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Televised Event Features Major Celebrities; Local Talent
ALLENTOWN, PA – Today Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center announced details for the 2020 Virtual Lehigh Valley Pride Festival, presented by Gilead Sciences, Inc. The virtual pride festival will take place on August 16th and will feature virtual youth and teen programs, a virtual faith service, a virtual-reality vendor fair, a virtual pride guide, and a televised “Pridestream” event on RCN TV, Facebook Live, and YouTube Live.
The Pridestream includes a star-studded ensemble of national celebrities as well as local talent. Some of the highlights include:
- Drag race judges Carson Kressley and Michelle Visage
- Drag superstars Jujubee, Alexis Mateo, Kahanna Montrese, Coco Montrese, and Ariel Versace
- Pop Rock star Steve Grand, folk music legend Holly Near, and country musician Brandon Stansell
- Comedian Suzanne Westenhoeffer
- Actors Theo Germaine (The Politician) and Peter Paige (Queer as Folk)
- Professional athletes Ashley Vox (pro-wrestler) and Kurtis Gabriel (pro-hockey player)
The Pridestream will be broadcasted on RCN TV on August 16 from 2-5pm across the state of Pennsylvania as well as streamed Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center’s Facebook Live and YouTube channel. More information about the Pridestream, as well as the virtual faith service, KidsSpace and TeenSpace programs, vendor fair, and pride guide are at www.bradburysullivancenter.org/pride
“When faced with the challenging but necessary decision to transition Lehigh Valley Pride to a virtual experience, we knew it was important to create an exciting lineup, we our hope community will join us to turn out for pride and to celebrate from home” said Adrian Shanker, executive director of Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center.
Ariel Torres, Pride Programs Manager at Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center, added, “While COVID-19 may have cancelled our in-person pride experience it did not cancel pride — Lehigh Valley Pride 2020 will be fun, engaging, and safe. Our community can participate from home and can enjoy the national and local talent that has come together to make this year’s pride festival incredible.”
For more information and details about the 2020 Virtual Lehigh Valley Pride, visit www.bradburysullivancenter.org/pride
THE MAIN EVENT: Get Ready for the 2020 Lehigh Valley Virtual Pridestream!
- Tune in at 2pm on August 16th on RCN TV or on Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center’s Facebook Live or YouTube Live for an exciting virtual Pridestream featuring some very special guests! Just some of the guests joining us include drag race judges Michele Visage and Carson Kressley, drag superstars Jujubee, Alexis Mateo, Ariel Versace, Coco Montrese, and Kahanna Montrese, Pop Rock star Steve Grand, folk music legend Holly Near, Comedian Suzanne Westenhoeffer, actors Theo Germaine (The Politician), and Peter Paige (Queer as Folk), and Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine! There will be some surprise guests as well!!!
Pre-Pride Faith Service sponsored and hosted by Metropolitan Community Church of the Lehigh Valley
- Metropolitan Community Church of the Lehigh Valley is hosting the official pre-pride faith service at 11:30am on August 16. To access MCCLV’s livestream on Sundays at 11:30am please visit http://www.facebook.com/MCCLehig
Kid’s Space sponsored by ESSA Bank and Trust
- Youth up to age 13 and their parents are invited to an hour of family-friends pride activities featuring children’s book author Jacinta Bunnell who will read from her soon-to-be-released and highly anticipated new Children’s Book, A More Graceful Shaboom. This is the first children’s book to have a non-binary protaganist who uses they/them pronouns. Then Tirsa Rothman from Metropolitan Community Church of the Lehigh Valley will facilitate arts and crafts, and finally, Miss Amie Vanité will lead Drag Queen Story Time, sponsored by Gardner Law Offices.
Teen Space sponsored by Valley Youth House
- Youth ages 14-21 are invited to a virtual open house with Project SILK Lehigh Valley at 11am on August 16 and are invited to return later that day at 5pm for a virtual teen panel about what pride means to you! Check back to our website soon on how to participate!
Virtual Vendor Fair:
- Stop by our virtual vendor fair to connect with non-profits and businesses serving the LGBT community! The vendor fail will be available the entire week leading up to Pride and details on how to visit will be published our website on August 9!
Virtual Pride Guide:
- We will be publishing our pride guide virtually this year the week leading up to Pride and will have full details about our exciting virtual pride lineup! The Virtual Pride Guide will be up and available for download closer to the date of the Pridestream!
Of course, we all truly wish it was safe to gather in person, but pride cannot be cancelled and we look forward to celebrating with you virtually on August 16th!
Information Provided By:
Ariel Torres – Pride Programs Manager
Adrian Shanker – Executive Director
Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center
