Pennsylvania Pride

Break out your rainbow flags! The season of Pride is finally upon us. This weekend Pennsylvania will celebrate Pride in not one, not two, but three cities across the state. In Philadelphia, be sure to check out the Philly Dyke March, which starts at 3 pm on Saturday, June 11th at 11th & Pine streets. Attendees will enjoy performances from musicians like singer-songwriter Ami Verrill, LYFE dance, and appearances from the Liberty City Kings and the Radical Faeries, who will be providing water ice to tired marchers. But the fun doesn’t stop there! Philadelphia’s infamous Pride Day parade and festival is this Sunday, June 12th. The party starts at noon, with a parade beginning at 13th and Locust, in the heart of Philly’s gayborhood. The parade will finish at Penn’s Landing, the location of the Pride Festival. This year’s keynote speaker is the actress Aisha Tyler, of “Talk Soup” and “Nip/Tuck”. Admission to the festival is $10, which gets you access to six hours of fabulous entertainment and over 120 vendors.
Pittsburgh will be throwing its own Pridefest bash this week. Pride events started on June 3rd in the Steel City, with a Pride Advocacy Rally on the steps of the City-County building. If you’re in the area on Saturday, make sure not to miss Pride in the Street, Pittsburgh’s largest outdoor street party. This year, the one and only Patti LaBelle will be gracing the festival with her presence. The party continues on Sunday, with the Pride Awareness March, which will start at 10 AM on Boulevard of the Allies, and finish at Liberty Ave and 6th Street, at the entrance to Pridefest. Pittsburgh’s Pridefest promises to once again draw a crowd of thousands; come join the party!
Those of you living in Erie have your own Pride party to look forward to! The Erie Gay New Family Pride Picnic will be held this Saturday, June 11th, from 1 to 6 PM at Presque Isle State Park. You can register before the event online at http://www.eriegaynews.com/pride/register.php, or in person at the picnic. The beautiful setting, near the Waterworks beach, is perfect for playing volleyball (always a popular activity) or any of the other games planned for the day. Got kids? There’s a playground nearby, as well as a variety of children’s activities to take part in. Food will be served from 2 to 4, and you are encouraged to bring a dish to share. You also have the chance to win a fabulous door prize!
Whichever Pride event you attend this weekend, make sure you come say hello to the Equality PA crew! We’ll be hanging out in each city, registering voters and helping you take action for LGBT rights in your community. We’ll have letters to your legislators that you can sign to make sure they hear your voice! We also would love some volunteers to help us staff the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh events. If you’d like to help, please email Allyson Hamm at allyson@equalitypa.org.