In December of 1976, PGN published a story which exposed racist practices at the Club Barracks baths at 18th and Sansom. However, despite the willingness to reach out to LGBTQ+ clientele, not all people in the community were treated equally. When PGN first published in January 1976, there were advertisements for seven local venues. In the early 1970s, businesses in the Gayborhood began openly marketing themselves to the LGBTQ+ community. In addition to Still, Henry Minton, abolitionist and caterer, lived at 204 South 12th Street in the latter half of the 19th century, where he provided shelter to John Brown before his attack on Harpers Ferry, according to All That Philly Jazz, a public history project directed by Faye M. “They’re the people that were Black folks here in the city of Philadelphia that have been kind of erased,” Smith said. A historic marker celebrating Still’s life can be found on the 200 block of South 12th Street.
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He gained prominence as the Father of the Underground Railroad, and helped free many slaves. William Still, a Black abolitionist, lived at 625 South Delhi Street in Philadelphia in the mid 19th-century. Tyrone Smith, a Black gay man and long-time community activist in Philadelphia, told PGN that the Gayborhood was built over parts of the Underground Railroad. Racism and African American erasure in the Gayborhood has far deeper roots than its 40-year history presented in this article. Following the hearing, the PCHR published a report summarizing the various testimonies and requiring that bar owners and certain nonprofits undergo training on Philadelphia’s Fair Practices Ordinance and implicit bias. Many people spoke of the cultures of racism and patterns of racist behavior that they encountered in the community over the years. After news of the incident spread, the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations (PCHR) held a hearing for LGBTQ community members to discuss issues of racism in Gayborhood nightlife and nonprofit organizations.
In 2016, Darryl DePiano, former owner of the Gayborhood bar iCandy, was caught on video tape saying a racial slur. Despite Philadelphia being one of the most diverse cities in the country, systemic racism has been and continues to be a major issue which affects all communities, including the LGBTQ community and its Gayborhood.