Andrew Beacham was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and raised in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, before making Philadelphia his adopted home. This year Andrew is parade director for Philadelphia pride. He spoke to GayCities correspondent Barbara Wilcox about his favorite (and busiest) day of the year.
What drew you to Philly in the first place?
I moved to Philly from North Carolina when I was 18, August 1st, 2007. I was drawn here by it’s proximity to NY and DC, I had heard about the gay scene here, the schools and the culture. The Gayborhood, The Philadelphia Museum of Art, Old City’s art district, and the large amount of colleges and graduate schools were all big factors.
What was your first Pride like?
It was great to learn a little about how a group of people organizes an event that large, what can go wrong and how to fix it. It was fun to meet people who are regulars at all our events and become familiar with different gay personalities and icons in the city. It was definitely a full days work, I woke up as six AM and didn’t make it back home until after midnight. Certainly never a dull moment
How do you celebrate Pride?
Oh, it’s impossible to be there all day and do all work and no play. Being behind the scenes and feeling like I contributed, even if in only a small way, is a celebration itself. All I have to do is stand still for a minute and look around to see how free and proud everyone is and how much fun people are having, and that is enough celebration to make it worth all the hours of behind-the-scene work. Getting a couple of phone numbers doesn’t hurt either 🙂
What’s the sexiest Pride float?
Definitely the FINS’, the gay swim teams float. They had massive shark fins on the side of their float and all the swimmers in their speedos jumping around!
Where’s good to eat/drink/hang out during pride?
There are many post-pride parties at pretty much every bar and club in the Gayborhood, but the official Philly Pride Parade Afterparty takes place at Shampoo, Philadelphia’s largest and most reputable dance club. It is a multi-level, multi-dance-floor club with a bubble room and hot tubs! Venture Inn offers a smaller, more intimate experience with a restaurant, bar, megatouch arcade and juke-box. Knock is a good place to get a more upscale meal for a reasonable price, it’s trendy atmosphere, bar, and outside seating make it a good place to get food and cool off after pride. For a less-expensive meal with full bar available try Midtown Diner II, open 24 hours, a favorite for late-night snackers.
I know the city has courted LGBT travelers (for example, that ad campaign, “Get your history straight and your nightlife gay,” and putting rainbow flags on street signs). What else is going on in Philly to entice gay travelers?
Our city, especially the Gayborhood, has a great small town-feel while retaining the culture and diversity of a big city. The people are friendly and once you meet a few of them you realize how tight and connected the community is, it feels amazing to feel like part of something so large but full of so much caring, friendship and love. South Street offers a busy bar scene just blocks from the gay scene if you get tired of all the bars, clubs and restaurants inside the Gayborhood. Fabric and Antique Row offer amazing merchandise from all over the world, and Phlaldelphia’s Jewler’s Row is one of the largest jewelry districts in the world. Finally, our art museum this year won the coveted Golden Lion Award for best national pavilion in the world, an award kin to winning the Oscars of museums.
