PRIDE
Rainbow Flag Goes Up at Queens Borough Hall
Queens Pride, Cheer New York join for in-person event to celebrate Pride
BY TAT BELLAMY-WALKER
In collaboration with Queens
Pride, the offi ce of Queens
Borough President Donovan
Richards raised the Progress
Pride Flag in front of Queens
Borough Hall on June 15 to commemorate
of Pride Month.
“The Progress #Pride Flag represents
true inclusion and visibility,
values we hold dear in #Queens,”
Richards tweeted. “That’s why
we’re proud to fl y this fl ag for the
fi rst time in front of Queens Borough
Hall for all to see. To our
trans and LGBTQIA+” communities
of color, we see you.”
Cheer New York, a volunteer LGBTQ
and ally cheer squad, waved
silver pom-poms in the air.
The fl ag-raising event was held inperson
one year after Queens Pride
went virtual due to COVID-19.
The pandemic continued to
The volunteer LGBTQ and ally cheer squad Cheer New York helped celebrate the Pride Flag-raising in
front of Queens Borough Hall.
impact Queens Pride this year
by preventing the annual march
from taking place in June, but
events will instead be sprinkled in
throughout the summer with an
LGBTQ roundtable in June, a documentary
screening about the history
of Queens Pride in July, and
an in-person march in August.
Zachariah Boyer, the co-chair of
TWITTER/DONOVAN RICHARDS
Queens Pride, said vaccination efforts
helped make the fl ag-raising possible.
“Last year, COVID-19 made it
both impossible and unsafe for us
to gather as we normally would for
our march and celebrations,” Boyer
said in a written statement. “But,
because of tireless vaccination efforts,
we’re able to hold our Pride
Flag raising and provide a moment
for us to gather together in community,
celebrate our successes, and
prepare for the fi ghts ahead.”
Boyer added, “We know our forward
march towards Queer liberation
and LGBTQIA+ equality isn’t limited
to one month or event per year. However,
we do hope that the fl ag-raising
acts as a springboard to welcoming
back in-person gatherings.”
At a virtual Pride event, Richards
emphasized trans representation.
“We are seeing the stories of
trans people of color being told on
primetime TV, we also saw a march
this weekend — that’s right, Black
trans lives matter — never shy
about saying that,” Richards said,
Other boroughs have also raised
fl ags, including in Brooklyn, where
Borough President Eric Adams
raised the Progress Pride Flag
at Brooklyn Borough Hall this
month.
COVID-19 VACCINES
health,
for OUR
FAMILY
and
COMMUNITY!
!
VISIT nyc.gov/vaccinefinder OR CALL 877-829-4692
to get your COVID-19 vaccine.
Bill de Blasio
Mayor
Dave A. Chokshi, MD, MSc
"#$$
%%
!
Health Commissioner
June 24 - June 30, 2 22 021 | GayCityNews.com
/vaccinefinder
/GayCityNews.com
