LGBT Movements in Philadelphia

History

The LGBT (Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) movements seek similar goals of social equality and rights for gender and sexual-orientation minorities. Historically, the LGBT movement pioneered its petition for rights on the east coast in the major cities of New York City, Washington D.C., and Philadelphia. The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission established the first historical marker for this movement in 2005. Located in Old City near Independence Hall, this historical marker denotes the “Annual Reminders” which took place from 4 July 1965 and repeated every year until 1969. These peaceful protests included both men and women, dressed in professional attire, who came together to express their desire for equal civil rights (Annual Reminder Marker 1). Barbara Gittings, an instrumental component in these early demonstrations, worked as one of the first LGBT activist leaders in the United States and lived in the Philadelphia area for part of her life (Rapp 1). In addition to helping the movement progress in Philadelphia, Gittings founded a Daughters of Bilitis in New York and worked to remove homosexuality from the American Psychiatric Association’s list of mental illnesses in the 1970’s (Rapp 2). 

Additionally, a group of African-Americans demonstrated in the mid 1960’s through a series of sit-ins at Dewey’s Lunch Counter in Philadelphia. Several employees, directed by the owners, refused to serve youths who were dressed in “non-conformist clothing.” In the first event, a handful of participants, who refused to leave, were arrested. Eventually, the restaurant conceded to serve all customers regardless of sexual orientation or race (Roberts 1).

The Equality Forum

The Equality Forum, a non-profit organization directed by a Board of Directors and a National Board of Governors, provides a wide variety of initiatives to the educate the public and to promote civil rights (Equality Forum- About Us, Governance). First, each spring the Annual Equality Forum, a Global LGBT event, hosts a variety of programs for educational purposes. In 2010, the forum will take place in Philadelphia from 26 April to 2 May and will include highlights such as the International Equality Dinner at the National Constitution Center and SundayOUT at the Piazza (with seven hours of live music as well as an appearance of a variety of community organizations) (Equality Forum 2010). In a

ddition, since 2006, Equality Forum designates October as GLBT history month. Each day, the organization introduces a new historical or current activist for civil rights and presents a biography as well as photographs and videos about the individual as a way to inform the public about the movement . Equality Forum has produced three documentaries, Jim in Bold, Gay Pioneers, and Saint of 9/11, which all give different perspectives on the impact and the necessity of the LGBT movement. Finally, Equality For

um incorporates two other political initiatives to their organization: Program 1138 and Identification of the GLBT vote. The first discusses rights denied to same-sex couples and includes stories of local couples. The second identifies and confirms the impact of gay votes in various regions of the country (Equality Forum- About Us). The website, http://equalityforum.com/index.cfm, provides clear information about upcoming events and insightful information about the history and current events of the LGBT movement in Philadelphia.

Works Cited

Annual Reminder Marker. 2009. National Trust For Historic Preservation. 17 February 2010. .
Equality Forum. 2010. 17 February 2010. .
Rapp, Linda. Barbara Gittings. Summers, Claude J. 2004. 17 February 2010. .
Roberts, Monica. The 1965 Dewey’s Lunch Counter Sit-Ins. 2 February 2008. 17 February 2010. .