Generations of Pride: Meet the trailblazers making a difference in Philadelphia's LGBTQ+ community
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- This Pride Month, CBS News Philadelphia is proud to showcase the LGBTQ+ individuals in our community who have helped shape the past, are making a difference in the present and are working to change the future.
In our special "Generations of Pride," we visit Philadelphia's Gayborhood, where you'll find LGBTQ+ community pillars like Giovanni's Room, the oldest continually gay-operated bookstore. We'll travel to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, a shore resort town that's become a mecca for the gay community.
Meet the couple responsible for Philly staples like Bud & Marilyn's, Barbuzzo and Open House, and get to know Sapphira Cristál, the Philly drag queen who put the City of Brotherly Love in the national spotlight during Season 16 of RuPaul's Drag Race.
You can watch the full "Generations of Pride" special, anchored by CBS News Philadelphia's Jim Donovan and Howard Monroe, in the player above.
You can also learn more about the stories featured in Generations of Pride at the links below.
Barbara Gittings, pioneer of the LGBTQ+ and women's rights movement in Philadelphia
Barbara Gittings is considered one of the pioneers of LGBTQ+ rights and women's rights movements. In the 1960s, the activist fought against employment discrimination and picketed outside Independence Hall.
Her name now marks the intersection of Locust and 13th streets in Philadelphia's Gayborhood.
Meet the married couple who helped transform Philadelphia's Gayborhood into trendy Midtown Village
Philadelphia is often known as a city of neighborhoods, each with its own character and charm. By opening their gift shop in what was then a desolate neighborhood in 2002, couple Marcie Turney and Valerie Safran unknowingly helped start the transformation of the trendy Midtown Village, more commonly known as the Gayborhood.
How local artist's journey to fatherhood led to designing Philadelphia Pride's "Be You" logo
To help raise money to start a family with his husband, artist Ben Deane-Schierloh created the graphic tee company called That's Bearly Art. The humorous and provocative T-shirts have been selling out, making Deane-Schierloh a hot and upcoming artist in the LGBTQIA+ community.
So much so that Philadelphia's 2024 Pride organizers asked him to design this year's "Be You" logo.
How Rehoboth Beach, Delaware became a haven for the LGBTQ+ community
Rehoboth Beach is known for its extraordinary entertainment, dancing and drag dinner theater and its mile-long boardwalk that's bursting with eclectic shops and restaurants overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.
The Sussex County, Delaware beach resort is not only a popular getaway for families, but it's long been a booming mecca for the LGBTQ+ community.
"RuPaul's Drag Race" 16 finalist Sapphira Cristal opens up about journey, love for Philadelphia
"RuPaul's Drag Race" has become a cultural phenomenon that challenges how society understands gender. After 16 seasons, the 27-time Emmy Award-winning show had its first Philadelphia-based queen in Sapphira Cristál.