Reading Pride Celebration and GoggleWorks Center for the Arts Accepting Art Submissions for LGBTQ+ Art Showcase

Reading Pride Celebration (RPC) and GoggleWorks Center for the Arts announce the call for artists for their second LGBTQ+ Art Showcase in Reading, PA. The exhibition, in celebration of Pride month, will be held on the second floor at the Schmidt Gallery from May 30 through June 27 and is open to all local LGBTQ+ artists in different media.

The showcase aims to promote and celebrate the artistic talents of the local LGBTQ+ community of Berks and surrounding counties and to create a platform for their voices to be heard. The exhibition is open to all forms of art, including paintings, drawings, sculptures, photography, and mixed media. This year, the showcase will be a juried art show, and artists will have the opportunity to win up to $250 for the best piece.

“Visibility is more important than ever,” said RPC Executive Director Enrique Castro, Jr. “The art show highlights LGBTQ+ artists, providing that much-needed visibility. Art often interprets something through the artist’s eyes. This show provides a platform to display that interpretation to the general public.”

Submissions are open through April 28, 2024, and artists are encouraged to submit their applications through Open Call! LGBTQ+ Art Showcase – GoggleWorks.

“We are excited to have the LGBTQ+ Art Showcase at GoggleWorks again this year. This show is a reminder of the strength found in unity and the transformative power of art to challenge, inspire, and heal,” said Jesse Futter, Marketing Director at GoggleWorks Center for the Arts. “Last year, the gallery was filled with so many vibrant colors and deep emotions, we cannot wait to see what is submitted this year.”

The exhibition is open to all levels of artists, from emerging to established, and the pieces will be selected by RPC’s Art Committee. Selected artists will be notified by May 7, 2024, and required to deliver their artwork to the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts at 201 Washington St., Reading, by May 26, 2024.

Awards will be presented during the reception to be held on June 9, from 3-5 p.m., at the gallery.

For more information, please contact info@readingpride.org or (610) 457-1960.

Founded in 2006, Reading Pride Celebration has the mission to celebrate diversity in the LGBTQ+ community of Greater Reading. RPC is committed to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion by building a community that embraces and supports differences and seeks to eliminate racial oppression, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, and other oppression.

Located in downtown Reading, PA, GoggleWorks operates in a former goggle factory and is composed of 145,000 square feet of creative space. GoggleWorks offers year-round arts education, including workshops, classes, and visiting artists; community outreach programs; a summer residency; youth programs and camps; 35 on-site studio artists; the Albert and Eunice Boscov theater; three galleries for exhibitions; the Berks Launchbox maker space; and 16 communal learning environments, including hot glass, wood, printmaking, warm glass, metals, ceramics, photography, and urban gardens. More at goggleworks.org.

2024 Pride Library Card Contest

Reading Public Library and Reading Pride Celebration Launch Pride Library Card Contest

Reading, PA., February 15, 2024 – The Reading Public Library, in collaboration with Reading Pride Celebration, is thrilled to announce the inaugural Pride Library Card Contest. This exciting competition invites local artists and creative minds to submit their original designs for a chance to have their artwork featured on the official limited-edition Pride library card.

Submissions are open from now until April 30th, 2024, giving artists the opportunity to craft vibrant and unique designs that celebrate the spirit of pride and inclusivity. To participate, artists must follow the following rules:

· One entry per person

· Artwork must include a design of 4.875” x 2.25” for the card including a 0.125” bleed area. The keychain card would be a smaller copy of the artwork.

· Make it colorful, be creative, and have fun!

· All art or graphics used must be created by or owned by the artist.

The winning design will be unveiled on June 1st, 2024, during the Pride month kickoff event at the Main branch of the Reading Public Library located at 100 S 5th St in Reading, PA. The winner will not only have the honor of having their design featured on the official Pride library card but will also receive a $100 gift card.

"We are excited to partner with the Reading Public Library for the Pride Library Card Contest, an initiative that celebrates diversity, creativity, and the spirit of inclusivity,” said Enrique Castro, Jr., Executive Director of Reading Pride Celebration. “This competition not only provides a platform for local artists to

showcase their talent but also allows us to visually represent the values of the LGBTQ+ community on an official library card."

