The annual Philly Dyke March returns this weekend, with a special tribute to one of the long-running event’s founders.
The event kicks off with a rally at 3 p.m. June 13 at Kahn Park, 11th and Pine streets, with the march setting off at 4 p.m. Afterwards, light refreshments and musical entertainment will be provided free of charge in the park. The official Stimulus after-party will be held 10 p.m.-3 a.m. at Voyeur, 1221 St James St.
PDM coordinator Katie Hinchey said she expects that this year’s march could be the biggest they’ve ever had.
“We are expecting a much higher turnout since we will be a place of healing and community about Gloria [Casarez],” Hinchey said. “Because the march is annual we haven’t had a time to gather for her as Philly Dyke March. It’s really important for people to heal and have the opportunity to collectively mourn. We wouldn’t have the march without her.”
Hinchey said Casarez was a part of the original group of women who founded the PDM in the late 1990s and that the focus of this year’s march would center on her.
“We talk about Gloria every time we are together,” Hinchey said. “She was so involved last year that this year we couldn’t possibly have any other focus.”
While the march takes place the day before Pride, Hinchey said it has a much different mission and focus.
“It’s important to make sure that dykes have a safe space, that we create community, apart from the typically male-dominated corporate Pride parades,” she said. “But Franny Price and Philly Pride Presents have been huge supporters from the very beginning. They respect the need for this march.”
In the leadup to the march, PDM held its second-annual Community and Craft Night and Kickoff Happy Hour. The new events, coupled with longtime fundraiser Mr. Philly Drag King, are part of PDM’s rebranding initiative, Hinchey said.
“We have rebranded ourselves this year in our outreach and marketing. We are really encouraging people to sign up for our newsletter, since we could lose our Facebook page at any time.”
Recently, the Stimulus Facebook page and other community-organization pages have been removed because they violated the new user guidelines. Stimulus lost all of its photos and contact with users who had liked its page.
To avoid a similar fate, PDM organizers strongly encourage people to sign up for their newsletter.
For more information about PDM, visit www.phillydykemarch.com or email [email protected].