Philly Black Pride has relocated one of its flagship Pride weekend events from Marsha’s South Street following days of public concerns raised by former employees and community members about the venue.
The organization announced late this week that In Those Jeans: Denim + R&B, scheduled for Friday, April 24, would move from Marsha’s to Blind Barber at 1325 Sansom Street in Center City. The event runs 9 PM to 1 AM, and previously purchased tickets will be transferred and honored at the new location.
“Our priority has always been creating spaces that feel safe, welcoming, intentional, and for us,” Philly Black Pride said in its announcement. “If a space doesn’t align with the kind of environment we aim to deliver, we’re not bringing y’all into it.”
In Those Jeans — New Venue Details
What prompted the move
The relocation comes amid a rapidly unfolding social media response to public statements from a former Marsha’s manager, Olivia Lovely, who posted a series of videos beginning April 18 alleging a hostile work environment, racial and gender-based discrimination, and retaliatory termination.
Lovely, a Black trans woman who says she worked at Marsha’s since the bar opened, alleges that general manager Rylan Murphy told staff the bar “needs more testosterone” and that she was fired approximately one week after raising concerns in a staff meeting about hiring practices and workplace culture. She shared what she described as a six-month performance review — dated roughly one month before her termination — that praised her as exceeding expectations.
Lovely also alleges that ownership asked her to change music during a shift because it was “too Black and hardcore” for the bar’s demographic, and that police were called on her twice when she returned to request an explanation for her firing.
In the days following Lovely’s first post, additional former employees and patrons left comments on her videos and on Marsha’s Instagram page describing similar experiences. Multiple commenters allege the bar’s ownership blocked users and deleted comments questioning the allegations.
Marsha’s response
On April 21, Marsha’s founder Siobhan Anderson posted a video statement describing the allegations as “false statements” without addressing specific claims.
Anderson’s video did not directly respond to the specific allegations about hiring decisions, the alleged “testosterone” and music-related comments, or the reported police calls. The response drew immediate and overwhelmingly critical replies in the comment section of Marsha’s own Instagram page, with community members repeatedly asking the business to address the claims point by point.
Lovely has said she intends to pursue the matter legally.
Context and what’s next
Marsha’s South Street opened in September 2025 and was promoted as Philadelphia’s first women’s sports bar, named in honor of Marsha P. Johnson, the Black trans activist and icon of the Stonewall uprising. The bar received significant local media coverage at launch, including from Billy Penn and PhillyGayCalendar, and drew attention earlier in 2026 when it was inspected by Philadelphia police in an incident that drew community support for the business at the time.
Philly Black Pride’s decision to relocate In Those Jeans is the most visible organizational response to date. The broader TMEP (The Main Event Philly) Pride Takeover Weekend — which includes additional events April 24 through 26 — will proceed with the updated venue.
This is a developing story. PhillyGayCalendar will update this post as additional information becomes available.
A GoFundMe has been organized on behalf of Olivia Lovely to assist with lost income and healthcare costs during the dispute. Community members who wish to contribute can do so through the campaign page.
Editor’s note: This article reports on publicly posted statements and actions by the named parties. Allegations described in former employees’ social media posts have not been independently verified by PhillyGayCalendar. Both Olivia Lovely’s video statements and Marsha’s response are publicly available on Instagram. This post will be updated as the story develops.