In Philadelphia, a nonprofit called Philly Pride Presents ran the city's biggest LGBTQ events for decades. That, stacked on top of a nationwide reckoning over racism in policing, has inspired many cities to change how they celebrate LGBTQ people. Hundreds of bills have been introduced around the country attempting to ban gender-affirming healthcare for LGBTQ youth, and keep trans kids out of school sports. In Philadelphia, she has joined a new group of queer and trans activists who are trying to rebuild Pride into something more welcoming - and more revolutionary.Ģ022 has been a record-breaking year for anti-trans legislation, according to the LGBTQ rights group Freedom For All Americans. It was cool.'īut even Gonzales can understand why some people don't feel welcome at Pride, especially LGBTQ people of color. When I look back over the video, it's just filled with queerness and Latinidad.
'I wanted it to be really over the top,' said Gonzales, who's now the executive director of the Abortion Liberation Fund of Pennsylvania. She proposed to her wife, Megan Hannah, in the middle of the Philly Pride Parade in 2014.
The 46-year-old queer, Latina activist experienced one of her biggest milestones there. If anyone knows Pride at its best, it's Elicia Gonzales.
