After a temporary hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Pride festivities celebrating The Bronx’s LGBTQIA community was on full display this past Saturday at The Hub in the South Bronx.
Hosted by Destination Tomorrow, the borough’s official Pride Center, thousands of revelers who came to The Hub at 3rd Avenue and 149th Street on Saturday were treated to a host of entertainers from dancers to singers, voguing dancers, and drag performers.
The event took place on Westchester Avenue between Brook and Bergen with several booths and vendors who are dedicated in providing services to the LGBTQIA community like the Anti Violence Project, and Callen-Lorde to name a few.
Since the 1990s, The Bronx has had Pride events in one form or another including a July event hosted by Appolonia Cruz, a long-time drag performer also known as ‘The Queen of The Bronx’.
As the borough’s leading LGBTQIA center and service provider, Destination Tomorrow is ensuring that the community is not only represented during such events but that they are also partners in hosting and organizing Bronx Pride.
“The Bronx has always had a thriving LGBTQ community and Pride Festival/ Celebration. Destination Tomorrow is honored to continue carrying on that legacy” said Sean E. Coleman, who is the founder and Executive Director of Destination Tomorrow and has a long history of working within the borough dating as far back as the original Bronx Pride Center.
Attendees of the festival were also treated by a surprise guest with none other than Dominique Jackson aka Tyra Allure Ross, one of the lead actresses in FX’s hit series, ‘Pose’ who also worked at Destination Tomorrow.
The hosts for the event were The Bronx’s own Kandy Muse who was the runner-up for the 13th season of the hit show, RuPaul’s Drag Race along with another famous Bronxite, “The Silent Celeb” aka Karyn “Mercedeze” Blanco from season 1 of the hit Netflix show, ‘The Circle’.
“The theme chosen this year is “the people’s pride,” said Sage Rivera, Chief Development and Programs Office at Destination Tomorrow who was involved in the planning of this year’s event.
Rivera added, “That’s because all the LGBTQIA+ leaders who had a hand in arranging this year’s events range from being new leaders in the Bronx to people who have been involved with Bronx LGBT Pride since 2005. We also have over 50 community-based organizations, faith-based leaders, and vendors, from THE BRONX who have knowingly signed on to support our effort for the community by the community.”
At one point during the event, Dominique Jackson got up on stage and rather than perform, decided to give a heart-warming speech to the adoring crowd.
“Anything that you put your mind to, as long as you don’t bring harm to anyone else, you can achieve…”, Jackson told the crowd.
Check out the gallery below (ALL IMAGES ARE ©welcome2thebronx:
This post was last modified on June 20, 2022 6:18 pm
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