Billy Porter Shares First Pride March Experience, Reveals 'Defining Moment' At 19
Billy Porter recalled his first Pride March experience from 35 years ago in a recent interview.
In an exclusive chat with Us Weekly at iHeartRadio's Can't Cancel Pride event, the 54-year-old multi-awarded actor and singer shared that he first celebrated Pride when he was 19.
"The first time that [Pride] was remotely a thing in my mind, I was probably 19. I was brought to my first Pride March around 1989. I didn't know who I would be walking with. And I ended up walking with ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power)," he recalled.
"I was late, and a friend of mine pulled me into [the parade]. He's like, 'You're late,' and I didn't know how to get there. There was no GPS. He pulled me in and put a T-shirt on me that said, 'Silence = Death.'"
"I was sort of swooped up in it before I knew. That was a really defining moment for me," he added.
The "Silent = Death" poster was created by artist Avram Finkelstein and the Silence = Death Collective in 1986, according to W Magazine. It was designed "as an urgent response to the AIDS epidemic" at the time since the issue lacked public discourse around it.
Finkelstein reportedly suggested they make a poster to ignite conversations and raise awareness.
Since Porter's first Pride March experience, he has campaigned for gender equality and other LGBTQ+ causes and organizations, especially since he, too, was diagnosed with AIDS.
This year, he will be hosting P&G and iHeartMedia's Fifth Annual Can't Cancel Pride event that "will celebrate the profound impact of music, a unifying force that can drive society toward more equality and acceptance for all" and recognize "the impact both music and LGBTQ+ organizations have on the community."
The event will take place next Wednesday, June 12, at 8 p.m. ET, at the iHeartRadio Theater in Los Angeles and streamed on iHeartRadio's YouTube and Facebook pages, Hulu, Revry and The Advocate Channel.
Joining Billy at the event are Allison Russell, Ben Platt, David Archuleta, Meghan Trainor, Melissa Etheridge, Orville Peck, RAYE and Victoria Monét, among many others.
