A Montgomery County Community College administrator helped celebrate the start of Pride month at a ceremony at the Montgomery County Courthouse recently.

Dr. Isabelle Porter, Director of the Physical Therapist Assistant Program, helped raise the Pride flag outside the courthouse in Norristown June 1 before a crowd of about 100 people. Porter joined Montgomery County Commissioners Chair Kenneth E. Lawrence, Jr., Vice Chair Jamila Winder and others to talk about the importance of Pride month and being a good ally to those in the LGBTQIA+ community.

“I’m so thankful for the people in my life who realize love is love and that love is for everyone,” she said. “Being an ally starts with being a human.”

Porter challenged allies to become active supporters of the rights and causes of the LGBTQIA+ community.

“I think it’s important to understand that thinking good vibes for the community, while they’re appreciated, is not quite enough,” she said. “Saying ‘I didn’t vote, so I didn’t support awful policies’ doesn’t quite cut it. The key word is active.”

Porter suggested allies could start small by going to or volunteering at Pride events or taking the time to learn that the “54 years of visibility” since the 1969 Stonewall Riots in New York City “is built on centuries of struggle.”

“Be open and honest,” she said. “Don’t pretend to know more than you do. Be there for others to talk to. If a friend or family member comes out to you, be there for them in that moment.”

Lawrence and Winder spoke about the progress that’s been made so far in Pennsylvania and Montgomery County to help members of the LGBTQIA+ community but reiterated there was plenty of work still to be done.

“A bill called the Fairness Act passed that would add sexuality and gender identity to Pennsylvania’s nondiscrimination law passed the House of Representatives in May,” said Lawrence. “The bill’s passage marked a milestone, in that advocates have been fighting for this inclusion for 20 years … We need the state Senate to pass this bill to codify these protections into Pennsylvania law.”

“It has taken many people who were not afraid to wage this war for equality,” said Winder. “With the increased cases of violence, we have been hearing about, it sometimes may feel as though the LGBTQ community is never going to fully see the light. Here in Montgomery County, we have proactively advocated for all employees and residents. I have said many times that diversity and equity are threaded through everything we do. We have enacted policies that do not allow discrimination of any kind. As the first Black woman to serve on the Board of Commissioners, I can say proudly that we embrace inclusiveness.”

Pride month will continue with events scheduled throughout the month of June. The sixth annual Chester County Pride Festival, hosted by the LGBT Equality Alliance of Chester County, will be held Saturday, June 10 from noon to 5 p.m. on Bridge Street in Phoenixville. The event is free and open to the public.

The first ever Pride Family Picnic will be held in Souderton on Sunday, June 11, at 2 p.m. The gathering is open to all ages and is hosted by Souderton for All, The Welcome Project PA, and Zwingli UCC.

Lansdale Pride Walk & Pride in the Park, organized by the Montgomery County LGBT Business Council, will be held on Sunday, June 11, from noon to 4 p.m. Walk in community and gather at Memorial Park Lansdale to celebrate Pride month and support local LGBT businesses.

The Bucks-Mont Pride Festival, hosted by The Welcome Project PA and Sexuality and Gender Acceptance (SAGA), will be held on Sunday, June 25, from noon to 5 p.m. Live music, food, community resources, activities, and more will be offered at the festival held in the Abington Art Center. Lastly,

For more information, contact Yamilet Reyes, Program Coordinator of Equity, Diversity, and Belonging.

This story was updated 6/12/2023.