“Reading Pride Celebration is a positive force in the City of Reading and we are honored to partner with them in hosting the Pride Library Card Contest,” said Jennifer Bressler, Assistant Director of the Reading Public Library. “We have an amazing wealth of talented individuals in our community representing a vibrant array of cultures and identities; I’m excited to be a part of the celebration.”

The general public will have the chance to exchange their existing library cards for the limited edition Pride Card during the month of June 2024. Newly enrolled library card holders can also request the Pride card to showcase their support for the LGBTQ+ community.

For more information and to submit entries, please visit www.ReadingpublicLibrary or www.readingpride.org.

READING PRIDE CELEBRATION AND THE GOGGLE WORKS CENTER FOR THE ARTS ACCEPTING ART SUBMISSIONS FOR LGBTQ+ ART SHOWCASE

The exhibition is open to local LGBTQ+ Berks County and surrounding counties artists. 

READING, P.a., April 21, 2023 — Reading Pride Celebration (RPC) and Goggleworks Center for the Arts announces the call for artists for their first LGBTQ+ Art Showcase in Reading, PA. The exhibition, in celebration of Pride month, will be held on the second floor at the Schmidt Gallery from June 7 through July 16 and is open to all local LGBTQ+ artists in different media. 

The showcase aims to promote and celebrate the artistic talents of the local LGBTQ+ community of Berks and surrounding counties and to create a platform for their voices to be heard. The exhibition is open to all forms of art, including paintings, drawings, sculptures, photography, and mixed media. 

"We are excited to celebrate the diversity and creativity of the LGBTQ+ local artists," said RPC executive director Enrique Castro, Jr. "During the past two years, we’ve partnered with GoggleWorks to host the Pride Film Series at the Albert & Eunice Boscov Theatre. This year we wanted to open an opportunity for the community to know our LGBTQ+ artists and support their art.” 

The deadline for submission is May 1st, and artists are encouraged to submit their applications through https://www.eventeny.com/events/applications/application/?id=1432. 

"Art can have a significant impact on a community by providing representation, visibility, and empowerment," said Jesse Futter, Marketing Director at GoggleWorks Center for the Arts. "As part of the LGBTQ+ community, I personally have seen how important art can be to provide a safe space for expression. We are excited to welcome Reading Pride into our gallery and provide the artists the space to explore their identities, experiences, and perspectives." 

The exhibition is open to all levels of artists, from emerging to established, and RPC’s Art Committee will select pieces. Selected artists will be notified by May 15th and required to deliver their artwork to the Goggleworks Center for the Arts at 201 Washington Street Reading, P.A. by May 25th. 

For more information, please contact info@readingpride.org or (610) 457-1960. 

Reading Pride Launches LGBTQ+ Business Alliance

Reading Pride Celebration (RPC) announced today the launching of the Berks LGBTQ+ Business Alliance as a program to partner with LGBTQ+ and ally business owners to promote LGBTQ+ entrepreneurship, growth, and success.

The Alliance is an expansion of RPC’s Safe Space initiative created in 2014 that asked business owners to pledge non-discrimination for customers and employees in the absence of State or County-wide nondiscrimination ordinances at the time.

“The LGBTQ+ Business Alliance aims to expand on this commitment by engaging the business community year-round through networking, training, and pairing existing and new owners as mentors and mentees,” said Enrique Castro, Jr, RPC’s Executive Director and CEO. “We aim to bring the business community together to, not only end discrimination in business in Berks County, but to increase LGBTQ+ entrepreneurship opportunities. The drive of an entrepreneur often leads to the start of a new business, but the support of friends, family, and the community often leads to its success.”

Membership opportunities are available for all types of businesses, from big corporate to self-employed individuals. Members will have access to a directory listing, networking events, mentorship opportunities, training, brand building, and visibility resources, among other benefits.

To learn more or join, please visit berkslgbtqba.org.

