Latest news with #QueensPride
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Queens Pride Parade highlights LGBTQ+ rights and unity
QUEENS, N.Y. (PIX11) — The beginning of Pride Month kicked off with the 33rd annual Queens Pride Parade, the second-oldest pride parade in the city. This year's celebration also included direct messages to the Trump administration. More Local News 37th Avenue in Jackson Heights, Queens, was filled with colors, music, and Pride Sunday afternoon. 'Love everyone, love everybody,' shouted one of the attendees. A message of love along with this year's theme, defiant Joy and Unity. 'It is probably the most important pride of our lifetime because of the hate and attacks and trying to erase our community,' said David Kilmnick, President of the LGBT Network. Assemblymembers Catalina Cruz and Jessica González-Rojas were two of the three Grand Marshals for this year's Queens Pride Parade. The third one was Andry José Hernández Romero, who is now detained in the maximum-security Prison, CECOT, in El Salvador after being deported by the Trump Administration in March. Romero is a gay man who was seeking asylum in the United States after fleeing Venezuela in May of last year due to alleged threats because of his sexual orientation. He was deported because the government claims his tattoos link him to the Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua. 'Andry represents everything that is Queens. He is queer, he is an artist, and he is an immigrant. That is who we are,' said Rojas. 'This is not normal. We can't normalize the disappearance of people under a constitution that is supposed to protect us all, no matter who the president is,' added Cruz. The first Queens Pride Parade was held on June 6, 1993. Decades later, attendees are saying that today is more important than ever to show up because of the current political climate under the Trump administration. More: Latest News from Around the Tri-State 'I really wish they would rethink a lot of these positions; people of the LGBTQ community just want to be able to live and love and have the life that everybody else wants.' Said Aubrey Nelson. 'Syddiq and his wife, Sabar, brought their son, Syris. They say they want him to learn about equality from a very young age. 'You just have to accept everyone, hatred is straight up for losers,' said Syddiq With thousands of spectators, over 140 diverse groups marched down from 89th to 75th Street, promoting the visibility and accomplishments of the LGBTQ+ community and fostering acceptance. 'Transgender people are human, transgender people are right, transgender people are not invisible,' SOT Yanitza Lara. Others are also sending a message to younger generations. 'Come out, don't be afraid, be yourselves! Stand up for yourself no matter what!' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Queens Pride Parade 2025: The start to NYC's Pride Month
The Brief Pride month in New York City kicks off with the New Queens Pride Parade and Festival, the second-oldest pride parade in the city. The 33rd annual Queens Pride parade kicks off today, June 1, at 12 p.m. The parade will march down 37th Avenue, from 89th Street to 75th Street, in Jackson Heights, and it will feature over 140 groups. QUEENS - The New Queens Pride Parade and Multicultural Festival is kicking off the month in New York City. What we know The 33rd annual New Queens Pride parade kicks off today, June 1, at 12 p.m. The parade will march down 37th Avenue, from 89th Street to 75th Street, in Jackson Heights, and it will feature over 140 groups. According to the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT), these streets will be closed for the parade and festival: Formation: 89th Street, between 35th Avenue and Roosevelt Avenue Route: 37th Avenue, between 89th Street and 75th Street Dispersal: 75th Street, between 37th Avenue and Roosevelt Avenue Festival: 75th through 76th Street, between 37th Avenue and Roosevelt Avenue and 37th Road, between 74th Street and 77th Street These streets will be closed at the discretion of the New York Police Department in Queens. There are three Grand Marshals this year – these are individuals that are recognized as ceremonial leaders of the parade. Andry José Hernández Romero, the honorary Grand Marshal of the parade, is a gay man from Venezuela who was deported by the Trump administration after seeking asylum in the United States. Romero fled Venezuela after facing threats for being a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Romero was deported to El Salvador and is now detained in the maximum security prison CECOT, or the Terrorism Confinement Center. Assembly Member Catalina Cruz, one of the two other Grand Marshals, represents Assembly District 39, which encompasses Corona, Elmhurst and Jackson Heights, as well as parts of Middle Village and Rego Park. The last Grand Marshal is Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas, who represents Assembly District 34, which includes Astoria, Corona, East Elmhurst, Jackson Heights and Woodside. The Pride Festival will be held at the intersection of 37th Road and 75th Streetin Queens, Jackson Heights, and it will run from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. The Queens Pride Parade was formed in response to two events. One catalyst was Julio Rivera's murder in 1990 – Rivera, a 29-year-old Jackson Heights bartender, wasattacked and killed by members of a local gang because he was gay. The other was the public outcry to the Children of the Rainbow Curriculum, created by the New York City Department of Education in 1991 to teach children tolerance towards diverse communities. The original Queens Pride Parade and Multicultural Festival was held on June 6, 1993, and an estimated 10,000 people were in attendance. The parade inspired the formation of pride marches in Brooklyn and the Bronx, and is the second-oldest pride march in New York City. The Source This article includes reporting from the New Queens Pride Parade and Festival website, as well as information from the websites of the New York City Department of Transportation and a few New York government officials.
