Philadelphia, known as ‘The City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection’, will proudly celebrate the world’s largest ‘National Coming Out Day’ on 7^th October 2018 at Outfest.

The East Coast city of Philadelphia is one of America’s most LGBTQ-friendly cities and in 1965, four years before the Stonewall Riots in New York ignited the worldwide modern gay rights movement, a group of protesters marched in front of Philadelphia’s Independence Hall to hold America’s first major LGBTQ rights demonstration. Today, the city proudly welcomes travellers to its aptly-named Gayborhood in Center City’s hip Washington Square District, where rainbow-clad crosswalks and street signs have adorned the streets since 2007.

Philadelphia’s Outfest will this year celebrate the city’s LGBTQ history and community with a free street party stretching across approximately 10 square blocks of the Gayborhood. The vibrant festival will consist of energetic drag shows, games, music and bar crawls, and include over 120 vendors plus a food court at the intersection of 12^th and Spruce Streets. The festival’s main stage will host live entertainment throughout the day, including high heel races and DJ sets.

After joining the celebrations at Outfest, LGBTQ travellers can visit historic and significant sites in Philadelphia, including Philly AIDS Thrift at Giovanni’s Room, which donates its proceeds to local organisations involved in the fight against HIV and AIDS. The city is also home to Barbara Gittings Gay & Lesbian Collection, which is the largest dedicated LGBTQ public library collection east of the San Francisco Library.

Outfest is free to attend and will take place from 12 midday until 6pm on 7^th October 2018. For more information on Outfest, visit www.phillygaypride.org.

For more information on Philadelphia, visit the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau’s website,
www.discoverPHL.co.uk

-ENDS-

Photo Captions (From Left to Right):
Image 1: Philadelphia will celebrate the world’s largest ‘National Coming Out Day’ on 7th October 2018 at Outfest. Image courtesy of Patrick Hagerty Photography.
Image 2: Outfest will take place in Philadelphia on 7th October 2018.
Image 3: Rainbow flags, symbolising LGBT pride, hang in Philadelphia’s Gayborhood.

For Further Press Information, please contact:
Greg Evans – Philadelphia UK Office
Tel: 07768 341790 / 01633 480 754
Email: [email protected]

Sarah Salord – GEC PR
Tel: 07971 559942
Email: [email protected]

About Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau
The Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB), a private nonprofit, membership corporation, is the official tourism promotion agency for the City of Philadelphia globally and the primary sales and marketing agency for the Pennsylvania Convention Center. The PHLCVB is an economic engine for the city—creating jobs and fueling economic growth by encouraging overseas visitation and by bringing ethnically diverse regional, national and international meetings, conventions and sporting events to Philadelphia.