Philly Pride Grand Marshall Announced

We have the details about next month's parade and party on Penn's Landing

Courtesy of the Office of Blondell Reynolds Brown

With Philly Pride just around the corner (June 10), Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown will serve as the “Friend of Pride” Grand Marshal during the 2012 PrideDay Parade and Festival. Brown has been an advocate at City Hall for the LGBT community, having sponsored the Equal Benefits Bill that requires city contractors to offer domestic partnership benefits to same-sex couples. She was also the first elected official in the city to create her own “It Gets Better” video and helped work to eradicate gender identification stickers on SEPTA transit passes just this year.

She’ll be joined during the parade (the theme is “pride links us together”) by Grand Marshals Brian Sims, who will soon become Pennsylvania’s first openly gay state legislator, music group BETTY, and Youth Grand Marshals Azeem Hill and Plantazia Washington.

Courtesy of Sims4PA

“Queen of All Media” and talk show host Wendy Williams is this year’s headliner. We’ll be talking to Williams (how you doin’?) this week about what she has planned for the Philly show on Penn’s Landing following the parade. You can also submit questions to the TV diva online – she’ll be answering them live at the event.

“It is such a joy when someone stops to let you know that your work product matters,” says Councilwoman Brown, “that you have made a positive difference in peoples lives. I am looking forward to a fun and exciting day with the LGBT community where we celebrate the great diversity we enjoy in Philadelphia.”

That parade kicks off June 10 at noon (13th and Locust) before weaving its way through the Gayborhood and across town to the Pride Festival at Penn’s Landing. G Philly will be at Penn’s Landing again this year. Please stop by to pick up the new summer issue of the magazine and to meet the editor.

Click here for for more information about Philly Pride.