Students, educators and families from Bronx community school district 9 hosted their second annual Pride Parade and Celebration at the Roberto Clemente State Park gym on June 3.
Harry Sherman, the superintendent of District 9, told the Bronx Times that the Pride celebration is one of their favorites and a popular event of the year.
“We always talk about our students belonging, excelling and thriving and in order to belong, excel and thrive, you have to be seen for who you really are and in the fullness of your identity,” Sherman said.
He emphasized the importance of creating a welcoming and supportive space for the LGBTQ students and staff, including the several GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance) clubs in District 9.
Carolina Zapata Flores, the administrative assistant for superintendent Harry Sherman, said that she wants people to know that love, respect and community are important in navigating life.
“We are more similar than different. Love is love, treat everyone with respect and love one another. We’re all together in this journey called life, so the most we can do is be decent to one another,” Zapata Flores said.
Milo Miranda, 10, is a fourth grader who identifies as transgender and is a member at his school’s GSA club at PS 011 in Highbridge. This is Milo’s first pride event and he’s wanted to attend an event like this since he was four years old.
Milo said it was hard to represent himself because he had to wait to get his haircut, but he feels happy with his appearance now.
“I love being who I want to be… I want more people to get into supporting pride at my school’s [GSA] club,” Miranda said.
His mother, Dorin Cortes, participated in the event with her son to learn more about how to support her child.
“I want to be able to understand him, because sometimes he has questions [that] I don’t necessarily know the answers to. The only thing I try to be is supportive,” Cortes said.
Cortes said she plans to take Milo to more pride events during the summer.
Among the partners tabling for this event were Lambda Literary Writers in Schools, New York Police Department (NYPD), New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
Also in attendance were Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, Council Member Althea Stevens and representatives from the offices of assembly members Landon Dais, Chantel Jackson, Robert Jackson and Senator José M. Serrano.
Maximilian Bratescu, the legislative coordinator for Assembly Member Landon Dais, attended the event to show their support for the LGBTQ community, especially in schools.
“We’re just happy to live in a city and state where everyone is accepted and included. We’ll do anything on the state level to codify the fact that we’re all the same and have equal rights,” Bratescu said.
“That’s the point of New York City and New York State more broadly. Anything we can do to bolster any amount of acceptance and inclusion on the state level, we gladly would because at the end of the day we’re all just people on the same planet trying to make it,” Bratescu added.
For the parade walk, students, educators and families marched from the park to 179th shouting “No more pain. No more fear. Everyone is welcome here,” and raised the pride flag.
Reach Keke Grant-Floyd at kekegfreports@gmail.com. For more coverage, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!
