“How are we going to signify this time? What is something concrete - a concrete symbol - to mark this progress in our community, and again, these 30-plus years of conversation and advocacy.” The new flag was meant to recognize the legacy of that activism, and anchor inclusion as an essential part of Philly Pride, Hikes said. Specifically, discrimination in bars, in places of public accommodation, a lack of representation in the leadership of our community,” says Amber Hikes, former executive director of the Philadelphia Office of LGBT Affairs, and current Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer at the ACLU. “For years, there were conversations about discrimination within the LGBTQ community.
The protests were not the first time that these problems had been raised. “It was a collective effort of a lot of people in the community, including performers, that decided to make sure our voices get heard.” Icon Ebony-Fierce, a Philadelphia drag and burlesque performer, event manager, and community activist, recalls how communities of color organized. “People forget that was inspired by a small group of rebels and Black queer people that just really wanted to speak out against something that was impacting their lives.” It was not sexy, it was not glamorous,” says journalist Ernest Owens, who exposed much of the racism. Both individuals and groups joined the call for change, when the neighborhood - a place that’s supposed to support and welcome LGBTQ people - was shown to be causing harm. In 2016, after a number of high-profile stories exposing racism in Philly’s Gayborhood, people - especially people of color - started demanding more inclusion and intersectionality in Philly’s LGBTQ community. Much like Pride itself, Philly’s flag - part of a citywide “More Color More Pride” campaign - was borne of protest. What does it mean? Why does it exist? If you have questions, you’re not alone, and we’re here to help. Even the new “Everyone Is Awesome” Pride-themed LEGO set included black and brown stripes as part of its design.īut for a lot of people, the multiple variations of Pride flags may seem confusing. The flag put Philadelphia in the global spotlight, and it’s seen widespread use around the world since, appearing on Nike and Converse sneakers, in the second season finale of the FX show Pose, and more. The Philly Pride flag adds two new stripes - brown and black - to the top of the rainbow.
In 2017, Philadelphia took a bold step toward LGBTQ representation with the introduction of the Philly Pride flag: our own version of the popular six-colored-stripe rainbow Pride flag. And violence continues, especially against Black trans women. There’s no hate crime legislation for LGBTQ people. In Pennsylvania, there’s an effort to ban transgender kids from playing sports. » READ MORE: Find ways to celebrate in our 2021 Pride events calendarīut, at the same time, it’s important to remember that the fight is not over. The LGBTQ rights and liberation movement has had a long history here, from the historic sit-ins at Dewey’s restaurant in 1965, to the Annual Reminders at Independence Hall from 1965 to 1969, a precursor to today’s Pride marches. Here in Philadelphia, there is a lot to celebrate and recognize.
The community fought back and let their voices be heard, and it sparked a movement for equality, visibility, and fair treatment for members of the LGBTQ community that continues today. Pride Month commemorates the 1969 riots at the Stonewall Inn in New York City, after police raided the bar and arrested many of its LGBTQ patrons. Each June, people in cities all over the world celebrate Pride month and recognize the struggles, dreams, and accomplishments of the LGBTQ community throughout its journey to equality.