Promoting Prode

PROMOTING PRIDE

in the Collingswood Community

Diversity, education and inclusion are at the heart of Collingwood’s Pride celebrations. Familyfriendly events featuring music, food, activities and entertainment will take place in June, focusing on raising awareness and acceptance, and fostering a safe and inclusive environment for the LGBTQ+ community. For the second year in a row, the Collingswood Public Library and the Borough of Collingswood will present Drag Queen Story Time on the lawn of the Scottish Rite Auditorium on June 20th at 5:30 p.m., hosted by Brittany Lynn of the Drag Queen Mafia. Ian Morrison, who has been performing as Brittany

Lynn since 1996, has long been an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and has been recognized by numerous organizations for his efforts in educating and bringing awareness to mainstream communities in regard to alternative lifestyles. He has been hosting Drag

Queen Story Times since 2015. “At its heart, Drag Queen Story Time is a literacy program,” says Morrison who, in addition to his performances as

Brittany Lynn, serves as a public relations and marketing representative for various charities. “The main goal is to get kids interested in books and reading. The program also helps to bring visibility to the LGBTQ+ community. When we do these programs, there are a lot of non-binary and questioning youth, as well as their parents, who come up to us afterwards with questions or looking for resources. There may be kids in the audience who see themselves reflected in what I’m doing, and it gives them some hope and knowledge that there are other people out there like them.”

Morrison presents his Drag Queen Story Time program at numerous libraries, museums and other cultural centers throughout Philadelphia, Atlantic City and the surrounding areas. He reads stories focusing on self-love, acceptance and appreciation of others, with the goal of entertaining children while inspiring a love of reading. He recently added puppets to his show who ask questions that parents or kids may want to ask, but are afraid to speak up about.

“People may have a hard time starting a conversation about these issues,” he says. “I wanted to be able to provide resources for parents looking for more information and teach kids that being different is okay. The program is designed to stretch kids’ imaginations and normalize the fact that others may be different, but that’s what makes them special. I feel like this program has so much potential to help young people in these situations. If there was a program like this when I was a kid it would have made such a big difference and had an impact on me personally. I don’t think I would have felt so alone.” Morrison began working with the LGBTQ+ community while he was a student attending Temple University, majoring in Journalism, PR and Advertising. He was approached by the editor of the Philadelphia Gay News to review a copy of a book called “Coming Out.” That book review led to an internship with the newspaper, which eventually led to a job as an editorial assistant after college. His role at PGN led to a number of connections and opportunities in the gay community in the Philadelphia area which, along with his acting and drag performances, eventually led to his philanthropic efforts. “I eventually got to a point where I felt there were things I could do for the community and use my different platforms to help other charitable and non-profit organizations. I really wanted to give back to the community that had supported me for all of

these years, so I started using my drag to go to charity events and raise money for underfunded places, such as schools and libraries.” In 2015 Morrison was presented with a Community Hero Award from the Delaware Valley Legacy Fund, which supports nonprofit organizations in the Greater turing music, food, Philadelphia LGBTQ+ community, and honactivities and enter- ors individuals whose work and leadership tainment will take advance the rights of that community. place in June, focus- “I’m proud to be able to give back to ing on raising aware- the community that has always supported me, and I feel like every time I do a story time or public event it helps bring visibility and awareness to let people know there are other cultures and lifestyles out there,” says Morrison. “It’s important for others in the LGBTQ+ community to know that you can be accepted and live your life however you choose to live it.” Morrison will also serve as host of Collingswood Pride Council’s first Pride Pop-up event on June 11th, from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the corner of Haddon Avenue and Irvin Avenue, which will feature a live DJ, drag queens and burlesque dancers, vocal performances, face painting, a photo booth, food and beverages, and health screenings by Jefferson Health and Cooper Hospital. ■

PHOTOS BY JAMIE GIAMBRONE Ian Morrison packs up Brittany Lynn’s outfi ts for a performance.