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90.5 WESA's collection of stories on race, diversity, LGBT, gender and age-related stories.

People's Pride Returns For Fourth Year, Centered On The Black Trans Experience

The Downtown Pittsburgh skyline and the Ohio, Allegheny and Monongahela rivers viewed from the West End overlook on a sunny day.
Katie Blackley
/
90.5 WESA

People’s Pride returns to Pittsburgh this weekend as a hybrid of virtual and in-person events. 

The annual event, organized by SisTers PGH four years ago, was created out of frustration among some LGBTQ groups who said the former Delta Foundation-hosted Pride celebration was not inclusive enough. The slate of events will take place Friday through Sunday. 

SisTers PGH Executive Director Ciora Thomas said this year People’s Pride will host online seminars about issues including mental health and trauma, virtual yoga sessions and performances by local artists. It will culminate on Sunday at 10 a.m. with a march from the Hill District to the North Side. 

“Pride isn’t just a time for us to come party and do a music festival,” Thomas said. “It’s actually a time for us to learn from each other, love each other, value each other and protect each other.”

Thomas said during this summer’s social justice demonstrations, Black transgender people were not protected from violence and harassment. 

“There’s been too many instances where Black trans people were attacked during a protest,” Thomas said. 

She emphasized the need for an intersectional community, meaning a more inclusive understanding of how social and political identities can form in order to dismantle discrimination and privilege.

"That's the only way we'll win these battles is being an intersectional body of people with the same common goals," Thomas said. "That's liberation."

A full list of the performances and sessions for People’s Pride 2020 can be found here

Katie Blackley is a digital editor/producer for 90.5 WESA and 91.3 WYEP, where she writes, edits and generates both web and on-air content for features and daily broadcast. She's the producer and host of our Good Question! series and podcast. She also covers history and the LGBTQ community. kblackley@wesa.fm