Queer Philadelphia – Windy City Times

 

queer Philadelphia

Mention Philadelphia, and most people seem to think of two things: Philly steaks and history.

Regarding the latter, there are so many well-known places and items, including the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall and many more. However, the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection has much more to offer, as this writer discovered during a recent visit—including historical spots that may not be as familiar.

Getting around—and a special tour

When traveling to a large or even mid-size city, one of the best ways to find out where to visit is to take a tour—and The Big Bus Company and Philadelphia Trolley Tours ( 5th and Market streets; PhillyTour.com ) provide the ideal, um, vehicle to do so.

By Andrew Davis – Full Story at Windy City Times

Philadelphia Gay Travel Resources

Queer Philadelphia – Passport Magazine

Philadelphia

It’s all sorts of star-studded in Philly tonight. John Waters mills about the lobby of the Wilma Theater, on Center City’s Avenue of the Arts, having just witnessed the world premiere of choreographer/director/dancer Bill T. Jones’ contemporary opera, We Shall Not Be Moved. The visually dazzling production bravely revisits a shameful moment in Philadelphia’s modern history, the 1985 police bombing of a West Philly row house occupied by members of black separatist group MOVE, which resulted in six deaths, many injuries, and a neighborhood consumed by flames. The opera is a fictitious account of an interracial clique of orphaned teens including a transgender male, seeking shelter in that now haunted building.

Addressing race, queerness, class disparity, police-citizen relations, and identity, it’s a profound work, presented jointly by Opera Philadelphia’s inaugural Festival O (www.operaphila.org/festival) and the concurrent Fringe Arts (www.fringearts.com).

Following its phenomenally successful 2017 edition, the second Festival O will take place September 20-30, 2018, and it’s but one of the fresh, delightfully queer developments making this ever-evolving City of Brotherly Love a repeat destination for many travelers.

The 22nd FringeArts, which encompasses about 1,000 events over 17 days at their five-year-old home venue on Delaware River Waterfront (which includes a 240-seat performance space and La Peg, a brasserie/beer garden), as well as at spaces throughout the city, runs from September 6-22, 2018.

Dense with vibrant, edgy productions from around the world and by homegrown talent alike, keep an eye out for anything by Philadelphia choreographer-performer Gunnar Montana (www.gunnarmontana.com). His way-gay, episodic “Kink Haus” was a 2017 standout thanks to sensual, edgy, and humorous vignettes featuring agile and attractive men, women, and those who blurred the distinction, plus Cirque du Soleil–level acrobatics.

By Lawrence Ferber – Full Story at Passport

Philadelphia Gay Travel Resources