Pride month events around the region – Reading Eagle

June 21, 2022 News Editor

The region will celebrate June as Philly Gay Pride Month with 30 days and 100s of ways to be out, proud and gay in the city of brotherly love and sisterly affection. There will be events, activities, benefits, specials and programs for all ages and demographics, by community organizations, small businesses, nonprofits, cultural institutions, tourist attractions, restaurants, bars and more.

Events will take place across the region in the city, suburbs and everywhere in between. The month-long celebration is brought to you through the support of generous sponsors FCM Hospitality, plus BOS Philly, Aversa PR, PhillyGayCalendar, Brittany Lynn and the Philly Drag Mafia, along with other community organizations, organizers, leaders and out business owners have teamed up for the second year to bring together our community. The pandemic has had a profoundly negative impact on our city’s LGBTQ community. Look for more on PhillyGayPride.com for updates and visit phillygaycalendar as the festivities continue.

MONTH LONG ACTIVITIES

1) LGBTQ Hall of Flags and Philly Gay Pride Flag Exhibit: Sofitel Philadelphia at Rittenhouse Square, 120 S. 17th S., Philadelphia, 215-569-8300, https://www.sofitel-philadelphia.com

Sofitel Philadelphia invites the community to celebrate Philadelphia’s Pride rainbow flag on the outside of the building in June. An oversize rainbow flag, with Philly’s addition of the brown and black stripes to honor diversity in the community, greets visitors as they enter to the left of the front doors. Inside look for the lobby to be renamed Philadelphia’s LGBTQ Hall of Flags. Look for Philadelphia’s locally designed and newsmaking rainbow flag to also have a center spot in the lobby, showcasing the diversity of our local community. The Philadelphia rainbow flag will be joined by host of LGBTQ flags flying high inside the lobby to celebrate the different facets of the local gay community, including, Lesbian Pride Flag, Gender Fluid Pride Flag, Binary Pride Flag, Pan Sexual Pride Flag, Transgender Pride Flag and the Bisexual Pride Flag.

2) Cocktails for a Cause: by FCM Hospitality, Eleven venues around Philadelphia

FCM Hospitality presents a special month-long fundraiser for four local charities during Philly Gay Pride Month. Drink the rainbow with Cocktails for a Cause at Liberty Point, The Garden at Cherry Street Pier, The Dolphin, Morgan’s Pier, Craft Hall, Parks on Tap, Rosy’s Taco Bar, Harper’s Garden, Lola’s Garden, Concourse Dance Bar and Juno. Each FCM location will work in unison to raise funds for LGBTQ community programs during Pride Month. Each property will offer a drink that matches a color of the all-inclusive LGBTQ rainbow flag. One dollar from each rainbow drink will provide donations for four charities, including William Way LGBT Community Center, Attic Youth Center, Philly Asian Queer and Galaei. Watch for exciting news and a special surprise for this program from Philadelphia Flyers and Flyers Charities, including a special orange pride cocktail.

The first Cocktails for a Cause Pride Party and Kick-Off event will take place June 9 at Liberty Point from 5-8 p.m. This is the one and only event that will feature all eleven cocktails, with Philadelphia Flyers, Flyers Charities and Gritty. Our Night Out is happening side-by-side at Liberty Point on the same night from 6-9 p.m.

3) #loveislove Gay Pride Month Special Beer Release: Available at the Lab at Evil Genius and through GoPuff and Delivery Platforms, Evil Genius Beer Company, 1727 N. Front St., Philadelphia, 215-425-6820, http://evilgeniusbeer.com

Love who you want to, drink what you want to! Evil Genius Beer Company celebrates June as Philly Gay Pride Month with a special limited edition beer release #loveislove. This exclusive Strawberry Blonde Ale (6% ABV) is crisp with a hint of natural strawberry flavor. A portion from all sales will be donated to The Trevor Project, a national organization that provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQIA+ youth. Starting June 1st, #loveislove is available in Evil Genius’ new 12 ounce cans at the Lab in Fishtown – and for delivery to your front door through a Pride partnership with GoPuff. The beer will also be available on limited release in drafts at the Lab and Evil Genius Beer Garden. For the first time ever, this exclusive beer will also be distributed to restaurants throughout the city for Pride Month. Limited supplies of #loveislove will also be available at retailers and restaurants in Harrisburg and York, PA. Come out for a special Gay Pride Kick-Off Happy Hour and Keg Tapping June 2 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. for a first taste, happy hour drink and food specials, and a special keg tapping. Free and open to the public.