CBS News
4 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Queens Pride Parade 2025 takes over Jackson Heights today. See the route, street closures and more.
Queens Pride, one of the oldest and largest LGBTQ pride parades in New York City, returns to Jackson Heights today, which means there are street closures in the area. The New Queens Pride Parade and Multicultural Festival are held every year on the first Sunday in June, the beginning of Pride Month. The theme for 2025 is "Defiant Joy." Here's a guide with the parade route, road closures and more about this year's celebration. Queens Pride parade route map and start time The 2025 New Queens Pride Parade starts at noon on 37th Avenue at 89th Street in Jackson Heights. The parade marches down 37th to 75th Street. The Multicultural Festival at the intersection of 37th Road and 75th Street also starts at noon and goes until 6 p.m. The New Queens Pride parade marches down 37th Avenue in Jackson Heights every year on the first Sunday in June. LGBT Network According to organizers, a record 140-plus groups are participating this year. CBS News New York is a sponsor of Queens Pride and has a float in the parade. Last year, tens of thousands of people came out to celebrate. Street closures in Jackson Heights According to the New York City Department of Transportation, these streets will be closed Sunday at NYPD's discretion for the parade and festival: Formation: 89th Street between 35th Avenue and Roosevelt Avenue Route 37th Avenue between 89th Street and 75th Street Dispersal: 75th Street between 37th Avenue and Roosevelt Avenue Festival: 75th-76th Street between 37th Avenue and Roosevelt Avenue 37th Road between 74th Street and 77th Street 2025 grand marshals The 2025 grand marshals are New York State Assembly Members Catalina Cruz and Jessica González-Rojas, who are being recognized for their work in support of members of the LGBTQ community. "They are extraordinary leaders who have really been at the forefront in the fight for LGBTQ equality and justice," LGBT Network founder David Kilmnick told CBS News New York. The two assembly members often work collaboratively on legislation and funding. "One thing that we're fighting for is to enhance our protections for providers of gender-affirming care," González-Rojas said. "That's making sure that they have the mental health services, the legal services, the support," Cruz said. The Queens parade also inspired annual pride marches in Brooklyn and the Bronx, organizers say. Asylum seeker from Venezuela named honorary grand marshal Andry José Hernández Romero, a gay makeup artist who came to the U.S. from Venezuela as an asylum seeker in 2024, is named as an honorary grand marshal for 2025. In March, the Trump administration sent Romero and 237 other Venezuelan migrants to a maximum security prison in El Salvador, CBS News reported. U.S. immigration officials cited Hernández Romero's tattoos as evidence of an affiliation with the Tren de Aragua gang, a claim that is disputed, according to 60 Minutes. Parade organizers say his tattoos symbolize family and cultural heritage and are being misinterpreted. "A gifted makeup artist and a beacon of resilience, Andry represents the very spirit of Pride: living authentically, demanding dignity, and refusing to be erased. As he remains unjustly imprisoned, we lift his name, his story, and our voices in solidarity, demanding his safe return and the protection of all LGBTQ+ asylum seekers," a statement on the New Queens Pride website says. This year marks the 33rd anniversary of the parade, which started in 1993.
