For the past six years, Pittsburgh Pride has taken on a different look than it had previously. For one thing, it’s a lot bigger in size and scope, and is far better attended. The celebration’s presence now carries more weight and is more visible, but in order for it to continue to do that, it needs people working behind the scenes; lots of people.
There was a time when all of PrideFest could fit into Roberto Clemente Memorial Park. Now, PrideFest spans more than four city blocks in downtown Pittsburgh. That’s progress. The bigger the operation, the more people it takes to make that vision a reality. And believe it or not, the Delta Foundation of Pittsburgh has already started planning next year’s Pride celebration.
We’ve heard the phrase, “it takes a village” before, and it definitely applies to this situation. Although there are a few key individuals that lay a lot of the groundwork by meticulously planning throughout the year, the bulk of the physical labor doesn’t take place until the week of Pride rolls around. It doesn’t happen overnight, but the end result does come together very quickly, and it is over in a flash.
This year, for instance, there were 300 volunteers that helped to set up, support, and clean up during the festivities. Local LGBT citizens and allies logged thousands of manhours, not to mention all the help from the Clean Team of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, and the wonderful staff from Landmark Security that kept everyone safe over the weekend.
In addition to those “villagers” that helped to lay the framework, there were 150 different businesses and organizations that set up booths at PrideFest. That’s a lot of tables! From religious organizations and HIV research groups, to animal shelters and sporting groups, there were at least 300 different representatives for each area. That isn’t even including the Elf Entertainment employees that operated and chaperoned the inflatable kids’ play area.
A gay’s got to eat, and with 17 different food vendors for the weekend, there were many different options. Starting with the Big Gay Picnic and the Splash! pool party, hundreds of pounds of hot dogs, hamburgers, buns, cheese and condiments were grilled up and served, and between Saturday and Sunday, one food vendor in particular went through 900 pounds of potatoes while making its French fries. Cases of lemons were used to make fresh squeezed lemonade, and mountains of chicken were “sticked” and consumed. We had our pride, and ate it too.
When it comes to entertainment, Pittsburgh had no shortage of local, regional, and national talent that came to perform over the weekend. There were nearly 30 different acts in all, offering a variety of talents to behold from singing, to dancing, to drag. British X Factor winner Joe McElderry even logged thousands of airline miles to come perform for the very first time in the United States. It took a lot of coordination, communication, and cooperation to get all of these people in one place, and to make sure things ran smoothly.
Pride is a time of the year when the LGBT community and our allies can come together and celebrate, but it’s important to recognize how much work it takes to make it a reality. With any luck, Pittsburgh Pride 2014 will be even bigger and better than this past year. Our hats come off to those “villagers” that have given and continue to give their free time and energy to the cause.