Reading Pride Celebration to Commemorate Transgender Day of Remembrance

READING, P.a., November 17, 2022 — Reading Pride Celebration (RPC) will commemorate the Transgender Day of Remembrance with a ceremony at the Boscov’s Theatre at the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts this Sunday, November 20, 2022, at 6:30 PM to honor the memory of 59 transgender and non-binary people killed in the United States this year.

“On Sunday, we will remember our transgender siblings lost this past year to violence. These acts rooted in transphobia, hatred, and a refusal to accept our siblings as who they were meant to be, must stop,” said Enrique Castro Jr, RPC Executive Director. “As a community, we stand in solidarity with our transgender siblings and aim to raise awareness of the struggles of being transgender in this world. We grieve those lost and remember and celebrate their lives. We do this every year in hopes that one day soon, we will enjoy a community of acceptance, love, and tolerance. A community where hate, transphobia, homophobia & racism become things of a distant past and are replaced with love. I hope that one day soon, we will be able to replace these memorial ceremonies with celebrating a world where we can be who we are, free of hatred & intolerance.” 

According to the Trans Lives Matter organization, 57 transgender and non-binary people have lost their lives to violence from November 20, 2021, to November 17, 2022, in the US. World Wide, the number of victims rises to 355.

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Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is an annual observance on November 20 that honors the memory of the transgender people whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence.

TDOR was started in 1999 by transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith as a vigil to honor the memory of Rita Hester, a transgender woman who was killed in 1998.

Reading Pride Celebration has adopted the ceremony since 2010.

READING PRIDE CELEBRATION HIRES ITS FIRST-EVER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

READING, P.a., November 2, 2022 - Reading Pride Celebration (RPC), the organization that organizes the Reading Pride Festival, is announcing the hiring of its first-ever executive director. Enrique Castro, Jr., who served as President of the Board from 2020 – 2022, was appointed by the Board of Directors with the goal of elevating the organization’s brand, overseeing the day-to-day operations, and expanding the programs that benefit the LGBTQ+ community of Berks County.

“Without a doubt, Reading PRIDE Celebration has come a long way under the direction of Enrique Castro, Jr. as President,” said Benedict M. Renkus, RPC President. “In the spirit of our continued growth, the Board's passing of the new by-laws, and by moving forward with our mission, Enrique's appointment as our first Executive Director will renew our continued commitment well into the future in serving the LGBTQ+ community and the community of Greater Reading at large.”

Castro is a Muhlenberg Township resident and small business owner that started volunteering with RPC in 2019. In 2020 was elected Vice President and shortly after occupied the President position as the first Hispanic to do so. Under his leadership, the organization created support groups for parents, widows/widowers, and the latine population; approved new by-laws, formalized the non-profit designation through the State of Pennsylvania, secured an office at the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts; worked with municipalities to start the process to approve non-discrimination ordinances; start the Reading Pride Gives Back Fund for LGBTQ+ youth projects; and grew the Pride Festival by triple digits in attendance, sponsors, and vendors.

“I am extremely proud of the growth of our organization,” said Castro. “The support of our community, donors, sponsors, and supporters over the last 16 years has been invaluable, and we are beyond grateful. This new opportunity as executive director will allow us to serve our community better and expand our programs and services. I look forward to what the future brings, building relationships and partnerships, advocating, and serving our community in any way possible."

“I am extremely proud of the growth of our organization. The support of our community, donors, sponsors, and supporters over the last 16 years has been invaluable, and we are beyond grateful. This new opportunity as executive director will allow us to serve our community better and expand our programs and services. I look forward to what the future brings, building relationships and partnerships, advocating, and serving our community in any way possible.”

— Enrique Castro

Reading Pride Celebration donates $6,000 for programs benefiting LGBTQ+ youth in Berks County

 Applications for the Reading Pride Celebration Gives Back Fund will be accepted from September 1st to December 1st, 2022

READING, P.a., August 10, 2022 – Reading Pride Celebration (RPC) has created the Reading Pride Celebration Gives Back Fund at Berks County Community Foundation (BCCF) to support projects and programs that affirm and enhance the lives of LGBTQ+ youth in Berks County.

