The owners and staff of 11 businesses were subsequently required to undergo training in anti-discrimination laws. Bars in particular contribute to the problem, the report states, as most are owned by white, cisgendered, males who create environments that cater to those who identify similarly. The city has struggled to deal with racism and discrimination in its Gayborhood district that have been ongoing problems for decades: earlier this year, the Philadelphia Commission on Human Rights published a lengthy report on how LGBTQ people of color, women, and transgender individuals “often feel unwelcome and unsafe” in the Center City neighborhood. The effort is intended to address diversity issues in the global LGBTQ community, but the gesture carries a particular significance in Philadelphia.
A flyer for the Philadelphia Office of LGBT Affairs’ #MoreColorMorePride campaign