4) Gay Pride Month at Philly AIDS Thrift: 710 S 5th St, Philadelphia, (215) 922-3186, https://phillyaidsthrift.com/

Philly AIDS Thrift celebrates June as Philly Gay Pride Month with a colorful, Queer-centric wowing window display celebrating the diversity of our city and region’s queer community. Come get dressed up for Pride Month by supporting Philadelphia’s largest and gay-owned thrift store where you can find a rainbow of fashions all month long! Whether you want to celebrate with the eight colors of the Philly rainbow, or add to your own personal style, Philly AIDS Thrift has shirts, pants, dresses, shoes, accessories and more for each and every person – and each and every taste. Don’t forget to stop by the vintage jewelry room to add some extra sparkle and bling to your pride outfit. Additionally, support one of our community’s most important non-profits by shopping for home goods, games and other thrift items. Donate and do-good in June by donating gently used items to the thrift store. Pride month and June is a great month to clean out those basements, shore houses and closets. Philly AIDS Thrift turns yesterday’s treasures into tomorrow’s grants to help provide life-saving services for dozens of HIV/AIDS service organizations.

5) Gay Pride Month Essentials at Philly AIDS Thrift at Giovanni’s Room: 345 S 12th St, Philadelphia, (215) 923-2960, https://www.queerbooks.com/

Celebrate Gay Pride Month at America’s oldest continuously operating LGBTQ bookstore! For Philly Gay Pride Month, stop by Philly AIDS Thrift at Giovanni’s Room in the gayborhood for all of your gay pride month essentials – including ramped up selections of the special Philadelphia edition of the Gay Pride Flag, other LGBTQ flags, pride t-shirts, magnets, buttons and other queer ephemera. Pick up your recently published copy of queerbook anthology – a collection of fiction and non-fiction work by LGBTQ people from all over the world that was published by PAT during the pandemic.

6) Without a Cue Productions: Murder in the Jazz Age, Old City and Historic Philadelphia, 267-994-1056, https://www.withoutacue.com/philadelphia

Without a Cue Productions celebrates Philly Gay Pride Month with $5 off the new mystery walking tours in Historic Philadelphia. For summer of 2022, come out and enjoy Murder in the Jazz Age. The Bucks County female-owned theatrical company celebrates the launch in Philly with a five dollar savings for any walking tour in the entire month of June using promo code 5PRIDE at the above website. Watch for stories spotlighting Without a Cue Productions out and proud gay cast members during June and Pride Month.

7) Rainbow Bagel Benefit: By Glu Hospitality, Bagels and Co., 1001 N 2nd St, Philadelphia

Bagels and Co. and Glu Hospitality are proud to support Philly Gay Pride Month and the LGBTQ Community with a dollar from every single rainbrow bagel sold in June to William Way LGBT Community Center to support their ongoing work in the community. Glu properties are also supporting pride through different events at their venues.

8) Hemlock Grooming Supply: out of Northern Liberties/Fishtown will debut a brand-new Pride glitter beard oil with 100% of all proceeds in June going to P-Flag. Please stay tuned for details on this very special benefit and community collaboration.

THROUGH THE MONTH

18) Sofitel’s Pride Drag Tea with Brittany Lynn’s Drag Mafia Present: Every Saturday In June, Sofitel Philadelphia at Rittenhouse Square120 S. 17th S., Philadelphia, 215-569-8300, https://www.sofitel-philadelphia.com

Sofitel Philadelphia kicks off Philly Pride Month with the celebrated drag tea expanded to all four weekends of June this year, on Saturdays, June 4, 11, 18 and 25. Look for a new spin on a time-honored tradition. Sofitel, famous for its classic afternoon tea service, will debut a new Drag Tea featuring Brittany Lynn and the Philly Drag Mafia. Sip tea (or spill it) in the presence of fabulous Drag Queens as you enjoy delicious offerings from Sofitel’s award-winning culinary team. Drag Tea starts each week at 2:00pm and runs through 4:00pm inside Chez Colette Brasserie. Come ready to be entertained as you enjoy classics, like scones, tea sandwiches (smoked salmon, dill cream cheese, cucumber, pinwheel; truffled egg salad, quinoa cup; fig jam, boursin, red onion, sesame pretzel; turkey, cranberry, orange, pumpernickel), pastries (orange and grand marnier cake, matcha mousse, chocolate profiterole, macaroons), and Palais Des Thes (selection of nine different teas for you to choose) – plus your choice of a Champagne, Mimosa or Bellini. Tickets are $75 per person for standard drag tea service, or $85 with bottomless Champagne, Mimosas and Bloody Marys. Five dollars from each purchase will be donated to the William Way LGBT Community Center.Tickets are available at:https://www.sofitel-philadelphia.com/dining-lounge/drag-tea/

65) Gone and For Ever – Art Exhibition: June 21-24, William Way LGBT Community Center, 1315 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, www.waygay.org

William Way LGBT Community Center and artist/entrepreneur Alex Stadler have teamed up to collaborate on a special exhibition and public memorial service for those lost in the early AIDS pandemic in the city of Philadelphia. Gone and For Ever will remember and honor those who died in our region dating back to the early 1980s, particularly those who were abandoned in their dying or death in the early crisis years. Stadler and collaborating artists have created a one-of-a-kind artist-made exhibition to be displayed at the Center (1315 Spruce Street) during Philly Gay Pride Month, from June 21-24, leading up to the piece’s culminating public memorial on June 25. Following a musical and spoken memorial ceremony at the Center, the audience will join a street procession, with the urns carried to The Church of Saint Luke & The Epiphany, where there will be blessings over the memories of these people by a multi-denominational group of faith leaders led by Reverend Jeffery Haskins. The memorial ceremony will be livestreamed for those not able to be inside in person for the event. For more information on Gone and For Ever, please visit www.waygay.org.com/remembrance and on social media at @alexstadlerartwork. For more about William Way LGBT Community Center, please visit www.waygay.org and @waygayphilly.

