The Comcast Corporation has donated 1.5 million dollars in Public Service Advertissement time to Philadelphia’s re-write of LGBT history and it’s LGBT 50th Anniversary Celebration in Philidelphia over the July 4th Weekend Celebration

Via press release:

Organizers announced today that Comcast Corporation is the lead marketing sponsor of the National LGBT 50th Anniversary Celebration. Comcast is providing $1.5 million worth of airtime to broadcast a 30-second National LGBT 50th Anniversary public service announcement (PSA). “Comcast NBCUniversal is a longstanding supporter of national and regional LGBT organizations. We are grateful to Comcast NBCUniversal for its generous support of the National LGBT 50th Anniversary Celebration. Through Comcast’s support, the 50th Anniversary PSA will be the most broadcast LGBT television PSA in history,” stated Malcolm Lazin, Chair, National LGBT 50th Anniversary Celebration. “The PSA commemorates the launch of the organized LGBT movement at Independence Hall, civil rights progress, and shared American values.” The organized LGBT civil rights movement was launched when activists from New York, Washington D.C., and Philadelphia staged demonstrations for equality each Fourth of July from 1965 to 1969. When 40 activists picketed in front of Independence Hall in 1965, it was the largest demonstration for gay equality in world history.

Many in the LGBT community have questioned Philadelphia’s outrageous claim that its Annual Reminders, which were important moments in LGBT history, were actually the beginning of “the organized LGBT civil rights movement” and they have been called out on it numerous times.  But they refuse to stop using it.  The Society for Human Rights was was established in Chicago in 1924.   The Mattachine Society, was founded in 1950 by Harry Hays.  In 1961 Frank Kameny and Jack Nichols, co-founded the Washington, D.C., branch of the Mattachine Society, launched some of the earliest public protests by gays and lesbians including a picket line at the White House on April 17, 1965 almost 3 months BEFORE Philadelphia’s first Reminder.

This is just one of many recent LGBT history re-writes of our history for profit and for certain agendas’ sake. Take for example Sylvia Rivera throwing the “first heel” at Stonewall.  Chad Hunter Griffin from HRC being hailed as the “Rosa Parks” of same-sex marriage and now Philadelphia’s LGBT leaders desperate need for attention and profit by claiming to be the “beginning of the organized LGBT movement” erasing and disrespecting decades of LGBT history and activists before it.

Our history is so precious and delicate.   Philadelphia’s Annual Reminders were an important and integral part of our  LGBT history and were worthy of a stand alone celebration.  But they WERE NOT the beginning of our “organized” movement.

 #ShameOnPhilly50