Haddonfield Hosts First Gay Community Event

Gender politics, shopping and social change converged in downtown Haddonfield Tuesday night as the borough hosted the first lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) community event in its history.

The brainchild of Steve Duross of Duross and Langel soaps, the LGBT Summer Party yielded an evening that was slight in foot traffic but full in spirit, yielding strong expectations for a follow-up from both the Haddonfield business community and its out-of-town guests.

As a member of the Independent Business Alliance, the LGBT Chamber of Commerce for the Greater Philadelphia region, Duross had originally envisioned the evening as a spotlight on five gay-owned-and-operated Haddonfield businesses, but said “when the word got out, everybody wanted in.”

“A lot of the merchants here from Haddonfield were excited by the idea,” Duross said. “It was something fresh, something new. Arlene [Fiorilli, director of the Haddonfield Information Center] and the borough do a very good job with their events, but we wanted something that had a different flavor to it.”

It was important to Duross that the event showcase the entire Haddonfield community—not just its businesses—to the visiting LGBT population.

“There is a prevailing sort of attitude sometimes that we find, and that our neighbors find, and that our old customers who have moved here find, that Haddonfield can be very closed,” he said.

“But it’s a brave new world. A lot of my friends are buying houses here. It’s time we did things a little bit differently,” Duross said.

The LGBT community “has been very supportive of the business that we have in Philadelphia, and we want them here,” he added

Lisa Hurd of the Partnership for Haddonfield, Inc., the borough business improvement corporation, said that the town hasn’t hosted an event catering to the LGBT community before because its calendar fills up with more general promotional efforts.

“Frankly, given our limited budget, we haven’t expanded beyond the typical events,” Hurd said. “The last new event that we did towards a targeted marketing segment was the Wedding Walk because we have 70 stores geared toward that very specific [bridal] market.

“We’re delighted to welcome everyone to Haddonfield to shop and dine and enjoy everything that Haddonfield has to offer,” Hurd said.

Regardless of Duross’ intentions, Hurd said she viewed the LGBT Summer Party as a primarily commercial enterprise.

“He’s inviting a segment of the market that may not have shopped here before, but it is a shopping and dining event,” Hurd said.

Cindy Harris of Georgie Girl Boutique says that Haddonfield businesses could more successfully cater to the LGBT community if they had a better understanding of their customer profile.

“We just need to get more out there,” Harris said “We’re trying to gain some knowledge.”

Mel Fendt of Accent Studio, who provided promotional artwork for the event, said that her business has long been supported by LGBT shoppers, whether they identified as such or not.

“We have a very strong customer base that falls into that category anyway,” Fendt said.

Fendt also echoed Hurd’s sentiments that typical business promotion in Haddonfield is more general and doesn’t center on reaching any one demographic in specific.

“Businesses in town have not been conscientious about targeting that community,” Fendt said, but added that the 30 participating Haddonfield shops gave the town “a good representation” to the visiting LGBT community.

David Harmer of Blackwood and Joe Rich of Franklinville heard about the LGBT Summer Party on Facebook. Harmer said it was nice to not have to travel to Philadelphia for such an event, and that Haddonfield seemed accepting of gay couples in public.

“I guarantee you that if [Rich and I] were walking together down the main street in Williamstown, or any other town, people would say something to us,” Harmer said.

However, Michael Donnelly, who is both gay and a 30-year Haddonfield resident, said that the borough has a reputation that it won’t shed after a single event.

“I consider Haddonfield to be a conservative place,” Donnelly said. “When I mentioned [this event] to the people I play cards with, they said, ‘Are you kidding?’”

James Langel, Steve Duross’ business and romantic partner, cited the formation of Gay-Straight Alliances in the Haddonfield high school and middle schools as a sign that LBGT residents are striving for acceptance within Haddonfield at large.

“It’s nice seeing people out and about, kids with rainbow banners,” Langel said. “A community can say they don’t want [to acknowledge homosexuality], but it’s there anyway.”

Visiting from Philadelphia—in large part due to Duross—Stormy Lundy and Jesse Salazar represented the audience the LGBT Summer Party was meant to introduce to Haddonfield: PATCO travelers new to the borough and with money to spend in town.

“It’s an invitation,” says Lundy, who left with an armload of bags from various local stores.

“Folks are saying the town is friendly,” she said. “Every shop owner was warm and hospitable. We were grateful for that.”