How NYC Pride Influenced This Writer and Musician
Henrietta Hudson, one of the three remaining lesbian bars in NYC), and when I needed a break, the lovely Levi and leathermen of The Eagles Nest (now The Eagle NYC) invited me to ride on their float.It was amazing and magical and the assurances that I received that “it never rains on Pride” (at least in Manhattan), and “everyone gets laid on Pride,” both proved true.
Through Pride, I fell in love all over again, with my city, with my community, and with the movement I’ve always felt a part of.The first Staten Island PrideFest was held in the very early ’90s in a rented room on the grounds of Snug Harbor.
As a musician, who’d already been playing in bands since I was a kid, I was thrilled to perform for that inaugural event. The first SI Pride Parade happened in 2005, and I performed on that stage, too. (Over the years I’ve played a lot of Prides, and even some other “firsts,” like Frankfort, Illinois!) And I even played at NYC Pride itself (opening for Toshi Reagon) in the 2000s.What makes NYC Pride such a big deal?
The five boroughs celebrate throughout June with each borough getting its own day and parade. Traditionally, the last to have a Pride parade — Staten Island —goes first, and the first goes last: Manhattan, which also celebrates all month long.
