People’s Pride March 2k18

Join sisTers PGH, ReclaimingPGH and many more local organizations that support intersectional queerness in the heart of downtown on Sunday, June 10th from 12:00pm – 4:30pm to march for equality that does not exploit Pride for monetary gain and gives wind to the voices that are so often silenced in our country. Vasalisa and Echo (ReclaimingPGH Activism Cell Anchor) will be representing the Pittsburgh chapter of Reclaiming witchcraft by hosting a table at the finish line of the march. We are honored, grateful and committed to being participants in and allies to sisTers PGH’s event. The following has been posted from their event page:

“And now, from the black femmes who brought you Peoples Pride 2k17 – Peoples Pride 2k18!! Pride has always been an act of resistance on behalf of LGBTQIA+ persons, and last year we marched to bring attention to this history.

This year, we are thrilled to bring you even more liberation with People’s Pride 2k17, where the focus shall remain on the People. This March will be a historic third, honoring the independently organized Roots Pride Pittsburgh from 2015 and 2016, which was organized by the black trans-led Garden of Peace Project. The march is the continuation of this legacy to honor our black and brown roots, and follow in the footsteps of incredible women such as Marsha P. Johnson, Mary Jones, Lucy Hicks Anderson, and Miss Major, and all those who paved the way for our efforts today.

We also must hold those accountable for the historical exploitation and negligence towards the black and brown and trans people of Pittsburgh. The Delta Foundations Pittsburgh Pride Knowingly signing a 3-year contract with EQT Natural Gas Company amounts to selling our Pittsburgh Pride, with no regard to the lives which corporations affect!!

Therefore, we march as an act of resistance, with focus on the most marginalized LGBTQIA community of Pittsburgh, its black and brown trans people.

We march to include local nonprofits, unions and community members!

We march to oppose to white-, cis-, gay-centered pride parade and extravagant parties which are too expensive for many non-profits and communities to participate in!

We march as led by black and brown and trans leaders and community members, to bring attention to compulsatory tokenization of black and brown and trans populations which meets their quotas and increases their ability to secure grants!

We march alongside the disabled, the elderly, veterans, and other vulnerable and marginalized people!

We will march with little cost and without sponsorship from exploitative corporations, to criticize and hold accountable those who commit to corporate funds from fracking companies which pollute our land, our water, and our people.

Finally, we march to offer another opportunity to feel what being at a true Pittsburgh Pride is like! People’s Pride will set an example, and appoint black and brown and trans professionals who prioritize the most marginalized LGBTQIA+ populations, and who are concerned for the health and well-being of our local communities.

Special thanks to our community members, leaders, and organizations for their assistance, conversations, and historic acts of resistance in order to organize these statements of resistance led by trans women of color and sisTers PGH, a community organization focused on advocacy, safety, shelter, and permanent housing for our transgender and non-binary community in Western Pennsylvania.”

 

For further details including the schedule of events on that day, as well as up to date event information, please visit the People’s Pride March 2k18 event page on Facebook. You can also support SistersPGH and purchase a teeshirt with the Pride image featured above here.