Philadelphia officials cut the ribbon on a brand new facility dedicated to local LGBTQ+ businesses, cultural connections and more. On Wednesday, the Philadelphia Visitor Center and Visit Philadelphia, in partnership with Visit PA and the Philadelphia Gay News, hosted a grand opening for the Phill y Pride Visitor Center. The center opened at the corner of 12th Locust, right in the heart of the city’s Gayborhood. “It has something for everyone, and most importantly, we wanna make sure everyone who comes to Philly feels like they belong here,” said President and CEO of the Philadelphia Visitor Center Corporation Kathryn Ott. Tourism leaders strategically opened the Philly Pride Visitor Center ahead of what’s shaping up to be a record-breaking tourism year. Officials said LGBTQ+ travelers contribute around $65 billion in travel spending nationwide every year. By making people feel safe and supported, they hope more of those dollars are spent in Philadelphia. Lifestyle and tourism creator Ciara Strickland tells NBC10 that safety is key when she plans trips. “It’s one of those things where it’s like, am I welcome as a Black gay woman? As a veteran? I wanna make sure I’m safe as well as my fiancé,” said Strickland. On top of highlighting LGBTQ+ owned or allied businesses, queer-friendly cities, and selling community-made merch, the center also calls attention to Philadelphia’s key role in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights. Philadelphia Gay News, one of the nation’s oldest weekly running LGBTQ+ publications, also celebrated 50 years on Wednesday. Publisher and LGBTQ+civil rights trailblazer Mark Segal, who was in attendance at the grand opening, said remembering that history is crucial. “People are trying to erase our history, so in the old days, when I was 18 years old, we used to say a very key line, which was we are out loud and proud and are not disappearing,” said Segal. Also in attendance was Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. “As we go forward and what’s going to be a great year for this Commonwealth, celebrating the greatness of this nation, we do so in a way that involves everyone at every level, will bring people together,” said Shapiro. ...read more read less