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58 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • JUNE 1, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM buzz The 25th annual Queens Pride Parade will feature ’80s group Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam BY ANGELA MATUA amatua@qns.com / @Angela Matua Queens Pride will celebrate the 25th anniversary of its parade and march on June 4 with a performance by Lisa Lisa of ’80s pop group Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam. Th e event will kick off at 37th Avenue and 89th Street in Jackson Heights with a march at noon. Participants will head over to 75th Street and 37th Road where they will fi nd several stages for performances, food vendors and booths highlighting local businesses and organizations. Th e grand marshals for this year’s event include Bianey Garcia, a trans activist for Make the Road New York, New York State Comptroller Th omas P. DiNapoli and representatives from Sheltering Arms, a 186-year-old nonprofi t dedicated to “breaking the cycle of abuse, neglect and poverty for all New Yorkers.” “We are proud and grateful for the opportunity to support Queens Pride as grand marshal,” said Elizabeth McCarthy, CEO of Sheltering Arms. “We look forward to celebrating programs and possibilities with children and families at this year’s parade.” Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam consists of Lisa Velez, Alex Moseley and Mike Hughes. Th e group had several hits including “I Wonder If I Take You Home” and “Can You Feel the Beat” which was sampled in Nina Sky’s popular 2004 hit “Move Ya Body.” Th ey were one of the fi rst freestyle groups in the 1980s and some of the fi rst musicians to play what later became known as hip-hop and R&B. Th eir songs peaked on both pop and R&B charts and are still played in clubs. To march in the parade, attendees must register by May 15 at the Queens Pride website. Marchers will be eligible to win one of six Queenie Awards. Th e categories include “Th e Drag Race,” “Th e Rainbow Award” which will be awarded to the group with the best use of color; “Th e Screaming Queens Award,” which will be given to the group with the best sound whether that’s chanting, singing, using a band or something pre-recorded; “Th e Screaming Th eme Award” will be given to the group who best represents the theme, which has not been announced yet; “Th e Toast of Queens Award” will be given to the bar, club or business with the best representation and “Th e Simply the Best Award.” Th e Queens Lesbian and Gay Pride Committee Inc. was founded in 1992 by Councilman Daniel Dromm aft er the murder of Julio Rivera, a gay man, in Jackson Heights. Th e fi rst Queens Pride march was held in 1993 and now, the event attracts more than 40,000 people and is the second largest Pride celebration in New York City. Th e group also hosts programming to advocate for LGBT issues and organizes a Winter Pride Dinner Dance. Photo courtesy of Corbis Images Lisa Lisa will perform at the 25th annual Queens Pride Parade in Jackson Heights. Queens residents can celebrate their love at 5 pride events happening this month BY EMILY DAVENPORT edavenport@qns.com / @QNS Th is weekend, Queens Pride will be celebrating 25 years with a parade and festival in Jackson Heights that will be featuring a performance by Lisa Lisa of 80s pop group Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam. Of course, the pride doesn’t end when the parade is over and the last marcher fi nishes down the Lavender Line. Here are a few pride events that are happening in Queens that you should check out. LGBTQ Voices – Saturday, June 3, 5 p.m. 78th Street Plaza, Jackson Heights Before the pride parade on June 4, Flushing Town Hall is kicking off Pride Month with a night of established and up-and-coming performing artists who identify as LGBTQ. Many diff erent artists will be at the event, ranging from musicians, dancers, and performance artists, with confi rmed performances by Ramona Montanez, SALGA Dance Company, Keith Fluitt and more, with Timothy Bellavia as the event’s MC. Th is is event is free. LasReinas Official Queens Pride Aft erParty – Sunday, June 4, 4 p.m. to 12 a.m. Kabu Nightclub, 85-09 Northern Blvd., Jackson Heights When the festival and parade are done for the day, the party doesn’t have to end. Head over to Kabu Nightclub for an unforgettable party. From 4 to 6 p.m. they will have a happy hour with $20 beer buckets, house liquor for $7 and Fireball shots for $7. Dance the night away with a special performance from Soliris and DJ Anarki. Be sure to bring your ID – you must be 21 or older for this event. Tickets are for sale for $10. Neon Pride – Th ursday, June 15, 8:30 p.m. to 12 a.m. Trans-Pecos, 915 Wyckoff Ave., Ridgewood Who wouldn’t want to dance in neon lights? Th is event was made so you can truly be yourself and defy self-expression beyond man-made categories. Let yourself be free and dance the night away. Th ere is a $15 cover charge that will go to support the LGBT community. Pride Night – Saturday, June 17, 4:10 p.m. Citi Field, 123-01 Roosevelt Ave., Flushing Meadows–Corona Park Strike out bullying with the New York Mets during Pride Night! Before the Mets take on the Washington Nationals, come by the stadium for pre-game programming on Mets Plaza. Tickets are available starting at $25 and a portion of each ticket that is sold will support the LGBT Network and its Safe Schools Initiative to stop bullying in Long Island and Queens. Visit http://m.mlb.com/ mets/tickets/info/lgbt-night for tickets. Historic Pop-Up Exhibit and Screening of “Julio of Jackson Heights” – Sunday, June 18, 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Queens Museum, New York City Building, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Corona Celebrate the 25th anniversary of Queens Pride at this one day pop up exhibit at the Queens Museum. Th e exhibit will feature artifacts from the parade over the years as well as a documentation of the history of the parade’s growth. Following an opening reception, there will be a screening of “Julio of Jackson Heights” (directed by Richard Shpuntoff ) with a panel discussion to follow. For more information, contact info@queenspride.org. Photo: Shutterstock


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