marcher shouting obscenities has been banned from the Mummers.
Philadelphia police told PGN that no police report was filed for the alleged gay bashing.
Badey said the Finnegan brigade did not intend to mock Jenner because she is transgender.
“There should not be hurtful comments against a group that has traditionally not been treated well,” Badey said. “The attitude was they were spoofing Caitlyn Jenner and the Kardashian clan and all that. There was not an attempt to demean. I truly believe nobody in the brigade considered or thought about it because it wasn’t something they were attuned with.”
Fitzpatrick said she feels optimistic about the future between Philadelphia and the Mummers.
“People have come forward to say, ‘Look, I didn’t know this was offensive, but I do respect that it hurt people,’” she said. “My takeaway is, for being two weeks into the new year, there has been a tremendous amount of work done.”
Fitzpatrick noted it’s important to differentiate between the Mummers as a whole, a group of thousands of people, and the leadership of the Mummers, who have been reaching out to the LGBT community.
“To make the blanket statement that all Mummers are willing to learn is dangerous,” Fitzpatrick said. “It’s important to understand the true gravity of the work it’s going to take. What we’ve seen in the last two weeks is that the leadership of the Mummers — who’ve been very active for a very long time in this grand, expansive thing known as the Mummers — are willing to come to the table.”
The presidents of the five traditional Mummers divisions issued a press release the night of the parade noting they would like to partner with the LGBT community on an LGBT fundraiser or equality-awareness event.
“I cannot give definite plans of an exact community event or exact new rules and policies,” Fitzpatrick said. “Where we are right now is moving in a positive direction. It’s important to remember this is developing. I think there will be a lot of things happening throughout the year.”
Fitzpatrick said the Mummers leaders might need help structuring guidelines for brigades to put on performances that create positive experiences for everyone who attends.
“We want the city to know we are full partners in collaborating,” Badey said.
