Philadelphia Official Visitors Guide - Spring/Summer 2024

Philadelphia is one of the country’s most LGBTQ+-friendly cities, with a long history of activism and pride. Sheila Alexander- Reid, executive director of PHL Diversity (a division of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau) shares information on the city’s LGBTQ+ community and Pride celebrations.

VISIT PHILADELPHIA’S GAYBORHOOD

Discover the vibrant LGBTQ+ community woven throughout Philadelphia, particularly in the officially city-sanctioned Gayborhood, in the eastern area of Center City. The streets exude pride with rainbow-decorated signs officially designated by the City of Philadelphia, symbolizing their commitment to diversity, inclusion, and belonging.

Explore the rich history of both the Gayborhood and Philadelphia’s activism on Beyond the Bell’s Philly Gayborhood and LGBTQ History Tour. Guides spill all the historical tea as they discuss the evolution of Pride, highlight LGBTQ+ icons, and take visitors to Philly AIDS Thrift @ Giovanni’s Room — America’s oldest LGBTQ+ bookstore. After hours, explore the Gayborhood’s fabulous nightlife and grab a beer at Woody’s or Tavern on Camac — a piano bar serving drinks since 1937.

CELEBRATE PRIDE

Every June, visitors come to Philadelphia to partake in Pride’s vibrant and inclusive celebrations, immersing themselves in the city’s lively festivities that honor and embrace the LGBTQ+ community. Join Pride 365 for the annual Philadelphia Pride March and Festival, a dynamic celebration showcasing live musical performances and a Pride Walk. The following weekend, lace up for the Philly Pride Run, a 5K benefiting the William Way LGBT Community Center.

Philadelphia doesn’t limit its Pride celebrations just to June. Philly Black Pride is an annual four-day event in April that brings LGBTQ+ community members of color to the forefront. OURfest — dedicated to and inspired by National Coming Out Day — takes place during the first weekend of October.

Philadelphia’s drag scene is full of iconic queens and revolutionary trendsetters. From April through October, Brittany Lynn and the Philly Drag Mafia grace the roof of Bok Bar with a dazzling spectacle. Every Thursday night, catch Philadelphia’s longest-running drag show at Bob and Barbara’s, where Miss Lisa has performed for over 25 years.

A Welcoming City

Did you know? In 1965, four years before the Stonewall Riots in New York, a group of protesters began an annual July Fourth Pride March — known as the “Reminder Day Demonstrations” — in front of Independence Hall.

Philadelphia is the largest city in the U.S. to be designated a Certified Welcoming city by Welcoming America.

Support LGBTQ+-Owned Businesses

RESTAURANTS

• Barbuzzo

• Hardena

• Mission Taqueria

• Winkel

SHOPS

• Verde

• Open House

• Trunc

CAFES

• Darnel’s Cakes

• Cake Life Bake Shop