PHILADELPHIA – On June 5, 2022, Philly kicked off its annual celebration of Gay Pride Month, the only way such a fabulous bunch of peeps could. With a parade of tens of thousands of Philly fab. through downtown and onto the Gayborhood!
For the last 50 years, Philly Pride has grown in beauty and solidarity into what we see today under new organizing leadership. It’s been a long road from those small but proud beginnings in 1972 on Chestnut Street, into the glorious Goliath celebrating their truth 50 years later!
People came from across this great city to celebrate life, individuality, sexuality, and identity.
For many, the Philly Pride Parade is a family affair, and children of all ages were welcome and made to feel safe, loved, and honored for who they were.
A group of teens came out to celebrate themselves, knowing their identity and sexuality will be accepted and appreciated at the Philly Pride Parade, and they will be fully loved for who they are. Something that, when I was their age, I couldn’t expect.Of course, you couldn’t start a Gay Pride Parade without Bikers, and passionately socialist speeches from the back of a box truck converted into a sound stage complete with bubbles and balloons!
Sam Rise from Philadelphia Socialist Alternative hypes the crowd of tens of thousands gathered to celebrate at the Philly Pride Parade from atop the Bearded Ladies Cabaret’s Beardmobile!”When most people want to make you feel small, when they want to tell you that you deserve nothing, when they want to steal from you your dignity, your equity, your access, the liberation you know is possible, you say to them: pay it no mind. You don’t need to repay them anything,” said Sam Rise from the back of the Bearded Ladies Cabaret’s Beardmobile!
Leona Libertad calls on the LGBTQIA community to remember their roots in struggle and support one another in times of crisis, whether it’s emotional, physical, or fiscal. Support each other in LOVE! Echoing a mantra I’ve often heard from Pam Africa, there’s no savior but ourselves.
In the face of an onslaught of right-wing attacks on the LGBTQIA community, but specifically trans kids, it has to be our top priority to protect Trans Rights, from healthcare to their ability to go to school and live their lives in loving, caring environments, that recognize their existence and humanity.The unspoken side of Pam’s sage words is that no one will celebrate us like ourselves.
A trans womxn reflects the light and love all around her, proudly living in her beauty on Independence Mall.
A womxn shows off her pride on the way to the Philly Pride Parade from the Constitution Center on Independence Mall.
Three friends watch the Pride Parade, decked out with their Pride swag.
A reminder that LOVE is what is all about…
and that Love is Love, no matter who it’s for or you are.
So be GAY and roller skate through the streets with your friends…
dance on top of the bus stop, in your beauty and power in front of a crowd of tens of thousands…
be a fabulous princess, or fairy living in the glorious light of lavish love…
celebrate your blackness with your queerness in gracious gratitude for the ancestors who walked before you in their truth and struggled for your freedom and theirs…
Just never forget to live out your gay agenda of being fabulously, gloriously gay, and eating tacos on Tuesdays, while wondering…
not so much what now, but what next…What will the next 50 years bring, as we all, LGBTQIA and allies alike march forward in search of liberation and equality for ourselves, those next to us, and those who have yet to come? Just like those who came before us, in 1972, 1969, and all the way back!
Because you are more loved than you know! ❤❤❤
When I sat down to do this, I had to wittle down nearly 200 sexy ass photos to what I was going to use. I wanted to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Philly Pride but I also understood that nobody’s going to sit around and look at 50 different photos no matter how awesome they are Oh, So eventually I settled on 22 to represent obviously 2022.
Long story short I wanted to send out all my love my LGBTQIA family in all their beauty and joy. We still have a long way to go but we have also come so far, lets keep up the fight in love!
This was so fun, Cory!!! Cheers!!!
It’s always a lot of fun when you get to celebrate life. Particularly in these dark times.