PRIDE
Marches Slated for Final Weekend of Pride Month
Heritage of Pride, Reclaim Pride, and Dyke March events on deck
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 You-
Tube 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 the Reclaim Pride Coalition’s
Queer Liberation March is
the main in-person demonstration
planned on June 27, HOP — which
usually draws millions of people
in normal years — will air a virtual
march on ABC-7 from noon
to 3 p.m. 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
Heritage of Pride (HOP) is leading a 500-person march over the weekend.
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 six 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
REUTERS/JEENAH MOON
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, where attendees can book a
spot at the Greens for a socially distanced
gathering at Pier 17. During
the event, guests can catch performances
from drag queen Nicky
Doll and DJ Joe Gauthreaux.
June 24 - June 30, 2 10 021 | GayCityNews.com
/GayCityNews.com