DISPATCH | Experiencing Philly's Gayborhood

As the home of the Liberty Bell, Rocky Statue, the iconic cheesesteak — and the literal birthplace of the United States — history and culture greet visitors and locals alike on every street corner in Philadelphia. Something I was less familiar with, though, is the city’s rich history of LGBTQ+ activism and community.

Although my older sister had lived in Philly for the past four years, it wasn’t until this summer that I was able to spend more than a day there. While my friend and I visited popular attractions like Reading Terminal Market, people-watched picnicking residents, and discovered beautiful street murals, we were particularly drawn to the city’s vibrant queer presence, particularly in Philly’s “Gayborhood” and annual pride parade.

The Center City neighborhood known as the Gayborhood — a nickname coined in 1995, recognizing the area as an important site of LGBTQ+ rights activism and resilience — quickly became my favorite place in Philly. Today, the neighborhood features 36 rainbow street signs, rainbow cross walks, and a plethora of LGBTQ+ flags on every corner. It is also home to the William Way LGBT Community Center, a non-profit organization serving Philly’s queer community; and Giovanni’s Room, America’s largest LGBTQ and feminist bookstore named after James Baldwin’s 1956 queer novel.

The lively and colorful space of Giovanni’s Room is housed inside Philly AIDS Thrift, a Gayborhood cornerstone that donates its proceeds to local organizations that fight HIV/AIDS. The bookstore felt constructed with love and community at its heart. In addition to books available for purchase, I explored display cases with vintage photographs, books, and magazines. Selected items depicted moments of queer representation in history, such as a 1930s edition of Moby Dick and a collection of vintage gay pornography. I also enjoyed shifting through racks of colorful vintage clothing and accessories at the thrift store, which showed the defiant self-expression characteristic of queer culture.

While in the space, I also experienced Giovanni’s Room as a community. Its busy layout encouraged spontaneous interactions, and its many unique artifacts served as wonderful topics of conversation. I was unsurprised to learn that Giovanni’s Room also hosts book clubs, art shows, and music performances, offering a cultural hub for local artists and community members as well as a safe space. I felt especially lucky to be in the Gayborhood during Pride Month, as nearly every conversation warmly ended with a “Happy Pride!”

The spirit of the Gayborhood felt more alive than ever during early June’s parade weekend, which brought together tens of thousands of LGBTQ+ community members and allies for celebration through music, dance, learning, and advocacy. I was especially moved by its diverse age range: I saw young adults, families with small children, and elderly couples alike.

For the majority of the festival, my friend and I sat and watched people in silence, awed by the sheer number of attendees and their self-expression through fashion. Shirts, pins, and flags declared “Dykes for dolls,” “I love sluts,” and “We’re here. We’re queer. We riot!” Attendees reclaimed words historically used to demean the LGBTQ+ community. In recognition of the intersectionality of struggles for justice, many attendees also embraced symbols of Palestinian solidarity with statements like, “Queers for Palestine.”

Philadelphia is Philly because it is unapologetically queer, and it is precisely its queerness that makes the city feel so imbued with love, hope, and community. Philly has become a reminder of ongoing struggle and progress, reminding myself of the value of safe spaces, visibility, and the radical power of community.