Queens Pride welcomes our friends, families, and neighbors to celebrate the 21st Queens Pride Parade and Multicultural Festival on Sunday, June 2 with a host of activities to promote pride among and for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer/Questioning (LGBTQ) community of Queens and beyond. Again this year, banners announce the 37th Avenue route of the Parade and Festival.
“Our theme, ‘Equality. Everyday. Everyone.’ acknowledges the extremely important decisions before the Supreme Court on marriage equality and the hard work that our New York legislature must do to provide full equality to transgender peoples,” said Chris Calvert, Co-chair of Queens Pride.
This year, the parade will honor PRYDE/Make the Road NY as a Grand Marshal. PRYDE, the LGBTQ Justice Project of Make the Road NY, works to empower LGBTQ communities of Brooklyn and Queens through organizing and education. Its membership is intergenerational, ranging from ages 14 to 50+. It is one of the few New York City groups founded, led and constituted by low-income LGBTQ people of color organizing around public policy issues that have impacts at the citywide, state and national levels.
The Parade will kick-off at 12PM at 85th Street and 37th Avenue, ending at 75th Street. Marcus Woolen and Candy Samples will again host a reviewing stand in front of the Jackson Heights Post Office, which is where the Queenie Awards are judged. The awards honor the ingenuity and enthusiasm of groups in their demonstration of LGBTQ pride and the theme of this year’s event.
The Festival begins at 12PM with nearly 100 vendors along 37th Road and 75th Street. Two stages will feature entertainment throughout the day. The festival will cap off with a performance by George LaMond. When you hear the name George LaMond, you think of songs like “Bad of the Heart,” ”Don’t Stop Believen,” and “Si Tu Te Vas.” A Bronx native, LaMond’s musical career began in the 6th grade, where he and school mates discovered he can sing. LaMond’s career spans more than two decades, and he has received nominations for several distinctive awards, including “Best male Pop Vocalist” in 1992 and Best Male R & B Vocalist by the New York Music awards. He was also presented a gold record for the album “Entrega,” He was winner in the 2000 New York Ace Awards for Best New Vocalist, the 1991 Winter Music Conference Award for Best Freestyle Singer, and a 1991 Best Desi Arnez Vanguard Award. He recently received a Lifetime Achievement Award from New York’s WKTU. Hank Krumholz, Co-Chair of Queens Pride says, “We think Mr. LaMond will really get our crowd energized!”
World Liberty TV was on hand and interviewed Daniel Dromm, the Founder of Queens Pride and also the council member for the same district. We asked him about the hate crimes against the LGBTQ Community, which are happening more than ever before. See what Mr. Dromm had to say about this topic and what is being done to prevent such crimes.
Pride Parade and Multicultural Festival on Sunday, June 2 with a host of activities to promote pride among and for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer/Questioning (LGBTQ) community of Queens and beyond. Again this year, banners announced the 37th Avenue route of the Parade and Festival.
“Our theme, ‘Equality. Everyday. Everyone.’ acknowledges the extremely important decisions before the Supreme Court on marriage equality and the hard work that our New York legislature must do to provide full equality to transgender peoples,” said Chris Calvert, co-chair of Queens Pride.
This year, the parade honored PRYDE/Make the Road NY as a Grand Marshal. PRYDE, the LGBTQ Justice Project of Make the Road NY, works to empower LGBTQ communities of Brooklyn and Queens through organizing and education. Its membership is intergenerational, ranging from ages 14 to 50+. It is one of the few New York City groups founded, led, and constituted by low-income LGBTQ people of color organizing around public policy issues that have impacts at the citywide, state, and national levels.
The Parade kicked-off at 12 p.m. at 85th Street and 37th Avenue, ending on 75th Street. Marcus Woolen and Candy Samples once again hosted a reviewing stand in front of the Jackson Heights Post Office, where the Queenie Awards are judged. The awards honor the ingenuity and enthusiasm of groups in their demonstration of LGBTQ pride and is the theme of this year’s event.
