Philadelphia Pride // “Burning Desire”
If you have never celebrated anything in the city of brotherly love you might know how fun can turn…into fire. From Phillies & Eagles parades to Mummers on New Year’s, it seems like this town can’t get enough of lighting things with the same kind of passion they cheer with.
Before Diving In
You should know that Philadelphia has a history of having an open heart for LGBTQ+ people. There is even a neighborhood here called “the Gayborhood.”
In this neighborhood, the street signs even have a rainbow on them to help designate it. Gay clubs, restaurants, and shops line the streets, and Friday night is an absolute party every time.
The Pride Parade was largely a success, and everybody has a respectful relationship within and outside of the LGBTQ community. So don’t let this one story taint your view of this great city and its commitment to diversity.
Flag On Fire
The Philly Voice reported on a trans-woman who was arrested for attempting to burn an American flag (some say it was a “Blue Lives Matter” flag) during the parade. Not exactly the kind of thing the organizers had in mind, but maybe this should have been expected at a Philadelphian gathering.
Ryan Segin
From Cape May (Jersey…amirite?), Segin attended the festival and got arrested for attempting to set fire to a flag in public. Beyond the unpatriotic claims or anti-police sentiment which may have been fueling this activity, it was disruptive for the true meaning of Pride and distracted from the progress the LGBTQ+ community have made in the last several decades.
A hearing has been scheduled for June 25.
Why the arrest, if flag burning isn’t illegal in America?
Flag Burning Isn’t Illegal, On Principle
From the Wikipedia entry on this topic:
The United States Supreme Court in Texas v. Johnson, 491 U.S. 397 (1989), and reaffirmed in U.S. v. Eichman, 496 U.S. 310 (1990), ruled that due to the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, it is unconstitutional to prohibit the burning of a flag, due to being a form of “symbolic speech.”
One of the things that Segin’s supporters failed to recognize is that this is not an issue about flag burning as a 1st amendment right. It is an issue of the time, place, and context of the action. This person chose to burn a flag during an otherwise peaceful parade, not a protest of any kind.
The purpose of Pride is to celebrate the freedom, rights, and triumph of LGBTQ+ people. To burn a flag in a politicized fashion with unclear messaging and no direct audience, is destructive to the aims of LGBTQ+ people and the Pride Parade itself.
That’s why this became an arson issue.
Complex Issues Need Simple Solutions
If change is going to continue in a positive, upward trajectory for LGBTQ people, incidents like this need to be handled peacefully but appropriately.
We cannot have people burning flags during Pride Parades! Simple and plain it is unnecessary and likely only to result in poor public perception of LGBTQ people and these kinds of events.
The actions of this individual are not representative of the community as a whole, and inciting this kind of activity is not helpful to the cause. Simply stated, Pride month is a beautiful time to celebrate the accomplishments of LGBTQ people especially in the 21st century.
