This weekend could be plagued by rain, as Hurricane Matthew moves up the East Coast, but the Gayborhood celebration in honor of National Coming Out Day is still set to happen as planned Oct. 9.
“Most of our reactions cannot be done until day-of,” said Franny Price, executive director of Philly Pride Presents, the organization that hosts OutFest. “At this point, all we can do is pray that [the hurricane] goes out to sea. If it’s a shower or two, we don’t care. People still come out.”
Price said she would consult the vendors the morning of Oct. 9 to see how they feel about continuing if the hurricane hits our area. Many have tents ready to use. She said she expects people from outside the city would still come for the event.
“With OutFest, you can actually run into a club,” she said. “There are restaurants.”
Price said people could eat and drink while they wait for any inclement weather to pass. There is no rain date for OutFest because the fall is full of other LGBT community events, she said.
New this year, OutFest will feature a food court at 12th and Spruce streets with more than a dozen vendors and food trucks.
Several years ago, Chipotle provided burritos for Philly Pride Presents to sell at OutFest. The organization could keep the proceeds, which usually totaled $1,200. For the first time, OutFest attendees will receive coupons to visit one of 41 Chipotle restaurants in Philadelphia and the surrounding area including southern New Jersey. On National Coming Out Day, Oct. 11, Chipotle will donate 50 percent of its sales to Philly Pride Presents.
Another LGBT fundraiser will be across the street from the André Richard Salon at Locust and Camac streets. Salon products will be sold and all proceeds will go to the LGBTQ Home for Hope, a shelter in North Philadelphia for LGBT people without stable housing.
Four awards will also be presented:
- The Jaci Adams OutProud Transgender Award goes to Sharron Cooks. Cooks called it “extremely special” to win an award that pays homage to the woman who worked on the planning committees for the Philadelphia Trans-Health Conference and the Morris Home, among dozens of other LGBT initiatives in the city. The award is “symbolic of the work that’s been done by transgender women in Philadelphia,” Cooks said. It “is very affirming in the work I’m doing now.” As the only trans woman of color to serve as a delegate at the Democratic National Convention, Cooks had many conversations about visibility and nondiscrimination. She founded a consulting company called Making Our Lives Easier LLC to do similar work. Her next project includes organizing LGBT and non-LGBT organizations for a philanthropy project on Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service in January. For more information, visit www.makingourliveseasier.org.
- The OutProud Award goes to Bebashi, which especially serves low-income people of color with HIV, and has operated in Philadelphia for more than 30 years. “It’s a tremendous honor,” Gary J. Bell, executive director, said of the award. “Sometimes we’re overlooked in the conversation.” Bebashi is expanding by leasing a property next to its building at 1235 Spring Garden St. The agency wants to gradually expand its medical services with professionals who can handle many STI treatments, including pre-exposure prophylaxis. Bebashi also addresses hunger relief and breast health. Bebashi will host its annual gala Dec. 2 at the Hilton Philadelphia City Avenue, 4200 City Ave. Tickets cost $125-$200. For more information, visit www.bebashi.org.
- The Gilbert Baker National OutProud Award goes to Leon King II. King started his career litigating cases for the city of Philadelphia, ultimately landing in civil-rights cases. King went on to serve as commissioner of the Philadelphia Prison System; he was the youngest and first openly gay person to hold the position. This year, he took a job as deputy commissioner of pretrial and detention services for the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services in Maryland. “I’m very optimistic about using everything I’ve used in Philadelphia to effectuate change in Baltimore,” King said. He said he’s proudest of his work in Philadelphia with inmates with mental-health concerns and inmates with HIV. He had monthly meetings with Philadelphia FIGHT, starting at the end of 2002, and got condoms put in the commissary, in addition to assisting with a network of resources to help people with HIV after they leave prison. In 2006, King and Judge Renée Cardwell Hughes started conversations that led to the creation of Mental Health Court, which provides alternatives to incarceration for offenders with mental illness. Using a database King launched, officials found about 1,800 out of 8,000 inmates had a mental illness. Although King’s current job is in Baltimore, he still lives in Philadelphia and has no plans to move. King and his partner of 31 years, whom he married last month, love their Mt. Airy neighborhood. “I really think God has been a heavy influence in my life and directed my path,” King said. “I got these jobs that are very unlikely for a gay, black attorney born in Bermuda.”
- The OutStanding Youth Award goes to Robert Brisbon. Brisbon was not immediately available for comment. He has worked at The Attic Youth Center. He graduated last year from Prep Charter High School and attended Community College of Philadelphia. Brisbon also works at the Queen Memorial Library in Point Breeze.