The charitable fund, created with a portion of the proceeds from the Reading Pride Celebration Festival, will provide educators and community organizations with grants to develop or expand programming that improves the lives of LGBTQ+ students in Berks.

“Our youth are the future leaders of our community, and programs geared toward LGBTQ+ youth often receive very little yet much-needed funding. These grants will make it easier for educators to expand or establish their Gay-Straight Alliances and other LGBTQ+ youth programs,” said Enrique Castro, President of Reading Pride Celebration. “We believe these programs can improve the quality of life and educational experiences for our youth and create more inclusive environments and communities for all.”

Nonprofit organizations and schools, including student programs and clubs, are eligible to apply. Grants of up to $1,000 will be awarded.

To apply for a grant, go to http://bccf.link/grants and log in or create an account. The application period runs from September 1st through December 1, 2022, with decisions announced in January 2023.

The Reading Pride Celebration Gives Back Fund is accepting donations. To give online, visit www.bccf.org and click “give now.” Donations can also be mailed to Berks County Community Foundation at 237 Court St., Reading, PA 19601. Make checks payable to Berks County Community Foundation and write “Reading Pride Celebration Gives Back Fund” in the memo line.

To learn more about the Reading Pride Celebration, visit www.readingpridecelebration.org/about.

As our gala gets closer we are very excited to announce our “Reading Pride Ambassador” judges panel. These community leaders, advocates, and dedicated public servants will have quite the job selecting our first ever ambassador. We hope you will come support them and our finalist.

Join your host Jeannie Sol , Richard Turner a.k.a. Whitley Nycole DeAire, your judges Bethany Coleen Keeb Photography LLC Bernice Hines Corbit @christiancrespo and your finalist Amie Vanité, Florian, & Lady and be there to witness the presentation of our first ever “Reading Pride Ambassador”

READING PRIDE CELEBRATION ANNOUNCES NEW PRIDE AMBASSADOR PROGRAM 2022

READING, P.a., April 13, 2022 - Reading Pride Celebration (RPC) announced today the opening for nominations for this year’s Ambassador Program.

The new program substitutes the Mrs. Reading Pride Celebration pageant to have a more inclusive competition that better represents our community.

“The title of Miss or Mister in any pageant is very gender restrictive. The diversity of our LGBTQ+ doesn’t conform to gender restrictive terms, and therefore the title of those who wish to represent our organization cannot be gender restrictive,” said Enrique Castro, RPC President. “In 2021 we retired the title of Ms. Reading Pride, announcing our Pride ambassador program, which will be our representative in the community and therefore should reflect the community we serve.” 

To be eligible, competitors must live in Berks or neighboring counties, be 18+ at the moment of registration, be actively involved with the LGBTQ+ community either through employment or volunteer work, and complete the online form and submit a 1-minute video explaining their involvement with the LGBTQ+ community and what being an ambassador means to them by May 1st, 2022.

The winner will be chosen by an independent panel of judges during the Night at the Stirling Gala on May 22, 2022, and will receive $500, a sash, and an ambassador medallion.

To learn more about the new program and register to compete, please visit http://www.readingpridecelebration.org/pride-ambassador

READING PRIDE CELEBRATION FESTIVAL MOVING TO MUHLENBERG TOWNSHIP

READING, P.a., January 21, 2022 – Reading Pride Celebration (RPC) announced today that the 2022 Reading Pride Celebration Festival will change location to the Jim Dietrich Park, after 15 years of being held at Centre Park in Reading.

“The decision to move our Pride Festival is exciting but also emotional,” said Enrique Castro, RPC’s President. “We’ve known for a while that the festival might one day outgrow the park we’ve called home for the past 15 years and after scouting some new locations, including City Park, for logistic purposes the Board voted Jim Dietrich Park in Muhlenberg Township for the 2022 Festival.

