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The Pitt News

The independent student newspaper of the University of Pittsburgh | PIttnews.com | june 13, 2018 | Volume 109 | Issue 6

PITTSBURGH PACKS THE PEOPLE’S PRIDE SKIPS ON STREET FOR PRIDE 2018 CORPORATE SPONSORSHIPS

A group of Walmart employees march behind a company truck as it makes its way through EQT’s pride parade, which has been criticized as being too centered around corporations. Anna Bongardino | VISUAL EDITOR their house and… this is a community that has had to put up with a lot of stigma for a Staff Writer long time, but in the end they’re just people,” Red, orange, yellow, green, blue and Bryan said. purple lit up downtown Pittsburgh over the Bryan said she has friends and family weekend as members of the LGBTQ+ comwho are part of the LGBTQ+ community, munity and their allies united to celebrate and she always laughs overhearing them. their differences and show support for the “I always listen to them and I’m like, ‘You community. They danced, sang and kissed guys have the same arguments as straight under rainbow flags. This was Pittsburgh people do,’ it’s like, ‘Who’s going to take PrideFest 2018. the dog out?,’ ‘Who’s going to get dinner?,’ For two days this weekend, more than ‘Who’s going to pay the electric bill?’ It’s all 170 vendors filled Liberty Avenue downthe same and, in the end, what the differenctown with rainbow colors and pro-gay es are are about love,” Bryan said. “I think statements. One of the event’s organizers, the world needs a lot more love.” Christine Bryan — the director of marketPrideFest volunteer Howard Marr, 57, ing and development at the Delta Foundafrom Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is friends with tion of Pittsburgh — said it was a safe space Bryan and Gary Van Horn, the President of for LGBTQ+ members and allies to support the Delta Foundation. He said he considers their rights. Pittsburgh’s Pride the best in the country and “As an ally, I see people being treated has come nine out of the last 10 years. wrong and I see people call out office, who See Pride 2018 on page 2 got fired from their job or got kicked out of

Madeline Gavatorta

SisTers PGH, a shelter focused on transition programs for trans and nonbinary people, hosted People’s Pride as a way to shift attention to marginalized groups within the LGBTQ+ community. Jon Kunitsky | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Jon Kunitsky Staff Writer

“Pride of the people will overcome evil!” This was only one of many rally cries heard from the marchers in Pittsburgh’s second annual People’s Pride March late Sunday morning. The “people” of the chant were members of the LGBTQ+ community who are often overlooked — specifically transgender youth, adults in low income neighborhoods and people of color. And the “evil” the chant referred to is the Delta Foundation of Pittsburgh, a leading LGBTQ+ advocacy group, and EQT, a Pittsburgh-based oil and natural gas company. Separate from Pittsburgh PrideFest, People’s Pride is organized by the transgender- and nonbinary-centered shelter and transitioning program SisTers PGH.

People’s Pride offers an alternative parade for members of the LGBTQ+ community who are displeased with the corporatization of Pittsburgh Pride events. Last year, EQT’s sponsorship prompted Pittsburgh Pride to change its name to the “EQT Equality March,” an unwelcome decision to Ciora Thomas, a transgender woman. “We have marginalized queer people who are getting ignored in Pittsburgh in corporate events like Pittsburgh Pride that’s run by the Delta Foundation,” Thomas, the founder of SisTers PGH and head organizer of People’s Pride, said. “They get ignored and they’re not heard. So in this space we offer them to be centered and heard in all aspects.” The Pittsburgh Pride website reports that the mission of the Delta Foundation of Pittsburgh is to “be a vigilant catalyst See People’s Pride on page 6


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