After four years of organizing Pride events for Philadelphia, Galaei announced on May 2 that the organization will no longer serve as the fiscal sponsor for Pride or OURFest. But that doesn’t mean these events are disappearing.
“Four years ago, amid a pivotal shift in Philadelphia’s nonprofit landscape, Galaei stepped in to fill a critical gap — ensuring that Pride could move forward during a time of urgency and transition,” reads a statement issued by the organization — referring to the organization’s role in relaunching Pride following the dismantling of Philly Pride Presents (PPP), its previous host. “This support was always envisioned as a temporary role rooted in care and solidarity.”
“Today, as queer and trans communities of color face increasing precarity and as resources are being systematically stripped away, Galaei is reaffirming its commitment to its core mission. In this moment, we are choosing to refocus our energy and infrastructure on directly serving QTBIPOC individuals — those at the center of our work,” Galaei’s statement continues. “With deep respect and gratitude, we release the responsibility of fiscal sponsorship for Philly Pride back to the vibrant, resilient, and visionary queer community of Philadelphia. We believe in your brilliance, your power, and your ability to carry Pride forward with integrity and imagination.”
Both the Pride and OURFest festivals remain scheduled for May 30-June 1 and Oct. 11-12 respectively on Philly Pride 365’s website. Some changes might occur. For instance, programming that was fiscally sponsored by Galaei could shift. But an LGBTQ+ leader with behind-the-scenes knowledge about these decisions explained that most programming will continue as usual.
A separate social media post serves as an FAQ about Galaei’s initial announcement. It notes that the change was made with knowledge and support of Galaei’s board of directors and that Galaei has requested for PhillyPride365 to remove all references to the organization on their marketing materials, website, social media and banners.
In response to the question, “Is Galaei still supporting Pride in other ways?” the organization responded with: “While Galaei will no longer hold fiscal or administrative responsibility for Pride, we remain committed to advocacy, collaboration, and community organizing that uplifts queer and trans people of color in Philadelphia.”
Philadelphia’s Urban Affairs Coalition (UAC) is now managing PhillyPride365 for the rest of the year.
“This move will ensure that these vital celebrations of Philadelphia’s LGBTQ+community will continue as planned in 2025,” reads a statement released by the coalition about the decision. “It also allows Galaei to dedicate more energy to its core mission — delivering impactful educational, healthcare, and advocacy programs.”
“We have also begun a process to find a long-term home for PhillyPride365 and will provide additional information on that in the coming months,” the statement continues.
PhillyPride365 celebrated the new partnership on social media.
“Get ready for an exciting new chapter — bigger, bolder, and even more community-driven,” a post on Instagram reads. “From Pride Weekend in June to OURfest in the fall, UAC is committed to honoring Philly’s rich LGBTQ+ history while amplifying unity, visibility, and joy.”
“We extend heartfelt gratitude to Galaei for their fearless leadership and transformative impact. Their legacy of advocacy in education, healthcare, and justice will continue to shape our city,” the post continues. “With UAC at the helm and you beside us, we’re building a future where every identity is seen, valued, and celebrated.”
This isn’t the first handoff to occur in recent years.
Philly Pride Presents (PPP), led by Franny Price, organized Philadelphia’s Pride and Outfest — the predecessor to OURFest — events for decades. But in 2021, local queer and trans BIPOC activists criticized PPP for failing to create inclusive and accessible events, citing issues like the presence of police at Pride, corporate and political ties, and culturally insensitive decisions. Following these calls for change and the announcement of a speak-out event, PPP shut down. In response, a new group called PHL Pride Collective — comprised of Black and brown queer and trans organizers — formed to create a Pride event rooted in community and protest. Although Galaei initially offered support and space, differences in vision led Galaei to take on the bulk of administrative tasks and other labor to organize the events. PHL Pride Collective eventually became inactive.
During the return of Pride in 2022, Tyrell Brown — who served as Galaei’s executive director at the time — founded Philly Pride 365 and directed Pride-related programs through that initiative, which aims to serve the LGBTQ+ community even beyond the popular festivals.
Galaei’s decision to step away from their role with the festivals comes during Brown’s first week away from the organization. After being appointed as Philadelphia’s newest executive director for the Office of LGBTQ+ Affairs, Brown no longer serves in leadership at Galaei.
But during their tenure, Brown played a pivotal role in reimagining the Gayborhood events as resource-packed spaces that merge celebration and visibility with chances to address disparities. The festivals now offer STI testing, direct linkages to care and services, and connections to hundreds of community partners in addition to dedicated spaces that reflect a variety of lived experiences — such as nooks dedicated to the ballroom scene, sports, sobriety and youth. Under Brown’s leadership, the festivals have seen record numbers of attendees who have also made a tangible economic impact on the city during the festivities.
While organizing Pride’s post-COVID first return, Brown told PGN that they learned Pride does not belong to a single organization.
“I think we have such an amazing abundance of community leaders in Philadelphia, that where people want to cultivate Pride is where they should,” Brown said in 2023. “If we have Pride in every single corner on every single block in Philadelphia because 13 or 14 different groups want to do a different thing, that only means that our movement is stronger. This is what we’re producing to have an impact as a large-scale resource festival that frankly, our community can’t go without.”
This is a developing story. More announcements are expected over the next few days and weeks which will explain next steps and provide clarity. Watch for new information shared to the Urban Affairs Coalition and Galaei’s social media accounts or revisit this article for updates.