06/12/2026
This evening, the Pride flag was raised in West Reading. A flag going up in a public space is a community saying: you are seen here, you are welcome here, and you belong here. In a time when that message is being contested in so many corners of this country, choosing to raise that flag is an act of courage and of love.
Reading Pride Celebration and the LGBT Center of Greater Reading believe that we are stronger when we work together, and today is proof of that. We are proud to stand side by side, not just for an event, but in an ongoing commitment to the people of this community. We are leading by example, and we hope others will join us in doing the same. Because this isn't just about our two organizations. It is about every LGBTQ+ person in Berks County who needs to know they have a community behind them. It is about the parents and siblings who love someone who identifies as LGBTQ+. It is about the friends and allies who show up without being asked. It is about all of us, together. The collaboration between our organizations didn't start today, and it won't stop here. We have worked side by side, and we will continue to do so, because that's what this moment calls for, and because it is simply the right thing to do. Our community is not served by division. It is served by showing up, linking arms, and refusing to let anyone stand alone.
To everyone who came out today, thank you. To the Borough of West Reading, thank you. That flag is flying because of all of you!
Laura Biancone, MSW, Executive Director of the LGBT Center of Greater Reading
Sean Flannery, Board President of Reading Pride Celebration
