Philly and NYC unite for Pride Month
Philadelphia and New York are joining forces for Pride through a new partnership connecting two major LGBTQ+ visitor destinations, creating a shared tourism and history initiative at a moment when both cities are emphasizing preservation, visibility and inclusion.
The collaboration links the Philly Pride Visitor Center with the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center in New York City through a new Pride Passport program. Visitors who stop at both locations and collect stamps from each site can receive a limited-edition tote bag featuring Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, the Revolutionary War military figure widely recognized by historians as one of the earliest known queer figures associated with America’s founding.
The Philadelphia center, opened ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary, is described as the first dedicated LGBTQ+ visitor center of its kind in the country. In addition to serving travelers, it highlights local LGBTQ+ history, community resources and historic sites, while also creating space for LGBTQ+ artists to display and sell their work and for community groups to host events during Pride Month.
The cross-city passport program is being framed as more than a tourism effort. It is also a statement about historical memory.
“This partnership celebrates the groundbreaking role both of our cities play in LGBTQ+ history,” Ann Marie Gothard, co-founder of the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center, said in announcing the initiative. “At a time when these narratives are being intentionally erased and attacked, the very existence of our organizations is a powerful act of resilience.”
The partnership arrives as Philadelphia continues to position itself as a leader in LGBTQ+ cultural programming ahead of the semiquincentennial. By linking with Stonewall, the city is tying its own legacy to one of the most recognized landmarks in LGBTQ+ rights history — and inviting visitors to experience both.
