Philadelphia, PA 19103-1189
(215) 567-7710
FAX (215) 567-7850
Contact: Communications and Development
The Free Library Celebrates Pride Month in June Throughout Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA, May 24, 2019—The Free Library of Philadelphia is proud to celebrate Pride Month with programming throughout the month of June. Libraries across the city will host poetry events, film screenings, LGBTQ+/gender-diverse rainbow storytimes, and more in celebration and support of the LGBTQ+ community.
Below are highlights of our system-wide Pride Month programming. For the complete list of more than 50 events, visit freelibrary.org/pride.
LGBTQ+ Pride Month Celebration
Wednesday, June 5 ¦4:30 p.m.
Thomas F. Donatucci, Sr. Library, 1935 Shunk Street
A family-friendly celebration that will include a reading of Michael Hall’s picture book Red: A Crayon’s Story and crafts. Guests will be invited to create their own rainbow water ice in the library garden.
Drag Queen Storytime
Wednesday, June 5 ¦ 10:30 a.m. ¦ West Oak Lane Library, 2000 E. Washington Lane
Wednesday, June 5 ¦ 4:00 p.m. ¦ Wyoming Library, 231 E. Wyoming Avenue
Thursday, June 6 ¦ 11:00 a.m. ¦Falls of Schuylkill Library, 3501 Midvale Avenue
Saturday, June 8 ¦ 11:00 a.m. ¦ Fumo Family Library, 2437 S. Broad Street
Saturday, June 8 ¦ 2:00 p.m. ¦ Independence Library, 18 S. 7th Street
Wednesday, June 12 ¦ 10:00 a.m. ¦ Andorra Library, 705 E. Cathedral Road
Wednesday, June 19 ¦ 10:30 a.m. ¦ Logan Library, 1333 Wagner Avenue
Friday, June 21 ¦ 11:00 a.m. ¦ Queen Memorial Library, 1202 S. 23rd Street
Children and families are invited to hear drag queens share stories about diversity and self-love.
Breaking the Binary Affirmation Photo Shoot
Friday, June 14 ¦ 3:00–5:00 p.m.
Logan Library, 1333 Wagner Avenue
Visitors will take part in a photo shoot that celebrates who they are and receive digital pictures to share with friends and family.
Summer of Rebellion: The Legacy of the Stonewall Uprising
Wednesday, June 19 ¦ 7:00 p.m.
Parkway Central Library, 1901 Vine Street
In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the 1969 conflicts between New York’s LGBTQ+ community and anti-gay police and agitators, a panel of activists and educators will discuss this rebellion’s role in the yet-unfinished fight for equality.
Jason Baumann with Mark Segal, Karla Jay, and Joel Hall: The Stonewall Reader
Thursday, June 20 ¦ 7:30 p.m.
Parkway Central Library, 1901 Vine Street
Fifty years after the 1969 conflicts that ignited a nationwide fight for LGBTQ+ rights, librarian and curator Jason Baumann presents an anthology of firsthand accounts, diaries, and journalism from the Stonewall era. He will be joined by Mark Segal, founder of the Philadelphia Gay News; Karla Jay, author of Tales of the Lavender Menace: A Memoir of Liberation and a distinguished professor emerita at Pace University; and Joel Hall, part of the Third World Gay Revolution movement in Chicago and a dancer, choreographer, and activist.
You Can’t Kill a Poet
Wednesday, June 26 ¦ 6:00 p.m.
South Philadelphia Library, 1700 S. Broad Street
Join the library for an evening of LGBTQ+ writers and poets sharing their work.
The Free Library is dedicated to inclusivity and diversity, and neighborhood libraries serve as welcoming and safe spaces for all Philadelphians. The Library’s holdings offer information on bullying, safety, and coming out; books and resources for parents and siblings; biographies of important LGBTQ+ figures in the community; and award-winning LGBTQ+ fiction. In addition, the Independence Library’s Barbara Gittings Gay & Lesbian Collection is the largest dedicated LGBTQ public library collection east of the San Francisco Public Library. For more Free Library LGBTQ+ resources, visit freelibrary.org/pride.
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About the Free Library
The Free Library of Philadelphia system, with 54 locations and The Rosenbach, advances literacy, guides learning, and inspires curiosity with millions of digital and physical materials; 31,000 yearly programs and workshops; free public computers and extensive Wi-Fi, including neighborhood Hot Spots; and rich special collections, including those at the Parkway Central Library and at The Rosenbach. With more than 5 million in-person visits and 5 million more online annually, the Free Library and The Rosenbach are among the most widely used educational and cultural institutions in Philadelphia and boast a worldwide impact.
05/24/2019
Department of External Affairs, Free Library of Philadelphia, 1901 Vine Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103-1189
(215) 567-7710, FAX (215) 567-7850