When we began building our LGBTQ+ community in 1969 after the Stonewall Riots, those of us in those early discussions agreed on one guiding principle: a real community lifts up and protects its most vulnerable members. We created medical and legal resources, youth and trans organizations, and, without a dollar of government funding, we found ways to house those in need.<\/p>\n
In those early days, it was groups like Gay Youth and STAR (Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries) that found shelter for young LGBTQ+ people. Many of our communes became homes for those who were disenfranchised: Youth, trans people and even seniors who had nowhere else to turn.<\/p>\n
Today, we often forget that within our community, many live below the poverty line or are just getting by. We also don\u2019t always realize that the city\u2019s affordable housing programs, often seen as general aid, can directly benefit LGBTQ+ people as well if we choose to engage and advocate for them.<\/p>\n
Right now, legislation before Philadelphia City Council addresses exactly that: affordable housing. It\u2019s not abstract; this kind of legislation has already transformed lives in our community. Let\u2019s be crystal clear: without affordable housing initiatives, the John C. Anderson LGBT-Friendly Senior Apartments would never have existed.<\/p>\n
As one of the developers of that project, I saw firsthand how many LGBTQ+individuals and couples were desperate for safe, affordable housing. When Anderson opened, three of the first residents were pioneers from our movement, people who had risked everything to win us the rights we enjoy today. Don\u2019t we owe them dignity and security in their later years?<\/p>\n
The Anderson building now has a waiting list, and this new legislation in Council can help support projects and others that directly serve our community.<\/p>\n
LGBTQ+seniors, the first generation to live openly, who now deserve to live safely and with respect. Affordable housing isn\u2019t just a social issue; it\u2019s a moral one. It\u2019s about honoring those who came before us while ensuring a stronger, more inclusive future.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re a supporter of the LGBTQ+community, or part of it, think back to where we began in 1969 \u2014 when we created a community that took care of its own. That mission hasn\u2019t changed.<\/p>\n
This legislation isn\u2019t just about one neighborhood or one group. It\u2019s about lifting lives across many communities, including ours. And if we\u2019ve learned anything since Stonewall, it\u2019s that when we fight for the most vulnerable among us, we make life better for everyone.<\/p>\n
\n\tRelated<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When we began building our LGBTQ+ community in 1969 after the Stonewall Riots, those of us in those…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":38531,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[2313,23503,69,71,70,7034,23504,23505],"class_list":{"0":"post-38530","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-philadelphia","8":"tag-affordable-housing","9":"tag-gay-youth","10":"tag-philadelphia","11":"tag-philadelphia-headlines","12":"tag-philadelphia-news","13":"tag-star","14":"tag-stonewall-riots","15":"tag-street-transvestite-action-revolutionaries"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38530","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38530"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38530\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38531"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38530"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38530"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38530"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}