The Festival began with nearly 100 vendors along 37th Road and 75th Street. Two stages featured entertainment throughout the day. The festival capped off with a performance by George LaMond, famous for songs such as “Bad of the Heart,” ”Don’t Stop Believin’,” and “Si Tu Te Vas.” A Bronx native, LaMond’s musical career began in the 6th grade, where he and school mates discovered he can sing.
LaMond’s career spans more than two decades where he has received nominations for several distinctive awards, including “Best Male Pop Vocalist” in 1992 and Best Male R&B Vocalist by the New York Music awards. He was also presented a gold record for the album “Entrega,” He was the winner in the 2000 New York Ace Awards for Best New Vocalist, the 1991 Winter Music Conference Award for Best Freestyle Singer, and a 1991 Best Desi Arnez Vanguard Award. He recently received a Lifetime Achievement Award from New York’s WKTU. Hank Krumholz, co-chair of Queens Pride says, “We think Mr. LaMond will really get our crowd energized!”
World Liberty TV interviewed Daniel Dromm, the Founder of Queens Pride and also the council member for the same district. We asked him about the hate crimes against the LGBTQ Community, which are happening more than ever before. See what Mr. Dromm had to say about this topic and what is being done to prevent such crimes.
video4 mins goes under cultural section.
BIO: Mayor Michael Bloomberg had his Interfaith Breakfast at The New York Public Library. Close to 400 hundred religious leaders from all faiths were in attendance. The following Faith leaders did an Invocation in their own faiths: Monsignor John J.Brown from St. Francis De Sales Parish Belle Harbor, Queens; Imam Khalil Abdur –Rashid, Iqra Masjid Midwood, Brooklyn; Pastor Timothy McIntyre from the Oasis Christian Center, Midland Beach, Staten Island; Rabbi Majorie Slome, West End Temple Neponsit, Queens; Rev T. Kenjitsu Nakagaki, Buddist Council of NY, Manhattan; Rev. Deborah Chadwick-Muniz, Iglesia Jerusalem, Morrsania Bronx; Priest Giani Bhupinde Singh, The Sikh Cultural Society, Richmond Hill Queens.
Musical performance was by The Perley Childrens Choir.
Mayor Bloomberg thanked all the clergy for working together and helping him with the Hurricane Sandy disaster, throughout New York City.
Other city officials in attendance were: Dennis Walcott, Chancellor of the New York City Department of Education, Raymond Kelly, Commissioner of NYPD, Patricia L. Gatling, Commissioner on Human Rights and many more.
1 Alfredo Leija By Alfredo Leija – Brooklyn, New York 2013
2 AP for Women By Ashley Pecolia – Randallstown, Maryland (2013)
3 Samantha Plasencia By Samantha Plasencia – San Antonio, Texas
4 Samina Mughal Couture Designs at Plitzs Fashion Week 2013
Senator John Llewllyn Sampson, Leader of the Democratic Conference was elected to the New York State Senate in 1996. He represents the 19th Senatorial District which encompasses Canarsie, East Flatbush, Parts of Brownsville, Crown Heights, East New York, portions of Old Mill Basin, Spring Creek Towers, and parts of Midwood and Kensington in Brooklyn.
Senator Sampson has the distinction of being the first African American to serve as the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. He is also Chair of the Senate Ethics Committee and the Senate Administrative Regulations Review Commission. Senator Sampson is also the Deputy Majority Leader for State/Federal Relations.
As Chair of the Judiciary Committee, Senator Sampson conducted the confirmation hearings for Chief Justice of the New York Court of Appeals, Judge Jonathan Lippman. Senator Sampson is committed to improving diversity within the New York State Court System calling for more hirings of minorities and women for judgeships.
The event was put on by Trinidad & Tobago United Cultural Association Inc. (TATUCA). Honorary chairs for the event were: H.E. Dr. Neil Parson, Ambassador to the United States of America & Mexico and permanent representative of T&T and the Honorable Marty Markowitz, Brooklyn Borough President. Great entertainment, guests and honorees, and food were at the event.
