PHL Pride 50: Our Community, Our Joy

Executive Director of PhillyGayCalendar

PHL Pride Collective announces “PHL Pride 50: Our Community, Our Joy” the weekend of Friday, June 3, through Sunday, June 5. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Philadelphia’s first Gay Pride Day in 1972! As PHL Pride Collective’s first Pride, this year’s festivities may look different from previous Prides as the community looks forward to honoring Philadelphia’s activist’s past and present, celebrating what has been built together, and uplifting community joy. PHL Pride Collective is partnering to promote community events throughout the entire weekend in addition to PHL Pride Collective’s Pride March and Pride Festival, taking place on Sunday, June 5th, 2022.

The PHL Pride March will begin at 11:00 AM at the north end of Independence Mall in front of the Constitution Center at 5th and Arch Street. In a historic collaboration, Philly Dyke March and PHL Pride Collective are producing and co-hosting this event. The march is an open invitation with no registration needed. While floats and vehicles will not be permitted, everyone is welcome to join prior to the march start time for speeches, music, and joy. Please join the PHL Pride March through Philadelphia, whether with a group or organization aligned with the Points of Unity, with friends and family, or solo. 

The starting point for the march acknowledges two historical moments in Philadelphia that took place just two blocks south. The Reminder Day Demonstrations were held in front of Independence Hall on Chestnut Street from 1965 until 1969 to raise awareness of bigotry, prejudice, and discrimination toward the LGBTQ+ community and to send the message that “Gay is good.” Fifty years ago, the Pride Day March ended at the same spot. 

Along the march route, there are three stops highlighting diverse voices. The first stop includes a land acknowledgement honoring the Lenni Lenape people. The second stop features speakers uplifting people of color and trans folks. The third is a tribute to LGBTQ+ elders and youth at the site where previously stood the mural for Gloria Casarez, one of the community’s most valued and powerful community leaders.  

The PHL Pride Festival will kick off at 12:00 noon in the Gayborhood at the conclusion of the PHL Pride March. This dynamic festival is built with deep intention in the reimagining of Pride and uplifting the most marginalized members of the LGBTQ+ community. Within the larger festival, PHL Pride Collective has worked with community partners to build a variety of fun and safe places for everyone. 

Youth and Family Programming will be an expansive space curated by several local organizations, including The Attic Youth Center, Big Brother Big Sisters Independence, galaei’s SPLAT program, Philly Family Pride, and the William Way LGBT Community Center. This space will feature age appropriate and safe youth and family programming to celebrate all generations of Philadelphia Pride. 

This year’s festival introduces new food and beverage experiences. A dedicated Sober Space and dry bar for adults includes a stage for DJs and performances. Food Truck Way features diverse meal possibilities, with accessibly priced food options for all to enjoy.

The Relaxation Zone is a space geared to attendees seeking an accessible, low sensory respite from festivities. This area will feature comfortable seating, accessible bathrooms, a cooling station, and low acoustic music to provide a space for elders, those living with disabilities, and others seeking rest and relaxation during the event. 

Medical Services will be provided throughout the festival area staffed by Bebashi and Mazzoni Center. PHL Pride Collective will utilize a community safety model that includes mental wellness services, social workers, trained private security, and de-escalation specialists. The services will be on site in collaboration with multiple local organizations.

In keeping with PHL Pride Collective’s dedication to highlighting QTBIPOC traditions and forms of expression, Kiki Alley is a celebration space highlighting the rich culture and history of the Philadelphia ballroom community. In addition, the Philadelphia Muses Stage will feature a diverse lineup of local performers and producers curated by Sway Philly and Boys of Summer.

 

The PHL Pride Festival also includes tabling opportunities for small businesses, nonprofits, community organizations, colleges, trade schools, and universities. If you are interested in securing a spot at the festival for your business or organization, please fill out the Vendor Application. If you would like to take part in Food Truck Way, please fill out the Food Truck Application. For sponsorship opportunities, please contact finance@phlpridecollective.org

The PHL Pride March and the PHL Pride Festival are completely coordinated by volunteer efforts. The success of Pride programming rests on the shoulders and in the hands of dedicated volunteers, current and future. If you’d like to volunteer your time toward helping celebrate the 50th anniversary of Philadelphia Pride, please fill out the Volunteer Signup form. To support PHL Pride 50, please consider a monetary contribution.

50 years after the city’s first Pride, there is still much work to be done for the LGBTQ+ community. This year’s theme is centered on celebrating how far we’ve come, claiming and reclaiming community spaces, and happiness. PHL Pride Collective hopes you will be part of this year’s celebration of pride, love, community, and joy.

 

PHL Pride Collective, a community program of galaei, is a Queer and Trans, Black and Brown led grassroots initiative that serves as an open, accessible, and equitable planner of Pride events for all of Philadelphia, especially those who have been most marginalized. PHL Pride Collective affirms the necessity of sustained Queer, Trans, Black & Brown, Indigenous, and People of Color leadership. Continuing the tradition of unique Philadelphia Pride festivities dating back decades, PHL Pride Collective is working to reimagine Philadelphia Pride to be more community oriented, more revolutionary, and more in the spirit of LGBTQ+ Pride than ever before. 

 

For more information about PHL Pride Collective or to subscribe to their email list, please visit https://www.phlpridecollective.org/.

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