Philadelphia Gay Pride kicks off with a month of events for June

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- June 1, 2021, kicks off Pride Month, and across Philadelphia, there are dozens of events planned to celebrate gay pride in a variety of ways.

Because the pandemic put events on pause last year, the LGBTQ community is working extra hard this year.

In the organizer's words, they didn't want to lose gay pride two years in a row.

With a parade still on hold and official city events still limited, they started building a calendar and now have 280 on tap for June and counting.

"We've literally mobilized in less than three weeks to get those nearly 300 events," says Kory Aversa, the organizer of Philly Gay Pride Month.

"I'm really proud of them, it almost tears me up when I think about it, and that there's literally something for everyone. For the first time ever, I've seen events for teens. I've seen events for seniors. I've seen events for the trans community. I've seen events for Latinx members of the gay population. I've seen so many diverse communities coming together," added Aversa.

From pride events at Parks on Tap to the Philadelphia Flower Show to the Philadelphia Zoo, there's also something for every comfort level as well.

FCM Hospitality is also raising funds for local LGBTQ charities with Cocktails for a Cause.

"One dollar for every drink sold across all the venues gets pooled at the end of the month, and we're evenly donating it to various LGBTQ charities in the Philadelphia area," says Neina Langford, the Director of Special Events for FCM Hospitality.

There are eight pride-themed, colorful drinks at all eight of their locations, from Craft Hall to Juno, Harper's Garden and more.

They say it's a way to celebrate and make a difference at the same time, while celebrating pride across the city.

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