Philadelphia Celebrates Pride Month with Record for the “Largest Attendance at Drag Queen Story Time”

Philadelphia, the birthplace of America, today secured a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for the “largest attendance at a drag queen story time reading.” To kick off Pride Month, the Philadelphia Gay News hosted the event, sponsored by Visit Philadelphia®, which brought together famed Philadelphia drag performers to read children’s stories to a record-setting audience of 263 people. Taking place at the National Constitution Center, the country’s leading place for constitutional education and debate, this achievement strengthens and reinforces Philadelphia’s reputation as a welcoming destination for all.

Brittany Lynn, drag performer, LGBTQIA+ activist, literacy advocate and head of the award-winning Philly Drag Mafia, served as emcee for the event, featuring the following books and performers:

• Hello, Philadelphia!, written and illustrated by Martha Day Zschock and read by Brittany Lynn  

Publisher: Arcadia Publishing

• ’Twas the Night Before Pride, written by Joanna McClintick, illustrated by Juana Medina and read by Aurora 

Publisher: Candlewick

• Elmer, written and illustrated by David Mckee and read by Icon Ebony Fierce 

Publisher: HarperCollins

• The Family Book, written and illustrated by Todd Parr and read by Athena Chanteuse 

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

• Kevin the Unicorn: It’s Not All Rainbows, written and illustrated by Jessika von Innerebner and read by Morgan Wells

Publisher: Dial Books

“Philadelphia is where our country was founded, where the Declaration of Independence was debated and signed and where some of the most significant LGBTQIA+ moments in U.S. history took place,” said Mark Segal, publisher of Philadelphia Gay News. “Creating history-making moments like we’ve done today, hosted on land synonymous with our country’s fight for fundamental rights and freedom, serves as a powerful reminder of the resiliency, talent and culture that make up the fabric of our great American city.”

“To start Pride Month with the world’s largest drag story time in Philadelphia is extraordinarily fitting for the birthplace of freedom and modern democracy,” said Neil Frauenglass, chief marketing officer at Visit Philadelphia. “Last summer, Visit Philadelphia hosted a small drag story time in front of Independence Hall that we filmed and used as part of a national TV spot, so it was only fitting for us to support a bigger, bolder, record-setting version this year. The event aligned perfectly with our In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union series that highlights Philadelphia as an inclusive and welcoming place for all – and that’s exactly what Philadelphia Gay News demonstrated for the world today.”

For more details on how visitors can celebrate Pride Month in Philadelphia all month long, visit here.