Safety precautions are paramount during National Coming Out Day events

Less than two weeks ago, a Philadelphia teenager was arrested and charged with terrorism-related crimes. Authorities revealed the teenager was considering targeting the LGBTQ+ community and local Pride events, which has some concerned about copycats and general anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment creating an increased risk.

Still, many people feel it’s important to be as visible as ever. National Coming Out Day is Friday, October 11, and LGBTQ+ residents in Philadelphia are preparing for major annual events that draw crowds to Center City. Before the holiday weekend, PGN talked to the organizers who explained why these events are crucial and what they are doing to ensure participants’ safety.

OURFest

“This demonstrated that the FBI and law enforcement agencies rose to the occasion and did their due diligence to protect our community. So that’s one thing that comforts me and that people should feel comfortable in right now,” said Tyrell Brown of Galaea, the organization behind Philly’s Pride festival and the upcoming OURFest, which returns Oct. 12-13.

Brown explained that OURFest will have an “enhanced” approach to safety this year. The area will be secured before the parade and festival begin. Trash cans and other hiding places will be checked for potential hazards. Private security guards and city police will be present. The festival and resource fair will also encourage the use of “soft entries” with bag displays.

“The priority is that our events are safe, right?” Brown said. “The priority is that our community can celebrate itself, and these institutions are preparing to make sure we are not threatened by outside forces that want to harm us.”

Brown encourages participants not to bring large bags – including book bags and purses – and to avoid putting them anywhere. The event is not a BYO event – so plan to patronize local establishments rather than bringing alcohol, which may be confiscated during screenings.

Official turnoffs will be introduced at the end of the festival to help people navigate the roads as they begin to reopen. This also provides an easier way to monitor crowds for safety reasons.

Brown noted that there is no right or wrong way to celebrate National Coming Out Day and that people who don’t feel comfortable in crowds right now should do something else to help them realize their own sense of queer joy.

“We have earned the right to let our hair down and dance in front of people who are trying to take away our rights,” they said. “Joy is one of the greatest tools in the fight against oppression.”

Brown also dreams of what celebrating queer joy could look like year-round. They are inspired by Center City’s open streets initiative and would love to see something similar organized for Gayborhood.

While there is some overlap in themes and activities, Brown explained that OURFest has a distinct feel that makes it unique compared to Pride celebrations.

The second annual parade returns on Saturday, October 12 from 4 to 6 p.m. Registration is still open for participants who want to march or join in on the float, but the deadline is fast approaching. Those interested should contact us by October 6. Brown emphasized that cost would not be a barrier to participation.

Spectators can designate a spot to watch the parade along the route, which will run from 5th and Market streets to Broad and Locust streets.

The festival and resource fair is still looking for sponsors, which Brown described as a great way for large companies and established institutions to show their support for LGBTQ+ people. Sellers can reach new audiences by placing orders during the event.

This portion of the event will take place on Sunday, October 13 from 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. between 12th and 13th Streets and will include the Pine, Walnut and Locust sections. The event will feature community arts and music, food trucks, beer gardens, as well as sober zones, a kids and family zone, and POP Wellness, a health and wellness center that offers vaccinations, testing and other direct links to care.

Brown said they focused not only on providing resources to the community by making sure people were cared for – which was a big part of last year’s event – but also on making a social impact by helping people register to vote.

“I’m very excited about this and I can see it really increasing voter registration because we would have three weeks until a very important election,” Brown said.

They acknowledged that coming out is still a sensitive process and doesn’t always feel possible, even for people living in deep blue areas like Philadelphia. There are still people who live in constant isolation and erasure.

“That’s why National Coming Out Day is so important and necessary,” they said, emphasizing that the event is not only about celebrating personal stories and lived experiences, but also about providing greater visibility to those who need to be reminded that they are not alone.

Philly Trans March

The 13th annual Philly Trans March will begin with a rally in Franklin Square on October 11 at 6 p.m. This year’s theme is “horror,” and speakers highlight the real horrors of marginalization, violence and erasure.

“We have an American horror movie. Well, this is a horror in Philadelphia and we are all living through it,” said Breighton Golphin, a Black, queer, non-binary person who is organizing the event.

They are from Philadelphia and want people to pay attention not only to marches and movements focusing on the needs and experiences of transgender people, but also to learn about broader issues — such as the impact of the proposed 76 Place arena on housing and local businesses, the human impact on Mayor Cherelle Parker’s approach to cleaning up Kensington, the plight of the Palestinians and other issues.

They hope that greater visibility during the upcoming march will put pressure on those in power to take tangible action.

“All of these issues are transgender issues,” they said.

“We have noticed that many politicians – especially this year – have tried to separate these issues as if they were not cross-sectoral,” Golphin explained. “But these are also our problems because we are marginalized people.”

The march was initially held in honor of Stacey Blahnik, a black trans woman who was murdered on National Coming Out Day in 2010. Golphin remains hopeful that this event will honor her and other community members who have died due to violence and marginalization .

“This is our way of honoring and remembering her and, of course, all the other people we have lost in our community,” they said. “But what makes this relevant to us on National Coming Out Day is that (despite being) out and proud, we also need to address the circumstances that make it difficult for us to leave the house. What is the point of having National Coming Out Day and all the other celebrations if we are still suffering?”

Golphin said depleted resources make it difficult to meet community needs through mutual aid, which they say is also increasingly difficult to organize.

“Mutual aid is under attack – to the point where people have started being fined,” they said, explaining that the city’s focus on harm reduction efforts has morphed into an insult to broader mutual aid efforts – including hubs food distribution.

Golphin is not releasing the march’s route, releasing the names of speakers or disseminating information about mutual aid efforts ahead of the event for fear of retaliation. They said sharing only the most important information before the march helps protect participants and organizers.

“It’s time for us to unite and come together,” they said.