When the Pride Parade sets off later this month, it will be led by two grand marshals — Robert Winn and Dr. Marla Gold — who will put LGBT health at the forefront of the community’s consciousness.
Winn is the medical director at Mazzoni Center, the city’s only LGBT health facility, while Gold serves as dean of the Drexel University School of Public Health and is also a professor of health management and policy at the school.
“I consider being a grand marshal at Pride this year to be a wonderful and great honor,” Gold said. “I have had the privilege of being out throughout my career in medicine and public health. I am proud to serve as grand marshal in the city I truly love. To me, it’s about pride and it’s also about equity and equality. I live and work for the changes our people need and deserve.”
Gold, who became the first openly gay public-health dean in the country in 2002, served as the assistant health commissioner for infectious disease control in the city’s Public Health Department in the early 1990s, during which time she pressed for comprehensive health education and condom distribution in Philadelphia public high schools. She created HIV/AIDS agency Partnership for the People in 1996 — which is now known as the Partnership Comprehensive Care Practice — and also co-founded LGBT family group Philadelphia Family Pride. Gold is currently the chair of the diversity committee in the National Association of Schools of Public Health.
Winn said he’s eager to participate in the Pride Parade to demonstrate to the LGBT community the many offerings at Mazzoni Center.
“I’m grateful that Philadelphia Pride chose to recognize my work as the medical director of Mazzoni Center Family & Community Medicine,” he said. “It’s my hope as this year’s grand marshal that more members of the LGBT community will become aware that they have a wonderful option to go for competent, compassionate and quality health care.”
In addition to his role at Mazzoni, Winn is a member of the faculty at Jefferson Medical College in the department of family and community medicine and has lectured extensively on LGBT health topics to both LGBT and mainstream medical communities. Winn is currently working on a study entitled “Eliminating Health Disparities for LGBT Youth in Philadelphia.”
Youth themselves will also be well-represented in the parade by two teens who are not only active participants at The Attic Youth Center, but who have also proven themselves to be leaders.
Sheena Ellison, a junior at Simon Gratz High School, and Kemar Jewel, a senior at Penn Wood High School, will serve as this year’s youth grand marshals.
Ellison has been involved at The Attic for about two years and serves as the finance chair of the agency’s Youth Planning Committee, creating budgets for several Attic events. She also has assisted with fundraising events and participates in Attic programming like cooking group Hot Pot and Deep Lez, a social outlet for lesbian youth.
Jewel, an Attic member for three years, has been equally committed to the agency’s mission. Also president of his high school’s gay-straight alliance, Jewel has participated in The Attic’s glee, acting, poetry and photography groups and volunteers in the organization’s kitchen, making food for his fellow members.
Carrie Jacobs, executive director of The Attic, said both teens are considered role models and have used their skills to help promote the center’s growth.
“They’re just two outstanding youth,” Jacobs said. “They’ve both really made tremendous contributions and really care about the LGBTQ youth community and have done a lot in their own unique and significant ways.”
Ellison plans to study criminal justice in college, while Jewel is expecting to major in psychology and work as a guidance counselor or social worker.
The Pride Parade will kick off at noon June 13 from 13th and Locust streets and will head to Penn’s Landing for the annual Pride festival.
For more information about Pride, visit www.phillypride.org.