Many followers found this connotation to be unquestionably offensive. The first of these was a Memorial Day 2021 Twitter post in which PPP wished its followers a happy Memorial Day and attached an image of the infamous “Blue Lives Matter,” a thin blue line American flag, except the blue line had been replaced with a rainbow stripe.
However, a series of social media posts quickly turned the people against Philly Pride. It is the nature of organizations such as PPP to naturally be more politically vocal and active.
It all came to a boiling point in 2021, however.
The flag update was a small change, but was enough to assuage the protest of the people. Racism in Philadelphia’s “gayborhood” was and is an issue, and many people felt as if the PPP did nothing to address it. It was not until 2017 that the standard Gay Pride flag was updated to include black and brown stripes representing the fight for racial equality following outcry from the people. However, the organization ran into some trouble.įor years, Pride organizations such as PPP have struggled with inclusivity in the public eye. The coming years were supposed to be no different, with the summer of 2021 intending to be the 33rd major pride event hosted by PPP. Philly Pride Presents (PPP) was a volunteer-based pride organization that, until earlier this year, had been responsible for organizing the massive Pride parades and city-wide days of Pride-based events that characterized every June and October for the last several years. Now the past of Philly Pride remains under criticism, while the present and future remain uncertain. In fact, no major organized Pride event has taken place in the city in almost a year since the dissolving of Philly Pride Presents in June of 2021. 11, a day that is usually met with mass pride parades and migrations to the city’s center, was unusually quiet. “But we just couldn’t take off another year.Earlier this month, National Coming Out Day came and passed the city of Philadelphia. It’s going to require a lot of finesse,” Volz said. A group of 26 Black drag queens produced a virtual show to benefit Black Lives Matter, for example.įor this year’s Pride Lite, as more details become available, Volz said he’ll post them to the Philly Pride Presents Facebook page. Though the central Pride event was canceled last year, some local queer and trans performers held celebrations. In 1990, when Philadelphia held its inaugural OutFest, it was the first city to host a National Coming Out Day event - and Philly Pride is ultimately what led to the area being called the Gayborhood. “I think we’re all collectively tired of virtual events,” he said, “so we’re going to try this.” Volz said the Philly Pride Presents team is not considering a virtual version of any celebration. The Health Department announced on Tuesday afternoon that starting May 7, outdoor events can operate at 50% capacity - an increase from the previous 20% cap. But each one is subject to review, per Mayor’s Office spokesperson Kevin Lessard. Philly just started accepting applications for permits to host outdoor events again on April 15.