Pride [noun]: confidence and self-respect as expressed by members of a group, typically one that has been socially marginalized, on the basis of their shared identity, culture and experience.
We have a lot of Pride in the greater Philadelphia area. There’s Philly Pride of course, South Jersey Pride (nearby Asbury Park) and I recently read that Doylestown will be hosting its first Pride Festival this year.
Philadelphia Black Pride is having a birthday!
The organization, created to celebrate the rich history and resilience of black and brown LGBQT folks is celebrating its 20th Anniversary with a long lineup of special programs and parties to commemorate the event and the 2019 Penn Relays.
Many of the events are programed categorically. Under the heading of “Cooperative Economics,” PBP will launch a special pop-up boutique featuring men’s spring wear, and accessories from Armour. The season’s hottest fashions will be shown with live models all afternoon.
Flow State CoffeeBar is an awesome little café on Frankford Avenue that’s lesbian-owned and operated.
A bright space with a beautiful, whimsical mural spanning the side wall, Flow State is for everyone. Need a place to sit and get some work done but tired of feeling obligated to drink a gallon of coffee to justify taking a seat? Here you can lease the chair for $12 for three hours and it comes with a cup of coffee and a pastry.
The café is the brainchild of three dynamic women: married couple Melanie and Liz Diamond-Manlusoc and friend Maggie Lee. I spoke with Lee over scoops of guava cinnamon gelato.
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I recently had a chance to go into the Perelman Building of the Philadelphia Museum of Art for the first time. It’s a lovely building and currently housing “Long Light” — an exhibition featuring a collection of photographs from David Lebe.
The exhibition showcases 145 photographs beautifully displayed to honor his different styles developed over five decades. It includes his powerful representations of gay experience and living with AIDS.
Lebe’s experiments with light and paper are beautiful and haunting. His series of pinhole photography shows what can be done with a little ingenuity and a lot of creativity. His skills as an artist and technician are matched by the raw emotion captured in his photographs.
Last week, I briefly stepped into the Suzanne Roberts Theatre with playwright Christina Anderson to check out the set for her play, “How To Catch Creation.” The Jason Sherwood design is a revolving set with an impressive representation of the Golden Gate Bridge. It allows the scenes to shift quickly from era to era.
Anderson, who originally hails from the Midwest, is in town for the Philadelphia Theatre Company production of her show, which runs through April 14. She’s known for tackling heavy subject matter and infusing it with a little bit of humor.
