Philadelphia cancels Trans Day of Visibility ceremony in 'challenging times'

Philadelphia is raising the transgender flag at City Hall to honor Trans Day of Visibility, which takes place Sunday, but there will be no ceremony this year during what a city official calls “challenging times.”

Celena Morrison-McLean, executive director of the Philadelphia Office of LGBT Affairs, announced in a March 8 letter that the flag will fly but there will be no event for the occasion. The flag is scheduled to go up Thursday and remain on display through the weekend.

“While we regret to inform you that we will not be hosting the event this year, we want to assure you of our continued commitment to the importance of Trans Day of Visibility and the elevation of transgender voices,” she wrote.

Morrison-McLean, who is trans, did not give a reason but noted, “We appreciate your understanding and ongoing support as we navigate these challenging times.” She added, “We remain actively engaged in ongoing efforts to advocate for the rights of the transgender community and promote a city that celebrates the richness of its diversity. We encourage you to join us in supporting local organizations and initiatives that continue to work tirelessly towards creating a more just and inclusive society.”

A factor that Morrison-McLean did not mention was that she and her husband, Darius McLean, were arrested early in March by a Pennsylvania state trooper during a traffic stop. Both are Black, and the trooper is white. The trooper stopped Morrison-McLean because, he said, she was tailgating and didn’t have her headlights on during a rainy morning, the Associated Press reports.

McLean, who was in a separate car, pulled over and began arguing with the officer. He ended up being handcuffed while lying on the shoulder of the highway. The incident was captured on cell phone video, with McLean saying, “I don’t know why he’s doing this,” and “It’s ’cause I’m Black,” which the trooper denied. Morrison-McLean told the trooper that McLean was her husband and she works for the mayor.

They were detained on charges of resisting arrest and obstruction, but the Philadelphia district attorney did not file the charges right away, as the incident is under investigation, the AP notes. The couple plan to file a lawsuit, and the trooper has been placed on restricted duty. Mayor Cherelle Parker has called the matter “very concerning.”

McLean is chief operating officer of the William Way LGBT Community Center. The center’s executive director, Chris Bartlett, posted a statement on social media calling the officer’s actions “unjust.”

Regarding the cancellation of flag-raising festivities, Parker’s staff and the Office of LGBT Affairs told The Philadelphia Inquirerthat it was “due to a variety of logistical concerns.” Their statement added that the flag display still had “the city of Philadelphia’s full and proud support.”

“Mayor Parker and the Parker administration strongly support the transgender community and all LGBTQ residents of our city,” Parker spokesperson Joe Grace told the paper.

Philadelphia trans activist Christian Lovehall said there were “valid reasons” for canceling the ceremony, although he didn’t know exactly why the city did so, according to the Inquirer. But he added, “We know that Celena recently experienced an injustice, so if I were in her shoes, I would want to take a little break from organizing just to tend to my self-care.”