The Philadelphia Dyke March raised nearly $1,000 at a karaoke happy hour at Tavern on Camac Thursday night when it kicked off fundraising for the 19th annual march.
The funds will go toward the permit for Kahn Park at 11th and Pine streets, where the Dyke March takes place at 3 p.m. June 11.
“We have a lot of events this year, even more than prior years,” said Alyssa Mutryn, one of the march’s coordinators, as one woman got up to sing Hanson’s “MMMBop” on the stage behind her. “Even if people can’t make one, there’s always another.”
A couple dozen people made it to the first happy hour. Another will take place the Thursday before the Dyke March at Franky Bradley’s, 1320 Chancellor St., the former site of Sisters, Philadelphia’s longest-running lesbian bar before it closed in 2013.
March organizers also plan to raise funds to create a new website this year, after Facebook deleted the Dyke March’s friend page. It had about 5,000 friends and 10 years’ worth of pictures and comments. The social media site removed the page because the march is not a person, said Katie Hinchey, one of the march’s coordinators.
Philadelphia Dyke March does have an organization page on Facebook, but with fewer than 550 likes. Hinchey said most people interacted with the collective on the friend page. Anyone with past pictures from the march is asked to email them to [email protected].
The Dyke March also seeks queer women to sign up for the Mr. Philly Drag King competition. The deadline to apply is April 25. The winner earns a $200 cash prize and gets to perform on a float at the Pride parade in June.
“It’s a huge thing,” Hinchey said.
A workshop for those interested in becoming a drag king takes place at 2 p.m. April 17 at the William Way LGBT Community Center, 1315 Spruce St. The competition is at 7 p.m. May 7 at William Way.
The 2016 Philadelphia Dyke March t-shirt is available for sale at all the events. It costs $12 for one or $20 for two.
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