Activists, advocates, entertainers and politicos will blanket the city in LGBT culture over the next week as the 19th annual Equality Forum rolls into town.
The weeklong festivities will begin April 25 and run through May 1, culminating with the annual street festival SundayOUT! from noon-7 p.m. at the Piazza at Schmidt’s in Northern Liberties.
Chip Alfred, communications director for Equality Forum, said this year’s SundayOUT! is expected to attract between 15,000-20,000 people, compared with the approximate 10,000 who turned out last year, the first time the event was held in Northern Liberties.
“We learned from some of the mistakes we made last year and we expect a really good event,” Alfred said. “Last year we had the vendors outside, but we’re moving them inside this year. It’s a beautiful space that’s set up for entertainment. We did good for our first year last year but I think we addressed some of the problems we had.”
The entertainment lineup isn’t finalized but so far includes recording artist Kid Akimbo, and options also abound throughout the plaza, with a SundayOUT! brunch at Darling’s, party at Retro and tea dance at Tendenza.
In the week leading up to SundayOUT!, Equality Forum will play host to LGBT-rights leaders from around the world, who will head more than two-dozen panel discussions and workshops.
New to the schedule this year is the National Seniors Panel, which will be held from 7-8:15 p.m. April 27 at Hamilton Hall, 320 S. Broad St. The forum will be led by Michael Adams, executive director of Senior Action in a Gay Environment, and feature panelists Heshie Zinman, member of the LGBT Elder Initiative working group; Michelle Mathes, education and research director of the Center for Advocacy and Interests of the Elderly; and Temple University law professor Nancy Knauer.
“Seniors often get pushed to the back and the community focuses on the young people,” Alfred said. “Our board gets together and tosses around ideas and we try to do something new each year, so this was definitely an area we wanted to look at.”
Young people will be the focus of this year’s National History Panel, which will examine the genesis and growth of the LGBT youth movement. The panel, held from 8:30-9:45 p.m. April 27 at Hamilton Hall, will be moderated by University of Pennsylvania professor Katherine Sender and feature Kevin Jennings, founder of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network and assistant deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Education; New Jersey youth activist Corey Bernstein and Jamie Nabozny, who in the ’90s was the first student to successfully sue a school district for failing to protect him from antigay harassment.
Nabozny’s story was captured on film with “Bullied: A Student, a School and a Case That Made History,” which will be screened at 7:30 p.m. April 29 at The Gershman Y, 401 S. Broad St. Following the film screening at the same location, students from Temple University will perform the original production “que(e)ry” at 9 p.m.
“It was written, created and performed by 21 Temple students who are LGBTQ or allies,” Afred said. “It wasn’t originally on the schedule but I saw the show and I said to Malcolm [Lazin, Equality Forum executive director] that we just had to bring this show to Equality Forum. It really speaks to everything that’s going on with LGBT youth. So thankfully we made it happen.”
The remaining discussion panels, which will be held in various locations during the week and on Saturday at Temple University’s Center City campus, cover such issues as legal challenges, political gains, LGBT-headed families, workplace diversity and religion.
The nighttime hours will also be busy, with a number of parties such as the Absolut Welcome Party from 10 p.m.-2 a.m. April 28 at Valanni, 1229 Spruce St., and Saturday’s Absolut Peach Girl Fever and Absolut Wild Tea Men’s Party at Sisters and Q Lounge, respectively.
One of the week’s biggest draws is the International Equality Dinner, held from 7-10 p.m. at the National Constitution Center, 525 Arch St.
This year, Equality Forum will honor Lt. Dan Choi and former Pennsylvania Congressman Patrick Murphy with its International Role Model Awards for their work in repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” The event will also feature guest of honor Daniel Hernandez Jr., the out college intern largely credited with saving the life of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, and the presentation of the International Business Leadership Award to Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants.
For more information on Equality Forum, visit www.equalityforum.com.
Jen Colletta can be reached at [email protected].