January 01, 2016
Mayor-elect Jim Kenney, a vocal proponent of LGBT issues, denounced a sign present at Friday's annual Mummers Parade that makes light of Caitlyn Jenner.
The sign, photos and videos of which were posted on Twitter, shows two cereal boxes side by side.
The first box is of Jenner before her identifying as a trans woman when she appeared on the cover of a Wheaties box in 1976 for her accomplishments as an Olympic decathlon champion.
The second box, marked "2016" and labeled "Froot Loops," shows the same old picture of Jenner along with a new photo of Jenner from the recent Vanity Fair cover that accompanied an article in which she revealed the details behind her sex reassignment surgery.
Written on the box is "Call me Caitlyn," another reference to the cover. Twitter user Anthony tweeted a photo of the sign from the parade to Kenney, asking his thoughts on it.
@JimFKenney Your thoughts on the Finnegan's Wake attack on the transgender community? https://t.co/KEQSHd6g9Y @phl17 pic.twitter.com/sY282ME1Od
— Anthony (@Anthony19145) January 1, 2016
Kenney responded, calling it "bad" and "hurtful," adding that the Philadelphia transgender community does not deserve that form of satire.
@Anthony19145 @phl17 It was bad. Hurtful tomany Philadelphians. Our Trans Citizens do not deserve this type of satire/insult. #Berespectful
— Jim Kenney (@JimFKenney) January 1, 2016
A YouTube video posted by Anthony shows the group, some members of which were using the sign, also had a large blown-up poster of the Vanity Fair cover.
Kenney's condemnation follows a Philadelphia Daily News report posted Friday evening that cites a gay man who claims he was attacked by a group of Mummers who called him a "f*****.
Earlier this year, organizers of the Mummers Parade announced a new push to diversify their event and be more inclusive after some had criticized the parade for offensive performances and costumes.
At Friday's event, protesters rallied in Center City, decrying a number of social injustices as well as perceived racism in the parade.
