STROUDSBURG, Pa. — Courthouse Square was coated in every color of the rainbow for its fourth annual Pocono Pride Festival, a celebration of the LGBTQAI+ community and its allies in Monroe County.
“Small towns actually get bypassed a lot of times in this celebration of Pride. And so to be in a small town in northeastern Pennsylvania is just beautiful because it shows how much community support there really is,” explained Carol Ann, Pocono Pride Festival emcee.
“When you know your community is embracing you, it just shows even further more how much visibility is important,” added Elektra Fearce, Pocono Pride Festival Performer.
The Pocono Pride Festival highlighted local talent throughout the day, including one drag queen performer who grew up minutes away from Stroudsburg.
“Going down Main Street and seeing all of these rainbow Pride flags for the very first time, hanging off the lamp post, it brought tears to my eyes. Because growing up here in Pennsylvania, in a very conservative lifestyle, I didn't know how to be myself,” she said.
“To see how far progressively this town has come in just the past 10 to 15 years, it's amazing,” Sharron Ann Husbands, Pocono Pride Festival emcee, said.
Organizers of the Pocono Pride Fest say the event is an opportunity to educate the younger generation about the history of Pride Month.
“It's very important for us to bridge that gap, and we're not only working in the now, but we're recognizing what's happened in the past,” said Mayor Michael Mareno, Stroudsburg Pride Co-Founder.
“They're accepting, and they're understanding that, but I hope that makes them a little more secure in who they are inside,” said Mayor Christopher Glinton, Forrest City.
More than 5,000 people filled downtown Stroudsburg for Pride Fest, and organizers say this is their biggest turnout yet.
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