Source: The Patch
DOYLESTOWN BOROUGH, PA – From Main Street to Pine Street, East State Street sizzled with pride on Saturday.
Despite the heat and temperatures approaching 90, hundreds showed up for the sixth annual Pride Block Party organized by Discover Doylestown and Doylestown Pride.
Hand-scooped ice cream from Evolution Candies and cold drinks were the staples of the day as crowds of people checked out an expanded number of vendors, which filled the street from Lillies of the Field to Posh Hair Design.
Pride flags filled the street, turning East State Street into a rainbow of color, diversity and inclusion.
Live music drifted through the air at the east end of the block where musicians jammed out on stage and even had some people dancing in the street despite the warm temperatures.
The day featured Guest Host Diva Divine Monroe with special guests: DJ Gavin, Lexi Pro, Cherri Sundae, Volkie Leigh Versace, Eric Jaffee, and Many Valentine.
State Sen. Steve Santarsiero and State Rep. Tim Brennan presented Discover Doylestown with a proclamation recognizing the sixth annual event. Joining them was State Rep. Jessica Benham who made the trip from western Pennsylvania. She is the first openly LGBTQ+ woman elected to the state legislature. She also chairs the state’s Democratic LGBTQ+ Caucus.
“We are at a turning point in our history,” Santarsiero told the gathering. “We have in front of us an opportunity to move forward and protect the rights and lives of every single person in this country or we can forget all the progress that has been made and we can turn the clock backward. We are not going back,” he said.
“We are not going back because there are lives at stake,” he continued. “We are not going back because we have a Constitution that guarantees equal protection under the law to every person in this country, regardless of who they love and how they identify. It does not matter. And we need to stand up with a loud voice and say, ‘We are not going back and we are not accepting anything less.'”
Brennan, who helped start the event seven years ago, praised the volunteers of Discover Doylestown for making Pride Festival “a great event” in Bucks County, but lamented the “stream of hatred and division that’s coming out of Washington. We’ve seen attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion, attacks on our trans community … But today is a reminder that Doylestown is a special place. We were one of the first communities to have LGBTQ+ non-discrimination laws and we banned gay conversion therapy very early on. And we worked on events like we’re having here today that show our fighting side. And we are surely doing what we can in Harrisburg as well.”
Also addressing the gathering was Doylestown Borough Council Vice President Amy Popkin, who stood in for Mayor Noni West, who was unable to attend.
“This year, there are so many municipalities and businesses that have abandoned pride, but I am dedicated to upholding the values that continue to define the beauty of our town. Bucks County has been a center of LGBTQ+ culture for generations and we are here to carry on that legacy,” she said.
“This year, while we celebrate, we also need to speak up and step in,” Popkin continued. “We need to recommit ourselves to the fight for building a just and equal society for all while celebrating how far we have come. Pride has a larger message for everyone – to be true to our lives, to our personality, to our values, to our spirit, and to respect the rights of others.”
The block party is part of a month-long series of events celebrating pride in Doylestown. The multi-day event also featured a series of film screenings, a music festival, and various pop-up events and celebrations throughout the community.
Doylestown Pride Month concludes with a Pride Bicycle Ride in Doylestown on June 24 beginning at 6 p.m. at Broad Common Park, a “Follow Ev’ry Rainbow – Tour & Tunes” at the Oscar Hammerstein Museum on June 28 beginning at 4 p.m., and a sold out Doylestown Dragstravaganza on June 29 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Hattery.