PRIDE
Brooklyn, Queens Pride Announce Virtual Events
Performances, videos, live content, and a 5k run on tap for annual celebrations
BY MATT TRACY
The 28th annual Queens
Pride March and Festival
— generally thought
of as the fi rst major
event of Pride Month in New York
City — will again set the tone for
the LGBTQ community in 2020,
this year under unprecedented circumstances.
Queens Pride festivities will
be held virtually on June 7 and
a week of virtual Brooklyn Pride
events will kick off two days later.
Organizers were forced to change
course after original plans for the
annual events had to be scrapped
due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In social media posts announcing
the changes, Queens Pride organizers
stated that the event will
begin at noon and feature online
entertainment, though details are
still being fi nalized.
“Get ready to watch the ‘parade’
of content on our social media,”
stated a post by Queens Pride’s
Twitter account. “We’re planning
performances, videos, and a fun
mix of live and recorded content
for parade day. Guaranteed to
One year after a huge event for Stonewall 50, Queens Pride will be celebrated in virtual fashion.
make you feel like you’re celebrating
pride from the comfort of your
homes!!”
A graphic posted by Queens
Pride states, “Save the date…
Queens Pride goes virtual” and
“Stay tuned for more info!”
Over in Brooklyn, an announcement
posted on Brooklyn Pride’s
Instagram page stated, “Even
though this year’s theme is ‘Brooklyn
Pride: From Bridges to Beaches,
DONNA ACETO
all events will be virtual with
four currently in planning.”
The Brooklyn events include
“Dine with Pride: Home Edition,”
set for June 9, which encourages
individuals to support local neighborhood
restaurants by ordering
takeout or home delivery before
joining a virtual event featuring
“interesting conversation and entertainment.”
June 11 will feature
“Bed Blanket Bingo” during which
individuals are encouraged to
wear pajamas, a blanket, or a robe
and participate for the chance to
win prizes. The main Pride event
on June 13 will feature a virtual
5k race, for which participants will
be mailed a bib, shirt, and medal.
Within a week of June 13, the 5K
participants can complete a run/
walk and email proof of their time
and a photo and their results will
be posted. Further details on that
are not yet available.
Queens Pride and Brooklyn
Pride are one of many events that
have been impacted in the wake of
Mayor Bill de Blasio’s April 20 announcement
that all non-essential
permitted gatherings in June would
be canceled due to COVID-19.
Virtual Bronx Pride festivities
will include the annual Pride
Flag-raising ceremony at Bronx
Borough Hall, book readings, and
digital dance parties, while Brighton
Beach Pride and Harlem Pride
events were canceled without any
virtual plans, though Harlem Pride
organizers said in an April 20 Facebook
post that they “hope to be
able to hold some sort of event to
bring the community together once
this is all over.”
COMMUNITY
LGBTQ Cops, Firefi ghters Help GMHC Meals Push
GOAL, FireFLAG/ EMS help bag, deliver 14-day packages for homebound clients
BY PAUL SCHINDLER
When the coronavirus
crisis in New
York forced GMHC
to shutter its weekday
meals program as well as its
food pantry, the agency shifted to
a labor-intensive approach it has
dubbed “GMHC on the Go,” which
involves bagging up hundreds of
packages that include 14 meals
to be delivered directly to clients’
homes.
This week, that effort, which relies
on agency staff and volunteers,
got a boost from dozens of members
of the Gay Offi cers Action
League (GOAL) and FireFLAG/
EMS, which represents LGBTQ
fi refi ghters and emergency medical
technicians — as well as staff
from Boxers NYC.
On May 6, the crew — with face
masks and socially distanced —
bagged the meals packages, and
they are delivering them across the
city on May 7 and 8. DONNA ACETO
GOAL, FireFLAG/ EMS, and Boxers NYC volunteers helped out with the GMHC on the Go meals effort
this week. ➤ GOAL & GMHC, continued on p.17
May 21 - June 05, 2 16 020 | GayCityNews.com
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