Wolf pays a visit to Philly PrideDay

FOR MARK BARBEE, a freshman borough councilman in Bridgeport, Montgomery County, seeing gubernatorial candidate Tom Wolf and state Rep. Brian Sims at yesterday's Philadelphia PrideDay meant more than just meeting two fellow politicians.

"To be an openly gay official and see them [attend the event] means a lot," Barbee, 24, said after taking photos with fellow Democrats Wolf and Sims.

Sims, the first openly gay elected state representative, who represents parts of Center City and South Philly, had invited Wolf to yesterday's event. Sims said on his website that he wanted Wolf, whose campaign promises have been based on "fairness and equality," to meet LGBT voters.

Rainbow boas, tutus and drag queens dressed to the nines packed Penn's Landing for the annual parade and festival.

Chris Edwards, 42, of Philadelphia, was among several attendees who approached Wolf to pledge support.

"I liked his campaign he had for the primary," Edwards said, after telling Wolf that he recently registered to vote so he could vote for him.

During the hourlong visit to the PrideDay festival - Wolf's first time at the event - he stopped to chat with members of organizations including the Anti-Defamation League, ActionAIDS and Equality Pennsylvania.

He posed for a snapshot with a jeweled-pink-bikini-wearing Janice Rael, founder of Delaware Valley Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

At the end of his whirlwind visit, Wolf said the support he felt from people he met during PrideDay was nothing new as he seeks to unseat Gov. Corbett.

"I'm sensing this all over Pennsylvania," Wolf said. "Every place, people are looking for a change. They like the idea of fairness. They like the idea of a better Pennsylvania for everybody."