aTypical Joe: a gay New Yorker living in the rural South

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Philadelphia Freedom

USA Today reports that Philadelphia is refining its pitch to gay tourists:

When the city rolled out a national ad campaign aimed at gay tourists four years ago, some of the commercials featured same-sex couples in Colonial costumes.
“Come to Philadelphia,” the ads said. “Get your history straight and your nightlife gay.”

Since then, the city has become more sophisticated in its effort to attract part of the annual $55 billion gay tourism market, targeting subgroups within the gay and lesbian community. [...]

The tourism agency partnered with R Family Vacations, a cruise company founded by entertainer Rosie O’Donnell and her partner Kelli that caters to gay and lesbian families. The city is also reaching out to gay athletes by meeting with gay softball, bowling and soccer leagues to accommodate their competitions, and it recently hosted the International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.

This past weekend, as I watched the Central PA Pride event protesters wield their megaphones to harass those of us standing in line to enter the event, I recalled that Philly anti-gay protesters recently lost a civil rights suit. The judge wrote, “There is no constitutional right to drown out the speech of another person.”

From the Philadelphia Inquirer (now behind a paywall):

Jan. 20 [2007]--A federal judge yesterday issued a ruling in favor of the city of Philadelphia and a gay-pride group in a civil-rights lawsuit filed by a group of anti-gay Christians who were arrested during a 2004 OutFest celebration in Center City.

U.S. District Judge Lawrence Stengel granted summary judgment for the city and Philly Pride Presents Inc., the nonprofit group that organized the OutFest event in a 15-block area between Walnut and Pine, 11th and Juniper streets.

“I am pleased that Judge Stengel was complimentary of the city’s efforts to protect First Amendment rights, while still preserving the public order,” said City Solicitor Romulo Diaz Jr. in a written statement.

The 11 plaintiffs included Lansdowne resident Michael Marcavage, a leader of Repent America. They argued that they had been discriminated against because of the content of their speech. The plaintiffs’ attorneys could not be reached for comment.

Stengel said the right to speak and assemble is not without limits. “There is no constitutional right to drown out the speech of another person,” he wrote.

After the city issued a permit to Philly Pride for OutFest, it had the authority “to enforce the permit by excluding persons expressing contrary messages,” the judge observed.

But, Stengel noted, the city didn’t exclude the plaintiff’s “counter-speech. “In fact, the city let them in and encouraged them to offer their message at a place where there would be a reduced possibility of a confrontation,” Stengel wrote.

Before the arrests, the gay organizers wanted the city to exclude the bullhorn-armed, sign-carrying religious activists from the “Gayborhood,” but city officials refused, allowing Marcavage and his colleagues access to the event.

Only when the religious group started insulting the gay, lesbian and transgendered crowd, blocked access to vendors and disobeyed police orders did the police arrest the activists, Stengel noted. The protesters were held 21 hours and charges were later dropped.

An appeal was “planned,” I’ve found nothing on it.