Philadelphia Gay News

Homosexuals have a right to be a part of the family, Pope Francis said. They’re children of God and have a right to a family. Nobody should be thrown out, or be made miserable because of it. The pope then added a declarative statement on civil unions for same-sex couples. What we have to create is a civil union law. That way they are legally covered, he said.

More than a third of LGBTQ people identify as having a disability. Among lesbian, gay and bisexual adults, 30 percent of men and 36 percent of women identify as having a disability. Those disabilities can be physical, sensory, intellectual and mental. The breadth of disability, like the breadth of LGBTQ experience, should be part of our recognition of our LGBTQ history and who made that history.

Our features on LGBTQ history continue this week with a look at LGBTQ communities in the South. Rather than perpetuate the story of queer Southerners fleeing for the coasts to find acceptance, the Invisible Histories Project is unearthing how some LGBTQ Southerners thrived in their hometowns and built vibrant communities in the process.

In March, just as the United States shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic, Shamir, the Las Vegas-born, Philly-based musician who identifies as non-binary and is open to being addressed by any gender pronouns, released Cataclysm. It wouldn’t be his only album of the year. Known for his exploratory DIY style, Shamir released two albums in 2017, Hope and Revelations. Genre-wise, his work is whatever he wants it to be, from pop to punk to country-inflected indie rock.

For those who wish to vote in person and show some LGBTQ pride, Pride at the Polls takes place at the South Gate of City Hall at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 17. Organizers Paul Blore and Marquise Lee encourage Philly LGBTQ voters and their allies to show up wearing their loudest, most prideful outfits to cast their votes. Pride at the Polls is, according to Blore, Part get out the vote and part Pride celebration. The intention of Pride at the Polls is to increase voter turnout among the LGBTQ+ community and particularly younger people; unite in pride and show our strength both as a community and as an electorate; build an enduring social media campaign that keeps the get out the vote message top of mind for community members from launch through Election Day.

With the removal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, LGBTQ acceptance at the United States Naval Academy, which has roughly 4,500 students who go on to become military officers, improved greatly. But the history of LGBTQ people at the Naval Academy is much like that of the military: whispers, secrets, and staying under the radar.

The 10th annual Philly Trans March took place on Oct. 10 at Hunting Park in North Philadelphia. Approximately 200 people gathered to demand an end to violence, police brutality and discrimination toward the transgender community, especially queer and trans people of color. I think it was a good thing that they had it in North Philly because a lot of actions, like marches, are often in Center City or West Philly, Deej McCoy, one of the speakers at the march, told PGN. It was nice that something actually happened in North Philly, especially since there are a lot of murders of trans women that happen [there].

Sen. Bob Casey received a near-perfect score in the Human Rights Campaign's latest Congressional Scorecard, which gages support for LGBTQ issues. Sen. Pat Toomey received a zero. In Congress, most Democrats in Pennsylvania received perfect scores, while most Republicans received zeroes.

State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta sat down with Liberty City LGBT Democratic Club last week to discuss the importance of the election at the national and at the local level. Kenyatta stressed the need to gain a Democratic majority in Harrisburg, especially as it concerns legislation for the LGBTQ community. Every issue that we face is not gonna be solved in the Oval Office, Kenyatta said. As much as we need to ensure that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are elected, we need to also ensure that we’re focusing on the state and local level, because that really is where the rubber meets the road in terms of a lot of our issues.

Thank you to everyone who watched and participated in OutFest for Community Unity on Saturday!

The confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Nominee Amy Coney Barrett begin today. In Coney Barrett’s long-held opposition to reproductive rights and Roe v. Wade, she has called Roe an erroneous decision. Coney Barrett has also demonstrated bias against LGBTQ rights in her words, texts and recent rulings. She defended the Supreme Court’s dissenters in Obergefell v. Hodges, the landmark 2015 ruling that granted marriage equality, saying that the court had no business deciding the case and that it belonged in the hands of voters.

Happening now! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXru8Pzn27w

The OutFest for Community Unity livestream party is tonight at 6:00 p.m.! Join us for performances from some of our very best local artists, messages of unity from LGBTQ organizations, shout outs from community leaders and allies, and a few special guests. We couldn't celebrate our wonderful LGBTQ community in person this year, but that doesn't make it any less important to say we're out and we're proud!