Untitled 78; 9.75 in; 11.125 in; Black plus one; 00242285.pdf; PARX CASINO GREENWOOD GAMING
TIVE PHILLY’S NEWS ALTERNA
PHILLYWEEKLY.COM
Eat. Drink. Sing.
Yakitori Boy hosts a customer appreciation party PAGE 17
DECEMBER 7-14, 2016
BUD vs. BREW
Will weed bounce beer as new recreational pastime? PAGE 12
Racism comes out of the closet Video exposes bias and phobias in the Gayborhood
TIMAREE SCHMIT
T
o some LGBT Philadelphians, the Gayborhood—that patch of Washington Square West around Spruce and Locust streets—is an oasis. For those of us reared in red states, small towns, or simply judgmental families, it’s miraculous to find a community where being queer is not only tolerated, it’s celebrated. The neighborhood, however, is not immune from oppression. Slightly over a month ago, the Philadelphia Human Relations Commission held a hearing on racism in Gayborhood bars, partly in response to a video posted on social media of the owner of iCandy nightclub making racial slurs. But the issue is far from new: racial discrimination in hiring, dress codes, service and increased scrutiny by security staff have been documented since the Gayborhood’s origins in the 1970s. SEE PAGE 10
ies, rt a p E Y N e th f o p u d n u ro PW’s nts gatherings and social eve headed to Philly
SEE PAGE 8