About 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the intersection of Liberty Avenue and 11th Street in the Strip District, hundreds of people gathered, waving Pride flags and wearing Pride apparel, preparing for a parade celebrating the 50th year of Pride Pittsburgh.
Conversely, a half-century ago, about 50 people marched from Market Square, Downtown, to Schenley Park in Oakland the first time Pride was observed in Pittsburgh. By the time they got to the park, the crowd had grown to about 100, according to news reports at the time.
When Saturday’s parade started at noon, thousands of people — including U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Lt. Gov. Austin Davis and state Rep. Sara Innamorato, the Democratic nominee for Allegheny County executive — were among those in attendance,
They walked from Liberty Avenue and 11th Street, before turning onto Seventh Street and heading over the Andy Warhol Bridge and headed through Allegheny Center on the North Side before ending at the festival located in Allegheny Commons Park West. Once there, they were greeted by thousands more, who were enjoying food, live music, and buying various household goods and other items for sale throughout the park.
Along the route, music blared and thousands more lined the sidewalks, cheering for those marching. Two of the marchers were Adam and Erica Goldstein, 22-year-old twins who spoke of the historical significance of Pittsburgh’s 50 years of recognizing Pride.
Despite the recent attacks on the LGBTQ+ community — including Target’s decision to move LGBTQ+ merchandise from the front to the back of stores, or removing items entirely — Pittsburgh remains a welcoming, inclusive place, the Goldsteins said. Adam uses he/they pronouns and “confidently” identifies as nonbinary, while Erica uses she/her pronouns and is gay, she said.
Still, the news of Target moving some items and pulling them was an example of corporations only looking out for their bottom lines, and not the LGBTQ+ community, Adam and Erica said.
Rachel, 22, another nonbinary parade participant who uses they/them pronouns, said it was “disheartening” to see Target pull back on its merchandise after being criticized by right-wing media. They carried a “free hugs” sign, one they made at Pride in Pittsburgh when they were 14. Pride has grown in the city since it began 50 years ago, and even in the time since they made the sign, Rachel said.
“It goes to show how much more welcoming and how much easier it is to be queer now,” Rachel said.
At the festival in Allegheny Commons West, Tatyana Lantry agreed. Lantry, 22, recently came out as bisexual, and said as a lifelong Pittsburgher, it was great to feel so supported.
Still, she agreed with others that Target pulling and moving its LGBTQ+ merchandise was tough to see.
“All you have to do is walk past it,” Lantry said about those vandalizing the Target displays and harassing employees. “It’s very upsetting that people who want to be seen as themselves, to have that stripped away from [Target’s] shelves.”
Elsewhere in the festival, Kole Mitchell, 24, of Uniontown, said he was excited to see the new generation of LGBTQ folks making their mark. Mitchell agreed with Landry and others that Target pulling its merchandise is showing what corporations truly care about, regarding Pride month.
“What Pride truly means is coming together as a community, not a publicity stunt,” said Mitchell, who is pansexual.
Saturday’s festivities remained peaceful, despite about three counterprotesters who met with those gathered at the start of the parade route. They preached from the Bible and addressed those gathered, and were quickly drowned out by Pride Parade participants, who blasted music and danced around them.
During the parade, marchers were busy waving to those lining the sidewalks and edges of the route. Mr. Shapiro jogged from side to side, shaking hands, fist-bumping kids and waving to people who braved the sunshine and warm weather.
In a brief interview, Mr. Shapiro said the strong turnout on Saturday gave him hope for the future of the LGBTQ+ community in Pittsburgh. The governor had a blunt message for the counterprotesters, right-wing media, and companies like Target that buckle under the pressure from the former groups.
“I think anybody who attacks somebody because of who they love, or for being who they are, is against real freedom,” Mr. Shapiro said. “And here in Pennsylvania, we stand up for real freedom.”
The governor identified two legislative priorities regarding LGBTQ+ rights. One is getting the Fairness Act to his desk so he can sign it. The bill would amend the state’s Human Relations Act to prevent discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity and expression. The state House passed the bill by a 102-98 vote last month.
Mr. Shapiro also said the state’s hate crime statute needs to be expanded to include LGBTQ+ Pennsylvanians. Hate crimes currently are “defined as a criminal act motivated by ill will or hatred toward a victim's race, color, religion, or national origin,” according to the state’s Human Relations Commission.
Multiple attendees agreed that lawmakers need to take legislative and policy actions that back up their public appearances. But no matter what happens, they’re going to still show up, and be proud of who they are, they said.
“Fifty years means there were many people before me celebrating Pride,” Erica Goldstein said before the parade. “And there’s going to be generations of people celebrating after me.”
First Published: June 3, 2023, 8:57 p.m.
Updated: June 6, 2023, 11:01 a.m.