Mayor Eddie Morán reacted to the change of location. “While I'm saddened to learn about the board's decision to move the Reading PRIDE Festival out of our beautiful City, I am also grateful and honored for the fabulous fifteen years we served as its host. During those fifteen years, the festival did a great job highlighting and bringing awareness of the diversity and inclusivity challenges many individuals face. Their success is seen in the event's growth and popularity, which requires it to move to a venue bigger than Centre Park. The Reading PRIDE Festival became and will remain the most important LGBTQI celebration of our region; they've set the bar high in the mission of advancing the rights and inclusion of all. I will continue to support the festival regardless of its location and hope it finds its way home in Reading in the future. After all, it is called Reading PRIDE Festival - let the PRIDE never stop.”, said mayor Eddie Morán.

Reading Pride Celebration will continue to have its office at the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts and host other events in the City. “We have built great relationships within the City in planning this festival, and remain thankful to Mayor Morán, City Council, and the residents of the City for always making our festival and attendees feel welcome.  While our festival is expanding to serve a larger community, the City of Reading will remain the home of our organization, our office, the pride after-party, programs, and many other events,”, said Castro.

"We are very excited to be a part of Reading Pride Celebration expansion by welcoming the Reading Pride Celebration Festival 2022, its organizers, and attendees to Muhlenberg township," said Karen Schreiber, Recreation Superintendent of Muhlenberg township.

Reading Pride Celebration Festival will be on July 17, 2022, from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM at the Jim Dietrich Park.

READING PRIDE CELEBRATION ANNOUNCES DONNA READ AND DR. ASHLEY BRANDT AS READING PRIDE CELEBRATION FESTIVAL 2021 GRAND MARSHALLS

Reading Pride Celebration (RPC) is proud to announce the selection of City Council Woman, Donna Reed and the director of the Gender Affirming Medical and Surgical Program at Reading Hospital, Dr. Ashley Brandt, O.D. as Grand Marshalls of the Reading Pride Festival 2021.

“As part of our commitment to diversity and inclusion, it was very important for us this year to recognize that, while we are celebrating a milestone 15th Pride, there are many others in the community whose dedication and impact have helped make this celebration possible,”, Said Enrique Castro Jr, President of RPC. “Celebrating 15 years of Pride would not be possible without the work of community members who help to make our City and County a more inclusive place to live.”

Councilwoman Reed has been a long-time dedicated supporter of RPC and the community. She has helped make many of the accomplishments we celebrate as an LGBTQ+ community in Reading, a reality.

"It is quite an unexpected honor to be named co-grand marshal for this 15th-anniversary celebration of Reading Pride,” said City Council Woman Reed.  “The important work this group does to honor the wonderful diversity of folks in Greater Reading and the dignity of Pride's efforts in accepting and loving those around us -- and ourselves -- can never be praised highly enough.  I am humbled by this honor and accept it gratefully in a true rainbow of happiness.”

In the other hand, Dr. Brandt and her work at the transgender clinic has really solidified our community as an accepting and wonderful place to live. Her work and dedication to our community has ensured that our Transgender siblings who call our county home, now have a dedicated clinic with health professionals who truly care and understand their needs.

“I am so deeply humbled and honored to serve as a Co-Grand Marshall for Pride this year.  The LGBTQ community, particularly in Berks County, is one of the more diverse and resilient communities I have had the pleasure of working with.  My patients are my daily inspiration and being a part of their transition and care is an honor that words cannot describe.  I look forward to continuing to serve this incredible community and advocating for them, both in and outside of the office,” said Dr. Brandt. 

Donna Reed

City Council Woman

Donna Reed, now in her fifth term on Reading City Council representing District 5 – Reading’s Great Northwest, is a graduate of Muhlenberg Township High School and of The American University, Washington, DC, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree with the dual major of political science and communication.

As a college student, she interned on Capitol Hill for a former Kentucky congressman and also for the Copley News Service assigned to the Congressional correspondent. She also spent one year with the Washington bureau of the Baltimore Sun as a copy girl.

She logged 23 years as a Reading Eagle reporter, editor and columnist. After leaving the Eagle, she was elected to Reading City Council. Her blog, “City Hall Revisited,” appeared from 2010 through the first half of 2012 on www.readingeagle.com. She also worked as assignment editor for the Berks Edition of Channel 69 News. Prior to rejoining City Council in January 2010, she also contributed articles to the then-fledgling BCTV.org news Web site.Donna has written for local, state and national publications. Editor of the 2008 “Pagoda Centennial Tales,” she is founder of the Pagoda Writers Group.