66) XPN Welcomes Tash Sultana: June 24, 7:45 p.m., The Fillmore, Philadelphia, https://concerts.livenation.com/event/02005C3CA0BD4397

Tash Sultana, the gender fluid multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, producer and engineer, has been dubbed one of the hardest working music exports in Australia. Tash began playing the guitar from the age of 3 after being gifted the instrument from their late grandfather. From there Tash began to pick up other instruments such as piano/keyboard/synth, bass, drums/percussion, beatmaking/ sampling, beatboxing, trumpet, saxophone, flute, mandolin, oud, harmonica, lap steel, panpipes and arranged it into loop style performances along with percussive and finger tapping style guitar playing coinciding with a vocal range stretching 5 octaves. By the age of 13 Tash was playing at open mic nights up to 6 times a week across Victoria. Tash’s refusal to conform to normal society pushed the young artist onto the streets of Melbourne to busk, where they harnessed crowd stopping performances on Melbourne’s famous ‘Bourke Street’. From there a viral bedroom recording of ‘Jungle’ in 2016 skyrocketed the artist off the street and in front of the world. Since then Tash has broken attendance records on non-stop across sold out global arena tours, their accolades rush in faster than there is time to count them. In 2019 alone, Tash sold over half a million tickets across the globe.

67) Science After Hours: Summer Ball: June 24, 7:30-11:30 p.m., The Franklin Institute, 222 N 20th St., Philadelphia

The Franklin Institute is proud to get loud in celebration and support of the Pride movement and our region’s LGBTQ+ community with back-to-back special events in June highlighting local performers and featuring programming that explores what makes us happy and proud. Science After Hours returns with a special celebratory event to mark LGBTQ+ Pride month. Attendees to this Pride Month edition of Science After Hours will experience an evening of LGBTQ+-inspired performances, dancing, science, and revelry as the Franklin Institute celebrates with local drag queens to highlight happiness. Adults 21+; $40 per person in advance at fi.edu; $45 at the door Ticket includes: Themed programming and live performances. Evening access to core exhibits and galleries. Limited edition lapel pin created exclusively for Summer Ball. Roof deck access for guided stargazing and spectacular views of the city (weather permitting). Food and drink are available at cash bars throughout the museum. Event Highlights: DJ Electric Honey holds a dance party in the Planetarium, while Liquid Light Lab debuts a new dome visual created exclusively for the Fels Planetarium. Drag performances curated by local drag queen and show producer, The Eric Jaffe, including Drag Bingo with fabulous prizes. International director and choreographer Kemar Jewel explores ballroom culture, offering history, performances, and lessons. Flash talks on “What Feels Good?” with local artists and scientists, led by Franklin Institute’s Chief Bioscientist, Jayatri Das, Ph.D. Science demonstrations to tantalize and excite, presented by our “Cloud 9” crew of performers.

68) Pride Day at Philadelphia Zoo: June 25, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. 3400 West Girard Ave, Philadelphia, Reservation: https://philadelphiazoo.org/reservations/

Philadelphia Zoo celebrates Philly Gay Pride Month with the return of Pride Day at Philadelphia Zoo. This all-ages experience is a great opportunity to get outdoors with family, friends and/or significant others and enjoy the animals and celebrate the awesome diversity of the LGBTQ community. Local LGBTQ organizations have been invited to give away literature and talk about their services. Guests are invited to show off their Gay Pride by wearing their most colorful rainbow and pride-themed threads for a chance to win Zoo tickets for a future visit. Zoo Admission is $24 for ages 12+ and $19 for ages 2-11, children under 2 are free, plus entrance for Big Time $6 (adults and children ages 2+). Food and drink is pay as you go. Ticket reservations are available at www.PhiladelphiaZoo.org.

70) Gone and For Ever – Public Memorial, Telecast and Procession: June 25, William Way LGBT Community Center1315 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, www.waygay.org

72) Bucks-Mont Pride Festival: June 26, Noon-5 p.m., Abington Art Center, 515 Meetinghouse Rd, Jenkintown,

SAGA Community Center, a program of The Welcome Project PA, is proud to host the second annual Bucks-Mont PRIDE Festival at the beautiful Abington Art Center. SAGA is Montgomery County’s LGBT+ community center, providing support, education, advocacy, and resources since 2017. Enjoy live music, food, community resources, family-friendly activities, an Art Gallery, and more at this free, indoor/outdoor event.

MORE EVENTS

For more events to be added for Philly Gay Pride Month, please visit:https://phillygaycalendar.com/pride