BETHLEHEM, Pa. — More than 50 people gathered Friday morning at Payrow Plaza to celebrate National Coming Out Day with chalk, music and messages of resilience during the “We Will Not Be Erased” rally — a nationwide day of action organized by For Our Future PA and partner organizations.
Participants chalked rainbow crosswalks and sidewalks outside Bethlehem City Hall and the Bethlehem Area Public Library, joining communities across the country in a show of solidarity with LGBTQ+ people and in response to recent efforts to remove Pride symbols from public spaces.
“When our symbols of pride are erased, we will create them again. When our voices are silenced, we will speak louder together,” said Francisca Sepulveda, regional organizing director of For Our Future PA. “National Coming Out Day is about celebrating who we are, and this action makes that visibility undeniable.”
The movement began after the removal of rainbow crosswalks in Orlando and other cities, including one that memorialized the 49 people killed in the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting. Organizers said the chalking event was about more than restoring color — it was about visibility, unity and standing up against the erasure of LGBTQ+ identities.
The two-hour event featured speeches from community leaders, including Rev. Elizabeth Goudy of the Metropolitan Community Church of the Lehigh Valley, Allentown City Council member Ce-Ce Gerlach, Eastern PA Trans Equity Project Executive Director Corinne Goodwin and Robin Gow of Queer and Trans Lehigh Valley.
“Mutual aid strengthens our community,” Sepulveda said. “It’s critically important to support each other, especially during these difficult times.”
Attendees Julie and Spencer said they came to show support for visibility and community.
“Coming Out Day is a fantastic day for visibility and being with our community, spreading positivity and reminding certain powers that be just how present we are,” Julie said.
Julie added that the event was also about pushing back against restrictions on self-expression.
“We talk about freedom in this country — that’s supposed to be what America stands for,” she said. “Yet there are so many people trying to force others into a box, tell them who they’re supposed to love, what they’re supposed to wear. That is not freedom. If people really believe in the value of freedom, then they should let people live the way they want to live. Nobody’s being harmed by this.”
Julie said that rising hostility toward trans people and other marginalized groups makes public visibility even more crucial.
“This is about joy being resistance,” she said. “People are going to keep living their lives, and that should be celebrated.”
Spencer echoed those sentiments.
“America was founded on the idea that you should be able to be who you want to be so long as it doesn’t interfere with anyone else,” he said. “I want to support that.”
The event filled Payrow Plaza with chalk art, bubbles and handmade signs bearing affirmations and calls for equality. Attendees shared photos and videos using the hashtags #WeWillNotBeErased and #ChalkTheRainbow to connect with similar actions nationwide.
Partner organizations included Queer and Trans Lehigh Valley, PA-7 United, Penn Policy Center, The Working Families Party, Indivisible Lehigh Valley Bethlehem and Lehigh Valley Stands Up.
