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CP reporter Brandon Baker fills you in on what went down at Outfest this weekend.
With Beyoncé blaring on one end of Locust Street and Lady Gaga on the other, it didn't take much to clue folks in that something huge and gay was happening in Center City yesterday . It was Philly OutFest (or Philly Pride 2.0) and it drew an estimated crowd of 25,000 gays and allies alike.
The main stage, located at the intersection of 13th and Locust streets, played host to a variety of LGBTQ-themed contests and speeches, including a workout session by a pec-tacular 12th Street Gym trainer, a classic rabbit-out-of-the-hat-type magic show. and a surprise appearance by PA Attorney General candidate Patrick Murphy, who delivered an energizing speech about the wrongs of sexual orienation discrimination in the workplace.
Additionally, Mayor Michael Nutter made an appearance at 2 p.m. to dedicate the second LGBTQ historic marker in the state to Giovanni’s Room, the oldest LGBTQ bookstore in the country.
Other random attractions at the show included the now-traditional mechanical bull, iCandy’s seductive tent of underwear-donned studs and — my personal favorite — a rotating orb where I spotted a sassy girl clutching onto her lit cigarette with her lips as she rotated in a circle for five minutes.
And if the drag queen on stilts, rainbow-feathered headdresses or costumed “furries” wasn’t enough to satiate your visual appetite, you might have been tempted by a shirtless, oiled-up fella who hilariously roamed the streets with his “Kiss me – I’m gay!” sign and undoubtedly got a little more facial action than he bargained for.
The general reaction from the crowd appeared to be overwhelmingly positive.
“I think it’s amazing that everyone can come together and feel open,” said attendee Nicole Scarpato of Collingswood, N.J. “You don’t have to feel ashamed of what or who you are.”
But even though the festival saw representation by several openly gay and allied priests, there was a showing of religious protestors, as well. An anti-gay prayer circle was held at the Main Stage and a middle-age man shouted Bible verses at passersby during the entire six-hour event, proving that huge pride festival or not, there's still a lot of work to be done in Philly.
Don’t take those rainbow street signs for granted, folks.
(brandon.baker@citypaper.net) (@brotherlylover)
Photos by Brandon Baker
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