Yesterday Eddy voiced concern over Philadelphia’s rainbow street signs and their potential to form an isolating gay “ghetto.” However, I see the symbols as favorable recognition and celebration of the city’s strong and visible gay community.
The signs appear in one of the most expensive areas of the racially and economically diverse city. The only potential of isolation would occur if ignorant visitors or residents refused to enter these areas because of the signs. The signs border streets that are home to gay club mainstays such as the entertaining, but poorly carpeted, Woody’s, and trendy bar Bump.
Philadelphia’s gay-borhood is highly concentrated around 12th and Locust Streets, but all metropolitan cities have sections that gays have “claimed.” Look at Dupont Circle in D.C., Chelsea or Hell’s Kitchen in New York, London’s Old Compton St., or the unmistakable markers that line Chicago’s Boystown on Halstead Street and one realizes that gays, particularly gay tourists, prefer to stay in one place for social outings. While they don’t have gay street signs, the rainbow flags wave proudly in all these areas.
The city of Philadelphia takes gay pride to the next level and is even advertising its gay nightlife scene in a multimillion-dollar ad campaign to bring gay visitors in. The campaign itself is a step in the right direction for gays and lesbians due to its efforts of inclusiveness. The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation is the first government-supported tourism agency to attempt to directly attract gay tourists via television, not only in gay media but on mainstream cable channels such as VH1, Comedy Central and MTV.
The spot shows historic Philadelphia via shots of Independence Hall and a man in period attire with
flowers. Another man comes up behind him and the two walk away together with the voice-over saying “Come to Philadelphia. Get your history straight. And your nightlife gay.”
And the nightlife is gay. Philadelphia is one of the last cities in the northeast with big warehouse-esque gay dance clubs (after the demise of D.C.’s Nation and NYC’s Roxy). New clubs seem to be continuing to pop up in Philly, including new addition theatrical restaurant/bar, Applause Applause, which has a great Sunday brunch, and even better Saturday night drag show. Where Washington, D.C. ordered Nation and surrounding gay venues to close their doors to make way for a baseball stadium, Philadelphia is promoting the fact that they have a booming nightlife scene and encouraging new gay-friendly business.
Putting a seal of approval on the gay area via street signs and using a gay couple as a symbol for the city should not put Philly in the publicity stunt category, rather a risk-taker in a generally conservative country. Let’s not forget a few short years ago this city was under the constituency of conservative former Senator Rick Santorum. Something tells me he might have taken up issue with the recent display of rainbow power.
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