EASTON, Pa. — Eastonians packed Centre Square to celebrate Pride Month a day early by raising a flag for the LGBTQ+ community for the first time Wednesday evening.
Despite the heat, the heart of the city was filled to the brim with LGBTQ+ individuals, along with allies, friends, family and more. Miniature Pride flags, eccentric costumes and rainbows were everywhere, sending a clear message of love and support for all.
- Easton celebrated its inaugural Pride Month flag-raising event Wednesday
- Brad Scott Smith, aka DJ Brad Scott, helped to organize it after seeing similar displays in Allentown and Bethlehem
- Longtime LGBTQ+ advocate Earl David Ball was honored with the First Annual Pride Community Service Award
Brad Scott Smith, better known as DJ Brad Scott, launched the initiative to host the event after seeing the other Lehigh Valley cities celebrating their own Pride events, wishing to spread the love to the place he calls home.
“It’s time to reflect upon the challenges we have faced, and the progress we have made. So today when we raise the flag, it’s not just to mark the occasion, but also to send a resounding message of pride and acceptance to every individual in Easton and beyond."Brad Scott Smith, aka DJ Brad Scott
“So, Allentown and Bethlehem have had their flag-raisings and their Trans Day of Visibility flag-raisings. I've gone to a few of those, and I've seen them in other cities, and I saw that we were lacking that here in Easton,” Smith said.
June is recognized as Pride Month.
Reaching out to Mayor Sal Panto Jr. and Executive Secretary Karen Roscioli, Smith pitched the idea of a Pride flag-raising in the city. Early Wednesday evening, Smith witnessed the results of his labor – a community embracing acceptance and love, and plenty of music from the Big Easy Easton Brass Band.
“It’s time to reflect upon the challenges we have faced, and the progress we have made. So today when we raise the flag, it’s not just to mark the occasion, but also to send a resounding message of pride and acceptance to every individual in Easton and beyond,” Smith said to an enthusiastic crowd.
Before the flag-raising, Smith took some time to commemorate the work of longtime LGBTQ+ advocate and friend Earl David Ball by presenting him with the First Annual Pride Community Service Award.
“I want to thank you for this wonderful award; it’s great,” Ball said.
“I love Easton, I’ll never leave Easton. I think it’s the greatest city I’ve ever lived in, and I’ve lived in Greenwich Village, Chelsea, everywhere,” said Ball, who also received a certificate of commendation from the mayor.
Panto took to the podium as well, celebrating the LGBTQ+ community in the face of recent violence and threats across the nation, encouraging all in attendance to embrace love.
“I feel very strongly that no one should ever face prejudice, discrimination, or violence because of who they are, or who they love,” Panto said.
“As the mayor of this great city, I am proud of Easton as a place where you are free to be whoever you want to be and love whoever you want to love. As we raise this Pride flag in the heart of our city, remember that the heart means love, so we hope that the heart of this community embraces all of our people.”
Panto proceeded to issue a proclamation confirming the inaugural LGBTQ+ Pride Month in Easton, celebrating the contributions of the community and encouraging all to “wave your flags of Pride very high.”
Following the raising of the flag, visitors stuck around to enjoy a warm late-spring evening in the shade, enjoying the music, the community, and celebrating the start of Pride Month.
“You know, every time I do an event, I'm always worried that nobody's going to show up. It's just that sort of little voice in my head," Smith said. "But this is really impressive, but not totally unexpected from Easton, because we are a great, diverse little city out here. I absolutely love it."