She has researched the biography of the late state Sen. Mike O’Pake.  She is as past editor of The Historical Review of Berks County and is a decade-plus-long member of the board of Crime Alert Berks County.

Donna has also served as an editor at The Ephrata Review and garnered two first-place Keystone Press Awards in that capacity. She continues as a free-lance writer contributing monthly to Berks County Living magazine and other publications.

She is the City Council liaison to the BCTV board, a member of the Pagoda Foundation, and a member of the GRCA Women2Women Council.  She was recently appointed as a trustee of the Berks History Center.

About Dr. Ashley Brandt, O.D.

Dr. Ashley Brandt, O.D.

Tower Health/Reading Hospital

K. Ashley Brandt,D.O. is a board-certified obstetrician/gynecologist and one of the first formal fellowship trained gender affirming surgeons in the country.  She completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Hahnemann University Hospital in 2017 in Philadelphia before briefly entering private practice.  In 2018, she was accepted into the second formal gender affirming surgical fellowship in the nation at Hahnemann Hospital, prior to it's closure. Presently, she serves as faculty for both the department of obstetrics/gynecology and plastic surgery at Tower Health/Reading Hospital.  Additionally, she is the director of the Gender Affirming Medical and Surgical Program at Reading Hospital where she provides hormone therapy, routine health services, and comprehensive gender affirming surgery for patients.  She is an active LGBTQ community member as well, serving on the board of the directors for the Mazzoni Center and is an active member for the Diversity and Inclusion Councils both at Reading Hospital and Phoenixville Hospital.  She also gives lectures on LGBTQ and gender affirming healthcare regionally and nationally and is also an editor for OB.GYN news on gender diverse care.  In her free time, she is a DJ, enjoys hiking and biking, and loves cooking.  She lives in Lancaster City with her fiancée, who is a midwife at Reading, and their lovable bulldog, Alex. 

Sundays at The Gables at Stirling Guest Hotel

Our long-time supporters and friends are the Stirling Guest Hotel are having some interesting and enjoyable events this year! Check them out!

Sundays at The Gables at Stirling Guest Hotel

As part of our community outreach program, we are launching our Sundays at The Gables at Stirling Guest Hotel Community Day program. Every Sunday, starting May 2021, we will be hosting various events for our community.

LGBT Center of Greater Reading's Summer Pride Events

READING PRIDE CELEBRATION COLLECTING THE HISTORY OF THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY IN GREATER READING

READING, P.a., February 11, 2021 — Berks County Community Foundation (BCCF) assign an $8,875 grant for start-up funds from the Hawley and Myrtle Quire Fund to Reading Pride Celebration (RPC) to collect and preserve the history of the LGBTQ community in Reading and Berks County.

The Rainbow Letters: A Living History of the LGBTQA+ Community of Greater Reading is a joint project with the Berks History Center that will preserve personal accounts, photos, diaries, journals, and audio and video files about people, locations, social gatherings, and organizations that were/are part of the LGBTQA+ community in Berks.

“Our stories matter and we want to be sure our legacy in Berks County does not go unwritten”, said RPC’s Acting Vice President, Ben Renkus. “Our modern history goes further than the Stonewall riots and our community have been part of Greater Reading’s development and history along the decades. We are excited and grateful to the BCCF for their support of this important project.”

People interested in submitting stories can visit www.readingpridecelebration.org and fill out the preliminary survey form. A team will then reach out to schedules interviews to expand the information submitted and collect a more comprehensive history. All records will be digitalized and kept at the Berks History Center.

For further information, people can write to readingpridecelebration@gmail.com.

Giving Tuesday

In 2006, Reading Pride Celebration was founded to create the first LGBTQ + Pride festival in Greater Reading. For 14 years, the group of committed volunteers has organized this festival giving space to local talent and commerce.

