More than 130 vendors and tens of thousands are expected in the Gayborhood Sunday to celebrate National Coming Out Day. The 27th annual OutFest will be held from noon-6 p.m. Oct. 13. Among the offerings this year, attendees will have the chance to play a game of volleyball against their favorite Team Philadelphia players. The new community volleyball set-up will be at Spruce and 13th streets and will last throughout the event. This year will also see the new Official OutFest Women’s/Queer Block Party on Chancellor Street from noon-6 p.m., in honor of the closing of Sisters. There will also be a new Youth Dance Party at 12th and Spruce streets hosted by Wired 96.5. Young people will also be the focus of the annual Youth Applause Wave at 2:30 p.m. on the main stage at 13th and Locust streets. “Pumpkin Way” will return, with guests able to grab their Halloween pumpkin at the William Way LGBT Community Center’s table on 12th Street. The inflatable derby horse race will also make a comeback, as will the mechanical bull. Leather party Bazaar on Quince will also appear for its second year, with new vendors and features outside The Bike Stop, 206 S. Quince St. Philly Pride Presents president Franny Price said this year will include both new and traditional interactive activities. Guests can try their hips in a hula-hoop contest, along with the usual high-heel race and penis-shaped bagel-eating contest. “The contests eat up a lot of the time because we used to do just one round of each contest and now, there are so many people who want to enter that we are doing each of them four or five times,” she said. “It is fun to see people participate. With all these games, it makes it an old-fashioned block party and picnic.” Entertainment for this year’s OutFest will include performances from Mr. Philly Gay Pride Timmy Tenderloin and Miss Philly Gay Pride Cyannie Famouz. Drag performances will be abundant, Price said, despite a recent controversy involving former “RuPaul’s Drag Race” contestant and local drag star Mimi Imfurst. Imfurst recently took to social media to speak out against an incident that occurred at this summer’s Pride, also staged by Philly Pride Presents, in which she says festival organizers stopped her from counterprotesting anti-LGBT protestors. Eleven Repent America members were arrested at the 2004 OutFest for protesting, but the charges were later dropped. The anti-LGBT group filed a lawsuit against Philly Pride Presents for alleged violations of their free-speech rights. Those claims were denied by a court, although it was noted that the demonstrators are allowed to protest. Price said although she wishes she could block the protestors from speaking, she has to respect their free-speech rights. Imfurst contended the Pride incident led to her being banned from future Prides and OutFests. Price said Philly Pride Presents recently called Imfurst to talk about the incident and offered her a half-hour show on the OutFest stage. “No LGBT person has ever been banned and never will be banned from our events,” Price said. “We just have a right to decide who performs on stage and who doesn’t. We are talking with Mimi and trying to work it out.” Price said she expects protestors to be in full force due to Montgomery County Register of Wills D. Bruce Hanes’ appearance during the award ceremony, as he accepts his OutProud Friend Award. Price said last year, the Department of Civil Affairs allowed the protestors to stand at the front of the main stage with signs, but she does not expect that to happen this year. “Once entertainment starts, they are not supposed to disrupt that.” Price said she expects a large and diverse crowd at this year’s OutFest. “Coming out is your first realization of who you are and it gives you a sense of community. National Coming Out Day is our unofficial national holiday and all the support there is incredible,” she said. For more information on OutFest, visit www.phillypride.org.
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