Participants at last year’s SundayOUT! braved the rain with ponchos and rainbow umbrellas as they perused the sodden offerings along Market Street, but the Equality Forum street festival is set to make an even bigger splash this year with a new location, new activities and a new atmosphere.
The festival will run from noon-7 p.m. May 2 at The Piazza, North Second Street and Germantown Avenue in Northern Liberties.
Throughout the afternoon, more than 100 artisans and community organizations will set up shop in the open-air plaza and adjoining Liberties Walk. Live entertainment will include radio stations Q102.1 and My106.1 FM; and singers Agnes Carlsson, winner of “Swedish Idol,” Samantha Marq and Kristine Elezaj; and a fashion show and dance numbers; and performances by the Philadelphia Freedom Band and the Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus, which at 4 p.m. will welcome special guest Anthony Rapp, who originated the role of Mark in Broadway’s “Rent.”
“The place is all set up for entertainment. There are shops, cafés, a Jumbotron, and it’s just a beautiful area,” said Equality Forum communications director Chip Alfred. “We wanted to take this to the next level, and I think this is the perfect place to do it.”
The day will not just be devoted to entertainment, but also will advance LGBT-rights issues.
At 2:30 p.m., 100 same-sex couples are expected to join in a commitment ceremony at The Piazza in an effort fueled by Equality Forum’s Project 1138, which seeks to raise awareness of that number of federal marriage benefits denied to same-sex couples. Clergy members representing three faiths will officiate.
Lt. Dan Choi, who is being discharged from the Army for publicly coming out and who was recently arrested while protesting “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” at the White House, will address the SundayOUT! crowd around 3:45 p.m.
Another first: There will be an admission fee for SundayOUT! — $10 for general admission and $5 for students — but Alfred noted the price is low for the seven hours of activities. There is free street parking near The Piazza, and Equality Forum is running a free shuttle there from the Gayborhood every 15 minutes throughout the day.
The multitude of offerings at SundayOUT! follows a week of parties, socials, panel discussions and workshops representing the issues faced by the diverse LGBT audience.
The National Transgender Panel will feature executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality Mara Kiesling, while The Rev. Dr. Amos Brown of the new Equality Task Force of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People will serve as one of the panelists on the National Racial Panel.
This year will feature several new discussions, such as the National Sports Panel, featuring former Philadelphia Inquirer staffer and first out female sportswriter Gail Shister, along with several other local and national LGBT sports leaders. The Obama GLBT Appointees discussion will bring together such figures as Jeremy Bernard, director of White House and Congressional Affairs, and Brian Bond, deputy director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, while GLBT Rights and Challenges in Africa will turn the spotlight on the international community with panelists Pouline Kimani, cofounder of Kenya’s Minority Women in Action, and Dr. Rona Peligal, deputy director of the Africa Division of Human Rights Watch.
Throughout the week, there will be a series of events at partner organizations, such as two parenting workshops at Temple University’s Center City campus, 1515 Market St. The first, from 12:30-1:45 p.m. May 1, will center on assisted reproduction, while later that day, from 2-3:15 p.m., the discussion will focus on adoption.
This year’s International Equality Dinner — 7-10 p.m. May 1 at the National Constitution Center — is also expected to draw a large crowd, as Equality Forum presents its International Role Model Award to David Boies and Ted Olson, the two attorneys currently spearheading the Proposition 8 lawsuit in California, and the International Business Leadership Award to CNN.
Gov. Rendell and U.S. Sen. Bob Casey will serve as co-chairs of this year’s dinner.
For more information, visit www.equalityforum.com.
Jen Colletta can be reached at [email protected].