Another historic first for the queer community in the Bronx was marked this past Tuesday, Aug. 18, with the inaugural Bronx Black Pride event occurring at the Bronx Museum of Arts.
Hosted by LGBTQ+ nonprofit Destination Tomorrow in collaboration with New York City Council Members Althea Stevens and Justin Sanchez, and additional support from Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, Black Pride celebrated queer icons within the community. The event also honored the traditions, history, and successes of Black LGBTQ+ New Yorkers.
Destination Tomorrow’s Director of Policy and Advocacy, Tabytha Gonzalez, emphasized the significance of celebrating the rich and diverse legacy of the Bronx’s black LGBTQ+ history.
“For 15 years, Destination Tomorrow has worked hand in hand with community members to ensure that the Bronx’s LGBTQ+ community is supported and served. So tonight is a celebration of all of our culture, all of our history,” Gonzalez said.
Before introducing an emotional performance from Frank Humphrey III, announcer Miss Black Pride Octavia Anyae briefly shared her own excitement for this inaugural event.
“Tonight, we honor the Trailblazers who paved the way for a celebration and uplift those carrying the Black Pride mantle forward,” Anyae said.
Council Member Althea Stevens shared a personal story about her uncle, the first openly gay person she knew and the impact of seeing him be attacked and called slurs.
“My grandma moved him here because it was safer for her to be in New York and be gay, but it was in the 70s, and the 80s, and 90s. It was not easy and he survived. So when I have staff that come to me and say, ‘We want to celebrate Black pride,’ I do it in honor of my ancestors like him because I saw the struggle,” Stevens said.
Stevens moderated a panel between Lee Soulja, Michael Robertson and Jason Mullings, on the importance and history of Black pride.
“The way that I like to frame Black pride is that it’s part of the Black struggle,” Robertson said. He exemplified, to Council Member Stevens, “Your point about what it meant for your grandmother to bring her son here to be free in a time when it was not accessible to everybody.”
Soulja emphasized the need for such festivities, particularly outside of Pride Month.
“I think it’s extremely important, especially in today’s current times that we’re going through with this administration, to have a celebration named Black Pride to me as a form of resistance,” Soulja said.
Council Member Justin Sanchez shared that for years, he dreamed of throwing a ball at the Capitol building or at City Hall, but every year he faced pushback.
“This year, I was a council member. And so, when I said, ‘I’m throwing a ball,’ they said, ‘Well, yes, you are!’” Sanchez said when announcing the first annual City Hall Ball.
“And so as we celebrate Pride today and Black Pride especially, we celebrate all of us. Not just the leaders and the ones on the stage, but each and every one of you that go home and write their own paths and your own tales,” Sanchez said.
Council Member Stevens also announced her introduction of Resolution 606 declaring August Black Pride Month in the New York City Council.
“Being Black and LGBTQ+ can mean navigating barriers and disparities that deserve to be acknowledged, not ignored. As elected officials we are responsible to create space where people don’t have to choose between being themselves and being in a room,” Stevens said.
Destination Tomorrow prides itself on being an organization that uplifts transgender people in particular, being led by a trans-team. Despite now working in three states across the country, the Bronx remains the beating heart of the organization.
“When I say trans-led, I mean from staff to the executives, to leadership, to director positions, it’s ran by Black and brown trans/queer people. And most of our work has spanned all of the boroughs, but [the] Bronx is our epicenter,” Gonzalez said.
After the panel, before the evening was closed with a beautiful performance from Anyae, the panelists were recognized for their years of work for the Black queer community.
“Tonight, we’ll be honoring some people from the house and ballroom community, and their commitment to upraising our culture and uplifting our culture,” Gonzalez said.
Though this event marks the inaugural Black Pride in the Bronx, the 29th Annual NYC Black Pride will take place at various festivities throughout the city, from August 19th to the 23rd.
