Pride
Plenty of Pride to march through
Manhattan this weekend
BY TAT BELLAMY-WALKER
Heritage of Pride (HOP),
the Reclaim Pride Coalition,
and the NYC Dyke
March all have weekend events
planned to mark the end of Pride
month.
Before the weekend heats up,
a virtual edition of the Pride
Rally will take place at 6 p.m. on
June 25 on HOP’s Facebook and
YouTube channels. The event is
free and will be hosted by Hope
Giselle and Brandon Wolf.
On June 26, the NYC Dyke
March is returning for their annual
march that will kick off at 5
p.m. at Bryant Park on the southwest
corner of 42nd Street and
Fifth Avenue. The march, which
will be under the theme “Black
Dyke Power,” will travel south
along Fifth Avenue and conclude
at Washington Square Park.
“In the fi ght for Queer and
Trans liberation, the contributions
of people of color have
been systematically minimized
and ignored,” the organizers
wrote in a press release. “Since
the inception of the Dyke March,
dykes of color, especially Black
dykes, have played an essential
role in organizing. The hard work
and dedication that dykes of color
have contributed every year to
ensure that thousands of dykes
can express their First Amendment
right to protest should be
acknowledged and celebrated.”
While theReclaim Pride Coalition’s
Queer Liberation Marchis
the main in-person demonstration
planned on June 27, HOP
— which usually draws millions
of people in normal years —
has received a permit to host a
500-person march that will commence
at noon, a spokesperson
said, but HOP is not unveiling
details about the location of the
march.
This in-person demonstration,
which will be aired on ABC-7
from noon to 3 p.m., will remain
as a smaller event than usual and
Heritage of Pride (HOP) is leading a 500-person march over the weekend.
will feature extra safety precautions,
including social distancing
and mask requirements.
Hand sanitizer stations will be
sprinkled throughout the demonstration.
HOP’s in-person march
comes a month afterorganizers
announced a controversial ban
on in-uniform police contingents
from Pride. NYPD offi cers will
still be on hand to police the
event.
Those who plan to join in the
Queer Liberation March will
gather at Bryant Park at 2:30
p.m. and step off at 3 p.m. From
Bryant Park, the march will head
west on 41st Street and turn south
on Seventh Avenue before shifting
east at Sheridan Square. The
march will conclude with a rally
at Washington Square Park.
The Queer Liberation March
and the Dyke March are held
without permits and do not have
corporate sponsors. Organizers
of the Queer Liberation March,
which started in 2019 and formed
in response to the corporate and
police presence at HOP’s annual
march, have warned police
against appearing at their events.
“Do not come near the Queer
Liberation March this year,” Jay
W. Walker, an organizer from the
Reclaim Pride Coalition, said to
a crowd at Christopher Park on
June 3. “You do not keep us safe.
You cause violence every time you
show up.”
Among HOP’s other events
include PrideFest, an annual
LGBTQ street fair on June 27
from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on
Fourth Avenue between 13th
and Ninth Street in Greenwich
Village. Several organizations
and queer-owned businesses will
be showcased and there will be
a food fest and COVID-19 vaccination
sites. Plus, DJs Coco
and Breezy, Papi Juice, and artist
Stass THEE Boss are performing
sets during the event. Attendees
can also view LGBTQ vendors
virtually through the online
Marketfest.
After the ABC-7 broadcast
there will be a virtual program
featuring the fi ve grand marshals
streaming on HOP’s Facebook
and YouTube beginning at 3 p.m.
Grand marshals include “Star
Trek: Discovery” and “Noah’s
Arc” actor Wilson Cruz; Ceyenne
Doroshow, a performer and
founder of GLITS, an LGBTQ
grassroots organization; Menaka
Guruswamy, a senior advocate
at the Supreme Court of India;
lawyer Arundhati Katju; Demetre
Daskalakis, who is the director of
the Center for Disease Control’s
Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention
and previously worked in the New
York City Health Department;
and Aaron Rose Philip, a model
who has snagged major fashion
campaigns in Moschino, Sephora,
Marc Jacobs, and Calvin Klein.
“This year’s grand marshals are
the embodiment of the theme for
NYC Pride 2021, ‘The Fight Continues,’”
Bansri Manek, director
of the Heritage of Pride March,
said in a written statement. “Their
dedication to the continued
fi ght has created a better future
for individuals throughout the
LGBTQIA+ community, and
the bold courage they’ve demonstrated
sends a clear message to
the leaders of future generations
about the importance of fi ghting
for what you believe in.”
That evening, organizers are
launching a watch party at Pride
Island, whereattendees can book
a spot at the Greensfor a socially
distanced gathering at Pier 17.
During the event, guests can
catch performances from drag
queen Nicky Doll and DJ Joe
Gauthreaux.
Schneps Media June 24, 2021 17