Philadelphia is an interesting place around Independence Day.
Apart from Hoagiefest mania, our city this week is celebrating our status as the birthplace of American freedom. Philadelphia embodies what the Fourth of July represents: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness — and whatever that idiom individually means to the residents of our melting pot of a city.
Our city largely celebrates diversity and encourages personal expression, but each day, we’re seeing just how far other cities, states and countries have to go until their citizens can be truly free.
Abroad, Great Britain voted last week to leave the European Union, a move that many surmise was motivated by the same brand of racism and xenophobia that has propelled Donald Trump forward. Reports of harassment of immigrants abounded during the “Brexit” campaign, and especially afterward, as proponents of leaving the EU claimed victory.
On our own turf, the U.S. Supreme Court blocked an order by President Obama to halt deportations of undocumented immigrants. The decision sent shockwaves through the immigration-rights community, including locally, where several activists were arrested at a large-scale Center City demonstration.
In Pennsylvania, we seemingly got close to advancing LGBT protections in housing and employment, an effort that seems to now be blocked by a Republican lawmaker. Restrictions on freedoms have also trickled down to the individual level; just recently there were reports of a gay couple being ejected from a cab in California for nothing other than being gay, and of two local men being asked to leave a New Jersey boardwalk for seemingly nothing other than wearing an LGBT-supportive shirt.
We are indeed fortunate in Philadelphia to enjoy so many liberties. We have a sea of LGBT-affirming elected officials, a bustling LGBT business and entertainment district and laws, policies and programs that encourage LGBT engagement and inclusion.
There is certainly work that still needs to be done for LGBT equality in Philly, especially around trans and minority issues — though tangible efforts have been building toward those aims in recent years. By and large, it is a good time to be an LGBT Philadelphian.
But there are many areas where oppression still rears its ugly head — a truth we must keep in mind as we celebrate our freedom.