The Greater Pittsburgh region has celebrated its LGBTQ+ community since June 1973, when the city of Pittsburgh hosted its first Gay Pride week. A gay cabaret, symposium with speakers and educational workshops were included in the weeklong event.
Pittsburgh continues to support the LGBTQ+ population as it gears up to kick off its 50th annual celebration with a three-day event scheduled for June 2-4.
Pittsburgh Pride Revolution kicks off at noon on Sat., June 2, with its pride march and parade, said Jim Sheppard of Qburgh, one of the member organizations planning the event. From 1 to 8 p.m. each day, community members can enjoy local and tristate entertainers, a hookah lounge, and a Gaming Hole section for serious gamers among the planned activities.
This year’s event features a separate kids’ section and a quiet, alcohol-free, nonsmoking zone for people who prefer to celebrate in a calmer environment, said Dena Stanley, leader of Trans YOUniting, another organization responsible for planning the event.
For the first time, representatives from all three Pittsburgh pro sports teams are coming to the event to support the LGBTQ community. “It’s Pittsburgh, and we are such a sports town,” said Sheppard. “It’s important to have our allies with us. It also sends the message that just because you’re LGBTQ doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy or play sports.”
Both Sheppard and Stanley said that this year’s events focus heavily on the community and making sure that activities are accessible to everyone. “This version of pride is so community-oriented,” said Sheppard. “This is a group of diverse individuals who are trying to represent the entire LGBTQ community.”
The Pittsburgh Pride Revolution is happening the same weekend as the Three Rivers Arts Festival, so guests should expect crowds downtown and on the North Shore. The parade route plans to wind through the festival area. Arts festival attendees are encouraged to jump into the parade and join them for the march, said Sheppard.
Learn more about the parade, including a full lineup of events, at https://qburgh.com.
While one of the largest and oldest pride events in the region, Pittsburgh Pride Revolution isn’t the only celebration. Several local communities have planned events to celebrate and support the queer community.
PRIDE Millvale is in its third year, according to co-organizers Kristi and Cas Hruska. The event was founded by Millvale resident Patty Sorg Harpur, who continues to serve on the planning committee with a dozen core members responsible for event accessibility, entertainment and sponsorship portions of the event.
Last year, PRIDE Millvale included 50 businesses, 50 vendors and eight hours of live entertainment in Gap Park. The Hruskas said the entertainment committee is still finalizing this year’s entertainment menu. “It’s a big draw for the event,” said Kristi Hruska. “This year, we’re focusing on a variety of performance types in addition to drag and music.”
Diversity is important to the planning committee, the Hruskas said. They invited performers of color and nonbinary drag performers to participate in this year’s celebration.
PRIDE Millvale includes activities for all ages and is a free event. “Historically, a lot of prides are strongly tied to alcohol because many of them were sponsored by bars and alcohol companies,” said Cas Hruska. “We’re thinking of the need for sober spaces and family spaces. It’s a celebration, but also an important family event.”
The 100 percent volunteer-run pride event is on Sat., June 24. It kicks off at noon and runs until approximately 8 p.m. Millvale businesses sometimes host separate pride celebrations before or after the main event as well.
Millvale is representative of many communities. “No matter where you go, there are going to be queer people who are looking to celebrate and be accepted. There are going to be people who support that, and there are going to be people who don’t know where they fit in,” said Cas Hruska. “That’s why PRIDE Millvale is so successful. It allows people to access the event in whatever way is comfortable for them.” Get the full line-up and other PRIDE Millvale details at https://www.pridemillvale.org.
People’s Pride Swissvale is another local community event. It’s organized by SisTers PGH, a nonprofit organization operated by Black trans women and femmes. Last year was the first time SisTers PGH organized the event in Swissvale, said Ciora Thomas, founder and executive director of the organization. The borough approached them about having a pride parade because Swissvale had never had one before. Before moving its offices there, SisTers PGH hosted similar events on the North Side, so they agreed to help organize one for Swissvale.
Thomas said they have 30 local vendors signed up for this year’s event, including businesses, nonprofits, and schools. A parade kicks things off starting at 11 a.m. at the Noble Street Municipal Lot and ends at the Dickson Elementary Field.
Headlining this year’s event is Black queer artist Durand Bernarr, a singer, songwriter, producer, skater, actor and host. His 2016 EP Sound Check prompted Billboard to name him “an artist to know.”
Thomas said People’s Pride Swissvale is a mix of education and entertainment. “Expect fun, happiness and joy alongside standing up for trans rights in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County,” said Thomas. Given the current climate in the country, Thomas said it’s more important than ever to stand up for young LGBTQIA folks in the community. Learn more about this year’s event at https://www.sisterspgh.org.
Lebo Pride is another local celebration, held Sat., June 17, at the main community park in Mt. Lebanon. The event kicks off at 8 a.m. with yoga in the park and officially ends around 3 p.m.
Event organizer Asta Kill said the goal for this year’s event is to bring in intersectional identities not represented in the current makeup of the population in Mt. Lebanon. “We want to spread love, acceptance and joy during a time when the LGBTQ+ community is the target of hate in this country,” said Kill. “I want to give my community the support I wish I’d had to be my authentic self.”
Lebo Pride is a family-friendly event featuring food vendors, entertainers and other activities designed to support the LGBTQ+ community. Miss Akasha L. Van-Cartier, owner of LeStat Couture, will be headlining the event at drag queen story hour. Learn more at https://www.lebopride.org.
Outside the city, Nemacolin Woodlands is hosting its 3rd Annual Nemacolin Pride event from 8 p.m. to midnight on Sat., June 10. The event is for adults 21 and over and costs $75 per person, and is open to the general public, resort guests and members. Guests can enjoy an evening pool and hot tub party, late-night drag show performances, a lip-sync battle, a walk-off competition and a cash bar.
Jennifer El Khessassi, Nemacolin’s director of marketing, said proceeds from the first 100 tickets sold benefit the Persad Center in Pittsburgh and Washington, PA. The nonprofit organization is dedicated to improving the well-being of LGBTQ+ communities in the area.
Nemacolin associates also receive training to ensure a welcoming experience for all guests, said El Khessassi. “For instance, we coached security on how to handle ID for transgendered guests whose official IDs may not match their appearances,” she said. “The feedback we received last year from guests was that they felt loved and supported and welcomed.”
Learn more about the event at https://www.nemacolin.com/#real-life-magic.
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