On April 7, Governor Tom Wolf signed two executive orders that, according to a release from Harrisburg, “expand protections from discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender expression or identity for state employees and, for the first time, employees of contractors doing business with the commonwealth.” They are said to have been signed because the Pennsylvania Fairness Act remains stalled in the state’s General Assembly.
“With no sign that Republican leaders plan to free this bill that has broad, bi-partisan support, I am taking action to protect those that I can and send a signal to the country that Pennsylvania is open for business no matter who you are or whom you love,” Wolf said.
His orders are receiving praise from LBGT advocates in the wake of regressive legislation passed in North Carolina and Mississippi that essentially legalizes discrimination based on sexuality or gender identity. Business owners and advocates joined Wolf when he ceremoniously signed these orders, and one of them was Philadelphia’s Independent Business Alliance’s executive director, Zachary Wilcha.
“Throughout Philadelphia, there are a lot of businesses that think it’s very important to make sure that LGBT folks know that they are welcome as customers, they’re welcome as people who could do business with them in some way,” the Point Breeze resident said.
The orders don’t actually immediately trickle down to, say, East Passyunk Avenue businesses, but it’s a step and a signal.
“The orders send a signal to other states that have been passing these reprehensible bills codifying discrimination. This is a small step towards equality,” Wilcha affirmed. “I think a majority of Philadelphians don’t want what’s happened in North Carolina or Mississippi.”
Major stars have pulled out of professional engagements in North Carolina because of discriminatory legislation. Bruce Springsteen and Pearl Jam have been shining examples, and Mayor Jim Kenney’s LGBT liason, Nellie Fitzpatrick, agrees.
“It’s a powerful statement,” she said of both Wolf’s signature and artists taking a stand. “Individuals, whether they’re a mayor or a city or a governor of a state or a rockstar, they are going to the end of their jurisdictional power to say that this is not what we stand for. They’re using their voice and the power that they have to be on the right side of things and to push for equality.”
One way that LGBT folks in South Philly have been receiving encouraging affirmations that their identities aren’t worthy of lawful discrimination is mixers and socials coordinated by the East Passyunk Avenue Business Improvement District (EPABID) and the South of South Neighborhood Association (SOSNA).
EPABID executive director Renee Gilinger came on board in December 2008 and attended an LGBT fundraiser that winter called Toy for the Delaware Valley Legacy Fund (DVLF). She ran into five sets of friends who said “there’s nowhere to go.” The first one, in March ’09, had meager ambitions but a huge turnout.
“Lynn [Rinaldi, owner and chef at Paradiso, 1627 E. Passyunk Ave.] was so happy to host it – we thought maybe we’ll get 30 or 40 people, and we had 150 to 200 people show up,” Gilinger, who modeled Queers on the Avenue (QOTA) after DVLF’s Our Night Out, a rotating LGBT mixer held at different restaurants each month, explained. “We’ve done them every month since March of 2009, we never miss it, and we’ve never skipped one. We had one at the POPE [, 1501 E. Passyunk Ave.] in a foot of snow, and people still showed up.”
QOTA’s set for a big block party celebration at Metro Mens Clothing, 1600 E. Passyunk Ave., 1 to 5 p.m. April 30. Jet Wine Bar, 1525 South St., is the destination for an LGBT mixer 5 to 7 p.m. on Monday organized by SOSNA.
“Eventually, we’re going to realize that you just can’t discriminate against people anymore for who they love or why they are who they are. It’s going to require a shift in understanding – when we go to work we want to be treated like human beings – let us do our job and contribute to a vibrant economy,” Fitzpatrick explained. “Changing laws is far easier than changing hearts. There’s a cultural change as well; that’s really where the next big step is.”
Contact Staff Writer Bill Chenevert at bchenevert@southphillyreview.com or ext. 117.
A previous QOTA at the Singing Fountain was a hit, while former Mayor Michael A. Nutter paid a visit to Tom Longo’s Metro Mens and posed with QOTA founder Renee Gilinger.
Photos Provided by QOTA Facebook Page
