They talked about the pioneers, like Black trans woman Marsha P. MW: Liora brought up the Stonewall Riots. So today, I come up here to talk about history. We all know what it is, ‘cause it’s sharp. LIORA LIBERTAD: I know that some of you know that feeling, that I’m holding on to something in my purse. MW: Liora Libertad, a Black trans person, wanted to tell people what it’s like to live in the world right now. This Pride march seemed to unite the LGBTQ community over these issues. Many of them target children, limiting access to gender-affirming care or banning trans athletes from playing sports. More than 300 of them have been introduced in legislatures across the country. This year set a new record for anti-trans bills. MW: A focal point of the march was the fight for trans rights. Thank you! Thank you! To our trans-cestors, thank you! SR: Have you thanked a Black trans woman today? Just throw one up please, right now. It amplified the most marginalized people in the community. MW: Already this was unlike any Pride event I had ever been to. MW: Claudia sang a song in her native language. MW: Tammy’s aunt, Claudia Haddad, joins her in front of the crowd.ĬLAUDIA HADDAD: I’m also a two-spirit, trans, Indigenous person. And as much support as we give to this community, we need your support for our community. The Indigenous people of Philadelphia are still here. And I want you to know that we need your love back. MW: The entire crowd kneels down to the pavement. I need everyone to get down and touch the ground if you can. Many, many, many, many, many, many years ago, this was a village, right where you’re standing. My ancestors are from the land that you are standing on. TAMMY WALKING STICK: My name is Tammy Walking Stick, and I am Indigenous. Toward the back, there was a drum line keeping the beat. Many were holding homemade signs, with protest messages like “stop homophobia” and “no justice, no peace.”
They’re decked out in rainbow, or leather, or face paint. MW: Samantha is standing in the street, speaking to thousands of people - young, old, all races, all genders. (Cheers) Philadelphia, we’re about to stomp these streets like we own these streets, because we do. (Cheers) One more time: equity, dignity, justice, liberation, pleasure, all of it, in our lifetimes. SAMANTHA RISE: If you can hear me, if you believe in equality, equity, dignity, justice, liberation in our lifetime, make some noise. There must’ve been thousands of them.Īt the front of the line, there were about a dozen butch lesbians, wearing leather and stradling motorcycles.Ī Black, queer activist named Samantha Rise started hyping the crowd on the mic. The street was filled with queer and trans people, with a line stretching more than three city blocks. MW: Per usual, some vendors were selling rainbow merch. PRIDE ATTENDEE: It’s been so long since I’ve seen you. Catching up, putting on glitter, taking selfies. I didn’t even know queers could get up that early!īut there they were. Whether the police would really stay on the perimeter, like the organizers wanted - and if people would feel safe to show up.īut a half hour before the start of the march, hundreds of people were there already. I didn’t know what all this would mean for Pride. And the recent death of a gay man, Eric Pope, after he was punched by a private security guard outside a Gayborhood bar.
That tragedy was stacked on top of already frequent incidents of gun violence in our city. Three people had died, and 11 more were wounded. Just the night before, there was a mass shooting about a mile from where the Pride festival would be. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel a little uneasy. I rolled up to Independence Mall about a half hour before the march was supposed to start. And what that means for the future of the Pride movement. Together, we’ll hear whether this new group reached their goal to create a Pride celebration where the entire community feels welcome. We’ll see if their event this year felt different from the old Prides - with the corporate floats and the police presence that made so many in the LGBTQ community feel unsafe.
The organization that ran the event for decades collapsed last summer. On this episode, we’re going to Philly Pride. MICHAELA WINBERG, HOST: Welcome back to March On: The Fight for Pride. We’re all about love and equal rights.ĬAMERON: Being able to, like, be comfortably who I am without people judging me. JAMES: I think it’s important right now more than ever, to show them as much support as possible, especially with all the changes that are going on in government.ĭARNELL: We’re not all about drinking and smoking and turning up. And being able to show that through your actions or through coming to a festival and just dancing in the street.
ANTOINELLA: Pride, to me, means being comfortable with who you are enough to, like, love yourself for however you identify.