In the weeks ahead of Pride, organizers, participants and activists individually told PGN that this year, we would see more new and inclusive events.
We did.
The JUICE festival for women of color attracted more than 200 people in its second year, with organizer Daiyon Kpou not only surprised by the turnout but pledging an even bigger event next year. The Mayor’s Office for LGBT Affairs rolled out an entire month of events with a focus on those who might feel left out of the celebrations, such as people in recovery and the disabled. The Please Touch Museum held its first Family Pride Festival — by all accounts, a huge success — with participating parents expressing heartfelt gratitude to see and meet families that look like their own. The Dyke March attracts more people each year. “This means we’re heading in the right direction,” said one of the organizers.
The more people feel included in Pride, the more powerful the community becomes as a whole. There is no downside to events and conversations geared toward specific parts of the community. Pride grows, adapts, expands and changes and is the better for it.
For the 30th anniversary, this year’s Philadelphia Pride sent a resounding message that Pride is by all, for all.