In April of this year, RPC expanded its goals to include:

• To eliminate prejudice and discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community in Greater Reading;

• To celebrate and foster a sense of pride and unity within LGBTQ+ community of Greater Reading;

• To advance education in Greater Reading, about gender and sexual diversity, the purpose of Reading Pride Celebration, and what it has to offer the community.

• To represent and include the diversity of the Greater Reading community in our organization and activities

Several of these plans have been delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but even with social distancing, we manage to celebrate Pride, National Coming Out Day and the Transgender Day of Remembrance.

Your contribution this Giving Tuesday will make it possible for us to advance our educational and advocacy goals for the LGBTQ + community of Greater Reading, while also helping us the plan the next celebration.

Partnership Dissolution Notice

READING, P.a., November 18, 2020 - The Board of Reading Pride Celebration voted on Thursday to activate Clause #15 from the Reading Pride Celebration - One Love Project Agreement and dissolve the partnership.

One Love Project will operate as an independent initiative, so Reading Pride Celebration non-for-profit certification 501(c)3, no longer covers donations made to the name of OLP.

Any donations for OLP should be directed to oneloveprjct@gmail.com

Reading Pride Celebration to host virtual Transgender Day of Remembrance

READING, P.a., November 16, 2020 — Reading Pride Celebration will host a virtual Transgender Day of Remembrance Ceremony this Friday, November 20, 2020, to honor the memory of 36 transgender people killed in the United States this year.

The event, that will be streamed at 7:00 PM through RPC’s Facebook and Youtube channel will also mention the more than a hundred killed worldwide since last year’s event.

“2020 has been a hard year for all of us, but it has been an especially deadly year for the trans community”, said RPC’s President, Enrique Castro. Our trans siblings need not only to have equal rights and protections under the law, but they also need to not be made to fear who they are. We need to stand with them as a community”, said Castro.

For more information about the event, please visit www.readingpridecelebration.org.

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Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is an annual observance on November 20 that honors the memory of the transgender people whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence.

was started in 1999 by transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith as a vigil to honor the memory of Rita Hester, a transgender woman who was killed in 1998.

Reading Pride Celebration has adopted the ceremony since 2010.

Announcement of New President

Reading Pride Celebration is pleased to present Enrique Castro Jr. as our first Hispanic President and Chair.

Born in New York from Puerto Rican parents, Enrique is a husband, father of two, and full-time small business owner. Starting as a volunteer and then becoming RPC’s Vice-President, he began to make a name for himself in our organization and in the community. His unbreakable will, unmeasurable courage to make things work, and his love to help others makes him the perfect candidate to lead the organization in the changes that must be made.

We thank Richard Todd Wagner for all the work done for the organization since its foundation. A dedicated committee member since 2006, he has served as our Vice President under Ben Renkus for several years, and stepped into his vacant position in July 2019.  He’s been passionate about continuing our founding mission of celebrating the vibrant LGBT community in the Greater Reading area, as well as thoughtfully planning our memorial services for TDOR and for Pulse.

Please join us in welcoming Enrique to his new role and to wish him every success.

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Reading Pride Celebration se complace en presentar a Enrique Castro Jr. como nuestro primer Presidente hispano.

Nacido en Nueva York de padres puertorriqueños, Enrique es esposo, padres de dos y dueño de su propio negocio. Comenzando como voluntario y luego convirtiéndose en Vicepresidente de ROC, comenzó a destacarse en la organización y la comunidad. Su determinación inquebrantable para hacer que las cosas funcionen y su amor por ayudar a los demás, lo hacen el candidato idóneo para liderar la organización a través de los cambios que se tienen que hacer.

Aprovechamos para agradecer a Richard Todd Wagner por todo el trabajo realizado por la organización desde su fundación. Un miembro dedicado del comité desde el 2006, sirvió como Vicepresidente bajo Ben Renkus por varios años -ocupando la Presidencia vacante en julio 2019. Ha sido apasionado de continuar nuestra misión de celebrar la vibrante comunidad LGBTQ+ de Greater Reading, así como de planificar los servicios memoriales para el Día de Recordación Trans y la masacre de Pulse.

Acompáñennos  a darle una calurosa bienvenida a Enrique en su nueva función y desearle el mayor de los éxitos.