On Saturday, October 11, community members in Bethlehem will gather at Payrow Plaza to take part in the “We Will Not Be Erased” national day of action, a grassroots effort highlighting LGBTQ+ visibility and resilience amid rising attacks on queer expression.
The event, organized by For Our Future PA and local partners including Indivisible Lehigh Valley Bethlehem and Queer and Trans Lehigh Valley, will feature rainbow chalk art at Payrow Plaza and the Bethlehem Public Library. It runs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine.
The action is part of a larger national response to the removal of rainbow crosswalks in cities like Orlando, where the Pride mural at the Pulse nightclub memorial, a tribute to the 49 victims of the 2016 massacre, was recently taken down. Organizers say the chalk art is both protest and celebration, symbolizing that LGBTQ+ people belong everywhere.
“When our symbols of pride are erased, we will create them again. When our voices are silenced, we will speak louder, together,” said Francisca Sepulveda, regional organizing director for For Our Future PA. “National Coming Out Day is about celebrating who we are, and this action makes that visibility undeniable.”
Speakers will include Rev. Elizabeth Goudy of the Metropolitan Community Church of the Lehigh Valley, Ce-Ce Gerlach of the Allentown City Council, Corinne Goodwin of the Eastern PA Trans Equity Project, and Robin Gow of Queer and Trans Lehigh Valley.
Attendees are encouraged to share photos using #WeWillNotBeErased and #ChalkTheRainbow to connect with others participating nationwide.
Full event details and RSVP are available at https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/851175/.
Email your news release to info@lehighvalleywithlovemedia.com
