Log in

View Full Version : Philadelphia’s Poofter Pride Parade Celebrates 25 Years


The Bobster
June 10th, 2013, 03:51 PM
http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2013/06/09/philadelphias-pride-parade-celebrates-25-years/

Philadelphia’s Pride Parade Celebrates 25 Years
June 9, 2013 3:18 PM
By Suzanne Monaghan

http://cbsphilly.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/untitled15.jpg

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — It’s not the longest-running Pride Parade in the country, but Philadelphia’s Pride Parade has been promoting equality in the L-G-B-T community for 25 years.

Sunday marked the event’s silver anniversary and Jay from Cherry Hill, New Jersey says gay rights have seen a dramatic evolution since the first Philly Pride Parade.

“Twenty years ago, this was more of a testament to the AIDS crisis,” he said. “You know, our brothers and sisters were dying and from that solidarity we were able to cultivate a sense of community a sense of pride a sense of power and now, basically 20 years later, we are on the cusp of marriage equality.”

While parade participants performed, marched or road down Market Street on colorful floats, Jerry who has been coming to the parade since 1990 shared his vision for the parade 25 years from now.

“Almost no celebration. You know, that it’s just normal,” he said. “That you don’t need a celebration anymore. That it’s just normal. Everybody can be whatever they want.” :rolleyes:

Those who’ve been coming to the parade since the beginning say both the crowds and the acceptance have grown :rolleyes: and most shared a similar hope for the future.

“We actually are residents of Rhode Island and marriage equality was just passed there, allowing us to take the opportunity to get married in the near future,” said one man. “That’s what needs to happen in these areas as well.”

The Bobster
June 10th, 2013, 03:51 PM
http://www.wjla.com/pictures/2013/06/photos-capital-pride-parade/31641-2125.html

WJLA, June 09, 2013
PHOTOS: Capital Pride parade

On Saturday, tens of thousands of residents across the DC region poured into the streets of Washington to watch and march in the Capital Pride parade. The 38th annual event celebrates diversity and promotes acceptance of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community in our nation's capital.

http://images.wjla.com/pictures/2125/Capital-pride-5-flamingo_606.jpg

The Bobster
June 10th, 2013, 03:52 PM
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/07/la-pride-2013-street-closures_n_3403498.html

LA Pride 2013

http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1179681/thumbs/r-LA-PRIDE-2013-STREET-CLOSURES-large570.jpg?6

N.B. Forrest
June 10th, 2013, 06:12 PM
FABuluth!! :puke::fag:

Armstrong
June 10th, 2013, 06:19 PM
One of these days many of those involved will look back on these days and be very very very embarrassed.

littlefieldjohn
June 10th, 2013, 06:40 PM
Philadelphia Gay News' Mark Segal:jew: Talks About 'Christopher Street Liberation Day,' the Old Village Voice Office, and Love in the White House

There was a small, touching moment while covering President Obama's address to the White House LGBT Pride Month reception
http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2012/06/white_house_pride_reception.php
that caught our eye: this gay couple holding each other, silently and wordlessly.
After the president had finished speaking, we chatted with them. They were Mark Segal, the publisher of the Philadelphia Gay News, and his boyfriend of eight years, Jason Villmez of the PBS Newshour.

Segal had a fascinating story. In 1970, he'd been a part of the Gay Liberation Front, which planned to pull off something called Christopher Street Liberation Day.

"We met right in front of the Village Voice office!" he told us with glee, recalling that, "We just hoped a few people would come out to join us. About 5,000 people came out!"

It was shortly after the Stonewall riots, and long before rainbow flags were ubiquitous in the Village (let alone being made into cookies in the White House).

It was "amazing," Segal said of the event that which would evolve into "gay pride -- we didn't even have that term for the event back then." Of course, now the city hosts a pride parade with hundreds of thousands of participants and spectators. So do cities around the world, although a handful of places in Europe still call it the Christopher Street Day Parade out of homage.

"And now, you could probably get 5,000 people to come out and stand with gay rights in cities almost anywhere," he said with wonder.

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2012/06/philadelphia_ga.php