Looking back at summer 2024, Southsider is reflecting on the events that offered the Lehigh Valley community the best opportunities for connection and celebration. Lehigh Valley Pride provided locals with this chance.
On Sunday August 18th, the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Center hosted Lehigh Valley Pride at SteelStacks. The event brought together locals in an effort to recognize and support the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community. With the Levitt Pavilion stage for performers and the adjacent lot full of food trucks as well as kiosks with vendors and community organizations, Lehigh Valley Pride was a day to celebrate diversity, to enjoy entertainment, and to learn about organizations serving our communities.
Upon walking into Pride attendees were greeted by workers from the Bradley Sullivan LGBT Community Center (BSC) located in Allentown. The organization had multiple tents set up that provided Pride memorabilia and information about the resources they offer. At the Levitt Pavilion stage, there were two bouncy houses, one for adults and one for children, as well as a lineup of performers. Towards the beginning of the event, the Philadelphia Freedom Band played an instrumental rendition of Chappell Roan’s “HOT TO GO!,” energetically kickstarting Pride. In addition to the Philadelphia Freedom Band, the Levitt Pavilion stage welcomed local queer musicians and hosted a Drag Power Hour, where local drag artists performed a song of their choice on stage. The Drag Power Hour provided local drag performers with the opportunity to showcase their skills and create a fun, exciting atmosphere.
Beyond entertainment, political organizations were represented at Pride. In addition to national organizations like Human Rights Campaign, Keystone Equality (KE), a newly-formed LGBTQ+ political group dedicated to voter education, offered information about candidates that they have endorsed. KE Board President, Liz Bradbury, spent the full day at Pride, talking with attendees about the new organization and passing out postcards with information about their group’s website (https://www.keystoneequality.org/). Bradbury and other organization members discussed how they surveyed candidates for office across Pennsylvania about their stances on issues impacting LGBTQIA+ people in order to make endorsements for the 2024 election cycle, which can be found on their website. They also provided information about legislation that would benefit LGBTQIA+ people, like the Fairness Act (HB 300).
The vendors at Lehigh Valley Pride sold a variety of goods, including homemade crocheted stuffed animals, handmade jewelry, tye-dyed clothing, and books. Many of the items being offered were Pride themed. In addition to crocheted goods and jewelry, there was also a unique tent that sold books.This tent was put up by the Sapphic Lit Pop-Up Bookstore, an organization made up of a co-op of a dozen authors who provide the East Coast with sapphic literature and raise awareness of the genre. A few authors were at the tent and encouraged attendees to ask for recommendations and information about the books. There was an array of classic romance, rom-coms, and literary fiction, providing readers with choices that can suit any reading taste. The tent also had a “Blind Date with a Book” section. These books were wrapped up and randomized so the purchaser would be surprised with their choice.
Pictured: Wellness Way at Lehigh Valley Pride.
There were also numerous tents promoting the protection of the LGBTQIA+ community’s mental and physical health. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the Eastern PA Trans Equity Project, and Lehigh Valley Health Network each had their own vendor tents that focused on the health needs of the community. These tents, while not selling goods like the small businesses surrounding them, did give out free Pride themed memorabilia. These offerings attracted almost every person at Pride and ensured that information about accessible healthcare was readily available for all. Importantly, these tents could be found at every area of SteelStacks, cementing the event’s commitment to providing the LGBTQIA+ community with accessible information about various types of health care.
Lehigh Valley Pride provided a joyous, welcoming space for all members of the Lehigh Valley and LGBTQIA+ communities to come together and celebrate one another. Pride is such an important celebration because it provides visibility and support to those that are consistently underrepresented in the media. Additionally it emphasizes to the LGBTQIA+ community that they deserve to feel proud of who they are.
To learn about other LGBTQIA+ events in the Lehigh Valley, visit Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center.
