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Community Corner

Pittsburgh Pride: Celebrating Diversity in the Pittsburgh Region

A festival in downtown Pittsburgh closed the 10-day Pittsburgh Pride event, which celebrated diversity and promoted awareness of LGBT issues.

It was a wet, muggy morning in Pittsburgh on Sunday. Scattered showers trickled down from the cloudy sky before a rainbow peaked out from the gray. Yet, the rainbow wasn’t caused by the precipitation. It was formed by the precept of Pride.

Pittsburgh Pride is an annual celebration of diversity in the Pittsburgh region. It is produced by the Delta Foundation of Pittsburgh, a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing public awareness about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues and strengthening the social and community lives of LGBT citizens.

On Sunday morning, swarms of people collected in downtown Pittsburgh for the Pride Awareness March and PrideFest festival. The festival lasted throughout most of the day and marked the end of this year’s 10-day-long Pittsburgh Pride event.

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The event kicked off on Friday, June 3, with a Pride Advocacy Rally on the steps of the City-County Building in Pittsburgh. The rally featured guest speakers who promoted marriage equality, among other things.

The celebration continued into the following week, including activities such as a pub crawl and pool party.

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The buzzwords associated with Pride 2011 were “New Attitude,” as renowned singer-songwriter Patti LaBelle performed at the Pride in the Streets party on Saturday night. LaBelle, a decorated supporter of many LGBT causes, performed for nearly an hour on an outside stage on Liberty Avenue in downtown Pittsburgh.

“Pride celebrates diversity," said Christine Bryan, marketing director at the Delta Foundation. "It’s all about people taking pride in themselves and others, and coming together to have a good time. It’s not just for members of the LGBT community. Sexual orientation, race, religion or whatever else doesn’t matter. All are welcome and accepted.”

Nearly 5,000 people came out to last year’s Pride in the Streets party and approximately 35,000 people attended activities across the full Pride 2010 event calendar. This year’s numbers aren’t in yet, but 2011 participation is estimated to be even higher.

Visit the Delta Foundation website for information on other ongoing and upcoming events and resources.

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