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A6 U.S. NEWS
Monday 14 october 2019

In or out? Court case on job bias casts pall on LGBT fests

By JEFF McMILLAN to it, has helped educate
Associated Press people, and some of the
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Na- questioning felt like "the
tional Coming Out Day fes- justices had not caught
tivities were tempered this up with that reality," Minter
year by anxiety that some said, adding it felt like a
LGBT folk may have to go throwback to a prior era.
back into the closet so they "It was a wake-up call that
can make a living, depend- the court is not always
ing on what the Supreme completely in sync with
Court decides about work- where the public is," he
place discrimination law. said. "I hope between now
But the mere fact that and the time of the deci-
words like "transgender" are sion that gap will close."
being uttered before the The court is expected to
nation's highest court gives rule by the beginning of
some supporters of LGBT June — which is also LGBT
workplace rights hope that Pride Month, potentially
the pendulum will swing in bookending the court's
their favor. considerations with gay
"I want all members of our rights observances.
community to feel sup- Kyla Hines — assistant di-
ported by the government, rector of the LGBTQ Stu-
and often for a lot of us and dent Resource Center for
a lot of friends of mine, it's the University of Colorado
the first time that they feel Denver, Metropolitan State
represented," said Jessica A person in a unicorn costume walks among others in attendance at Philadelphia OutFest, Sunday, University of Denver and
Goldberg, a bisexual senior Oct. 13, 2019, in Philadelphia. Associated Press the Community College of
at the University of Colora- Denver — hopes that peo-
do Denver. As music echoed in the sion brings disruptions." Rights Act protects LGBT ple who are out or on the
Still, for many, the argu- packed streets of Philadel- Emotionally, the victory for people from employment verge of coming out can
ments showed the continu- phia's Gayborhood and LGBT marriage equality was discrimination — including find that courage despite
ing relevance of National smoke from food carts "huge," said Susan Horowitz, a question by conservative anxiety over the impending
Coming Out Day, first ob- hung overhead, Priscilla publisher and editor of Be- Chief Justice John Roberts Supreme Court decision.
served in 1988 and marked Gonzalez waited for friends tween the Lines, an LGBT that appeared to show "I definitely see a lot of
every Oct. 11, though ob- on a stoop and pondered newspaper in Michigan. confusion about gender weight and heaviness in
servances happen over the timing of the Supreme But the workplace discrimi- transitions, and off-topic the community, on our
several days. That includes Court arguments — and nation case, with its legal questions about bathroom campus and in our office,"
Philadelphia's annual Out- what she sees as a nefari- ramifications, is bigger, she use by liberal Justices Sonia Hines said. "We really want
Fest, held Sunday this year ous "military tactic" of divid- said. Sotomayor and Ruth Bader to view this time as a cel-
and billed as the largest ing Republican Party oppo- "You can get married one Ginsburg — shows there is a ebration."
National Coming Out Day nents to weaken them. day and be fired tomorrow long way to go, said Shan- Missy Stowe, attending Phil-
event. "It's true that we are fo- if you put your spouse's pic- non Minter, a transgender adelphia OutFest, echoed
Coming Out Day and, by cused on trying to protect ture on your desk," Horowitz man who is the legal direc- that, while noting that as a
extension, events like Out- our group," said Gonzalez, said. tor of the National Center pansexual woman working
Fest aim to show that com- a New York City resident But some of the language for Lesbian Rights. for an LGBTQ-owned pros-
ing out of the closet helps attending her first OutFest. thrown around in the argu- President Donald Trump's thetics company, she is for-
individuals and the larger "Because we feel so threat- ments before the Supreme attempt to ban transgen- tunate the case is unlikely
community win visibility ened, we start to divide Court last week about der people from military to harm her, whatever the
and acceptance. more, and I think that divi- whether the 1964 Civil service , and the backlash outcome.q