With a high chance of rain all day on Saturday, Marybeth Matz of Schuylkill County Democratic Executive Committee put it best when she said, “90% chance of rain and look at what we did: Pride brought sunshine.” Despite the forecast for rain all day, PrideFest continued in perfectly sunny weather until about 4 p.m. when it started to rain on and off.

Pottsville PrideFest 2021 was a celebration of all who identify with the LGBTQ+ community, as well as an acknowledgment of their existence in Schuylkill County and surrounding areas. Pride came to the area just last year when PrideFest founder and event coordinator Mikaela Gavaletz decided that was the year she’d stop staying silent.

After Dominique Fells, a black transgender woman from Philadelphia, was found slain in the Schuylkill River, Gavaletz decided, “Enough is enough.” She wanted to step up to bring awareness to the community, so the idea was born and PrideFest was brought to Schuylkill County.

The vendors and sponsors for PrideFest support Gavaletz’s vision to bring more awareness to the LGBTQ+ community. One vendor that supports this vision is the Schuylkill Hope Center for Victims of Domestic Violence.

Hope Center Communications Director Amy L. Newton says the organization changed its name from Schuylkill Women in Crisis to its current name on July 1 to be more welcoming to all members of the community.

“We were scared that people would see that we assist women and think we won’t help them, but that’s not true. We help everyone,” Newton said.

While there were many people at the event that set out to make the community feel safe and acknowledged, there were also plenty of people there to just make everybody smile and have a good time. Drag entertainers attended the event such as Justice Twist Valentine as Mr. Pottsville Pride and Megan Thomas as Ms. Pottsville Pride.

Lt. Gov. John Fetterman and state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta were two of the guest speakers the event hosted.

“My favorite part was experiencing the outpouring of support of those in attendance,” Matz said.

Gracie Butler of Pottsville attended the event with her fiancee Sherry Ebert of Pottsville and said that as a direct member of the community, she would have never thought pride would come so close to home. However, she added, “I am so proud that it has.”

Gavaletz, Schuylkill County Democratic Executive Committee, and all of this year’s sponsors and vendors succeeded at creating a space for people to feel that they are protected and belong.

“I just want to embrace love and never let a gender define who I’m with,” Ebert said.

Pottsville Pride of 2021 was just one more event that is working toward allowing that to happen in a safe and accepting environment.

Reading’s 15th Year of celebrating PrideFest will take place on Aug. 22 at Centre Park.