June is nationally recognized as Pride Month. The Pride Festival of Central PA in Harrisburg has come up with a way to give back to a number of organizations that have shown the meaning of being an ally. What is an ally?”Basically, an ally is a person that is not a member of the LGBTQ+ community. They are people that are supportive. They basically will stand up for us, and they will stand with us,” said Dr. Eric Selvey, the president of the Pride Festival.Selvey, who also works as an optometrist, has seen pride in Harrisburg evolve from gathering in small sections in the early 1990s to the first time it was held on the riverfront 25 years ago.”Before ’99, a lot of people really weren’t out of the closet. So, when we first went out on the riverfront in 1999, people were like ‘Oh, my gosh, you can’t do that.’ Then we said, ‘This is a Pride Festival. So, let’s show our pride to the city.’ We’re not throwing it in anybody’s faces. That’s just who we are. We’re celebrating who we are,” he said.As pride has become much more mainstream over the last 25 years, more corporations and nonprofits have become much more willing to stand as allies with the LGBTQ+ community. Pride Festival of Central PA partnered with the Black & White Party, which has provided financial support in the field of HIV and AIDS, to create “Pride Gives Back” grants to organizations they consider allies.”There’s 19 organizations that we’ve actually provided funds to through our Pride Gives Back grants that we actually initiated last year,” Selvey said.One of those organizations was the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence.”We were super honored to be one of the recipients of this grant. So, what we plan to do with this – and the reason that we applied for it – is that we didn’t have a lot of funds to participate in events like the Central PA Pride Festival,” PCADV spokesperson Lauren Duff said. Duff notes that domestic violence is often more prevalent in same-sex couples. While the organization has had a presence at Pride since 2018, this is the first time it’s received money. She explained what it means for the organization to be an ally.”I think it means that because our organization is a large, statewide organization that has resources and has some privilege that it’s important for us to use our platforms and our voices to amplify voices from the LGBTQ+ communities,” she said.Other organizations that have received grants include the Grace United Church and Alder Health Services in Lancaster, and Jewish Family Services in Harrisburg. The fact that a number of faith-based organizations are supportive of pride is a welcome change.”Last year, nearly 10% of our vendors were actually religious affiliations, which is wonderful to see,” Selvey said. “There’s a lot of churches in this area – in Harrisburg, Lancaster, and York – that are actually open and welcoming.”Selvey didn’t come out to his mother until he was in his 20s during the 1980s, largely keeping his sexuality hidden. But he did have one family member who supported him.”My grandmother knew, but she didn’t want to say anything. Then one day she said ‘Eric, it’s OK. You’re a nice person. You’re a good person. I love you no matter what,'” he said.He said the best thing people can do to be better allies to members of the LGBTQ+ community is to listen and stand with them.”As long as you’re sitting there and you say ‘Hey, you’re cool with me. You’re a good person. Being LGBTQ is a part of who you are. This is not what you chose, but this is who you think you are. And if this is who you feel that you are, then, you know what, I’m going support you 100%,'” Selvey said.
June is nationally recognized as Pride Month.
The Pride Festival of Central PA in Harrisburg has come up with a way to give back to a number of organizations that have shown the meaning of being an ally.
What is an ally?
“Basically, an ally is a person that is not a member of the LGBTQ+ community. They are people that are supportive. They basically will stand up for us, and they will stand with us,” said Dr. Eric Selvey, the president of the Pride Festival.
Selvey, who also works as an optometrist, has seen pride in Harrisburg evolve from gathering in small sections in the early 1990s to the first time it was held on the riverfront 25 years ago.
“Before ’99, a lot of people really weren’t out of the closet. So, when we first went out on the riverfront in 1999, people were like ‘Oh, my gosh, you can’t do that.’ Then we said, ‘This is a Pride Festival. So, let’s show our pride to the city.’ We’re not throwing it in anybody’s faces. That’s just who we are. We’re celebrating who we are,” he said.
As pride has become much more mainstream over the last 25 years, more corporations and nonprofits have become much more willing to stand as allies with the LGBTQ+ community.
Pride Festival of Central PA partnered with the Black & White Party, which has provided financial support in the field of HIV and AIDS, to create “Pride Gives Back” grants to organizations they consider allies.
“There’s 19 organizations that we’ve actually provided funds to through our Pride Gives Back grants that we actually initiated last year,” Selvey said.
One of those organizations was the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
“We were super honored to be one of the recipients of this grant. So, what we plan to do with this – and the reason that we applied for it – is that we didn’t have a lot of funds to participate in events like the Central PA Pride Festival,” PCADV spokesperson Lauren Duff said.
Duff notes that domestic violence is often more prevalent in same-sex couples.
While the organization has had a presence at Pride since 2018, this is the first time it’s received money.
She explained what it means for the organization to be an ally.
“I think it means that because our organization is a large, statewide organization that has resources and has some privilege that it’s important for us to use our platforms and our voices to amplify voices from the LGBTQ+ communities,” she said.
Other organizations that have received grants include the Grace United Church and Alder Health Services in Lancaster, and Jewish Family Services in Harrisburg.
The fact that a number of faith-based organizations are supportive of pride is a welcome change.
“Last year, nearly 10% of our vendors were actually religious affiliations, which is wonderful to see,” Selvey said. “There’s a lot of churches in this area – in Harrisburg, Lancaster, and York – that are actually open and welcoming.”
Selvey didn’t come out to his mother until he was in his 20s during the 1980s, largely keeping his sexuality hidden. But he did have one family member who supported him.
“My grandmother knew, but she didn’t want to say anything. Then one day she said ‘Eric, it’s OK. You’re a nice person. You’re a good person. I love you no matter what,'” he said.
He said the best thing people can do to be better allies to members of the LGBTQ+ community is to listen and stand with them.
“As long as you’re sitting there and you say ‘Hey, you’re cool with me. You’re a good person. Being LGBTQ is a part of who you are. This is not what you chose, but this is who you think you are. And if this is who you feel that you are, then, you know what, I’m going support you 100%,'” Selvey said.
