The same weekend that our community celebrates its history, it will also mark its future — with the first-ever Youth Pride.
The event, staged by Mazzoni Center, will take place July 5, capping a weekend full of events commemorating the Annual Reminder Days, one of the nation’s earliest LGBT-rights demonstrations, which took place at Independence Hall.
Youth Pride will include a series of workshops, as well as games, activities, performances, giveaways and more.
The impetus for Youth Pride came when a group of Mazzoni youth involved with the organization’s Student Leadership Board attended the National Gay-Straight Alliance Conference last summer and learned about a youth-focused Pride celebration held in Washington, D.C.
“We wanted a Youth Pride because we felt like the regular Pride doesn’t always accommodate for youth,” said SLB member Kim Koing, 16, a junior at Mastery Charter, noting that the admission fee at Pride is often prohibitive, and the event also offers alcohol.
“Pride for me was very ‘R-rated,’” added SLB member Damien Walker, 14, a rising junior at Bodine High School for International Affairs.
SLB members began meeting about eight months ago to plan for Youth Pride. The group has held brainstorming sessions once a week and met with community partners once a month.
“This is an entirely youth-led event,” explained SLB member TyUnique Nelson, 17, a senior at Mastery Charter. “We came up with the ideas, planned it, made sure everything is going to run smoothly, so I’m really proud of all the work we’ve all put in to make sure this could happen. We’ve been wanting this to happen for years.”
The youth organized the event from top to bottom: designing the logo, planning the activities, overseeing promotions and developing the workshops themselves — which likewise will be youth-led and will focus on bullying, online etiquette and self-love/body-positivity.
“This is a good way for youth to connect with other youth,” Walker said. “Instead of just sitting there and being lectured at, our PowerPoints and presentations are more like a conversation. You won’t just be sitting there taking notes, but instead having a conversation.”
Mazzoni education manager Louie Ortiz said the amount of time the youth planners have invested in Youth Pride is impressive.
“It sounds cliché, but I’m so inspired by these youth,” Ortiz said. “They’ve been spending their after-school time coming up with great ideas, and that’s inspiring to see. Seeing their investment in our community makes me feel confident our future is definitely something to look forward to.”
Partners include William Way, John C. Anderson Apartments — where Mazzoni Center will provide free STI screening for youth the day of the event — and Philly Pride Presents, which is staging an Annual Reminders block party that day, which will coincide with the afternoon festival portion of Youth Pride.
The youth area will include performances by local youth musicians as well as an open-mic segment, where youth performers can share their talents with the crowds.
Ortiz said he anticipates Youth Pride participants to range in age from 13-24. So far, the response has been overwhelmingly positive, he said.
“Everyone who hears that Youth Pride is happening, we don’t even have to explain what it is; young people just hear ‘Youth Pride’ and they’re excited,” he said.
Youth Pride, which absorbed Mazzoni’s LEAD Conference, is expected to become annual.
“It’s important that youth have our own safe space,” Nelson said. “And not just LGBTQ youth; this is for all youth to come out and celebrate being youth. It’s important to celebrate and love yourself openly.”