Episode 79 – Originally Released June 2019

On Sunday, June 9, 2019, the city of Philadelphia celebrated pride month with our annual Pride Parade and Festival hosted by Philly Pride Presents. If you follow me on social media, you’ve seen some of the photos of that amazing event. This annual celebration takes considerable effort on the part of so many people in the city, the LGBTQ+ community and their allies.

The theme of this year’s parade was Stonewall 50, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riot in New York in 1969 which was the start lasting changes in the rights of LGBTQ+ persons in America. Years before Stonewall, men and women in Philadelphia held peaceful protests at Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell as reminders of the rights not afforded to gay and lesbian Americans.

This is the story of Philadelphia pride, from the Annual Reminder Days to this year’s incredible pride parade. We’ll talk about the history of the fight for gay rights in Philadelphia and a horrible crime in 2014 which served as the catalyst for changes in Philadelphia’s hate crime laws. Join me on this journey through time as we celebrate pride in the city of brotherly love.

Research sources for this episode include:

• Philadelphia Inquirer Archives and Daily News Archives
• Philadelphia Gay News
• LGBT50.org
• WHYY and PBS
• The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia
• The City of Philadelphia: phila.gov
• Philly Pride Presents
• CBS 3 and NBC 10
• Philadelphia Magazine

NOTE: The statue of former Philadelphia Mayor Frank Rizzo, which stood outside a city municipal building, was removed, and placed in storage in July 2020.

TwistedPhilly is researched, hosted, and produced by me, Deana Marie, and available biweekly wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow me on Tiktok and Instagram at twistedphilly to see many of the locations and histories I discuss in the show. 

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