Resolution 120607

..Title Also naming Locust Street between 12th and 13th Streets as "Barbara Gittings Way." ..Body WHEREAS, Barbara Gittings is considered the mother of the modern LGBT civil rights movement and helped organize the seminal gay and lesbian demonstration, called "Annual Reminders" that launched the LGBT civil rights movement; and WHEREAS, The "Annual Reminders" were held each July 4th from 1965 to 1969, in front of Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, were among the first organized demonstrations where gays and lesbians called for visibility and equality; and WHEREAS, A historic marker was placed at the corner of 6th & Chestnut Streets to commemorate the Annual Reminders and the role played by Gittings; and WHEREAS, In the early 1970's, Gittings helped start the National Gay Task Force, which eventually became the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and served on its Board of Directors through the 1980's. Gittings also led the successful effort for libraries to include information and visibility about LGBT issues and its leaders. In 2003, the American Library Association (ALA) provided Gittings with its highest award, the ALA's lifetime honorary membership; and WHEREAS, Gittings was among the first out lesbians to be on national television with appearances on "The Phil Donahue Show" (1970) and "The David Susskind Show" (1971); and WHEREAS, In the early 1970's, Gittings along with Frank Kameny led the successful effort that resulted in the American Psychiatric Association (APA) removing the classification of homosexuality as a mental illness. Because of this the APA presented Barbara Gittings and Frank Kameny with the John E. Fryer Award in 2007 for their work on behalf of gays and lesbians; and WHEREAS, In 1991 Gittings along with Malcolm Lazin started the Philadelphia Federation of Gay and Lesbian Organizations whose mission is to provide coordination for the Philadelphia gay and lesbian community; and WHEREAS, During her activism, Gittings and her partner Kay Lahusen were Philadelphia residents and much of their civil rights activism was done in the "gayborhood"; and WHEREAS, Barbara Gittings was one of Philadelphia's preeminent civil rights leaders and has inspired countless others by her courage, capability and commitment to the LGBT community; now, therefore be it RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That Locust Street between 12th and 13th Streets is also named in honor of Barbara Gittings. ..End