Washington Square West, now referred to as the “Gayborhood,” has been a nexus for the LGBT community for 30 years or more. FIGHT has been proud to have been located there since 1996. We are, and we serve, an exceptionally diverse group of people. We welcome all as our guests. We want our patients, clients and employees—all of them—to be welcomed and comfortable in our neighborhood.
Philadelphia FIGHT strongly condemns the racist behavior by some business establishments recently identified as happening in our neighborhood. Dress codes, excessive ID checks, and other actions that disproportionately limit access to members of certain racial groups are wrong and do not reflect who we are as a community. Everyone, including LGBT people of color should be able to patronize our Gayborhood Business establishments and do so without harassment. We hope that the community in which we are located, and many of whose members we serve, will be able to come together in the spirit of respectful and open dialogue to address these issues, with the clear goal of an end to discriminatory and racist practices.
We urge every establishment to reflect the openness that led to Wash West becoming the Gayborhood in the first place. Everyone that visits, works, lives and plays in the Gayborhood must be equally welcomed and treated with respect.