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Tabytha Gonzalez, director of policy and advocacy with Destination Tomorrow, speaks at the Stonewall National Monument, where the Trump administration ordered the rainbow flag removed. <\/p>\n
Photo courtesy Destination Tomorrow<\/p>\n
Destination Tomorrow<\/a>, the Bronx\u2019s only LGBTQ+ center, is sending a message of strength despite repeated threats under the Trump administration \u2014 most recently the Feb. 9 removal<\/a> of the rainbow flag at the Stonewall National Monument in lower Manhattan.\u00a0<\/p>\n In life under what the organization\u2019s CEO and Founder Sean Ebony Coleman called a \u201chomophobic administration,\u201d Destination Tomorrow is holding strong.<\/p>\n \u201cRemoving our flag will not erase our history, it will not erase our movement. Our city\u2019s diverse and thriving LGBTQ+ community will make our collective voice heard,\u201d Coleman said in a statement sent to the Bronx Times.\u00a0<\/p>\n Because Destination Tomorrow is one of the \u201cyoungest\u201d LGBTQ+ centers in the city, the Bronx and uptown perspective can be overlooked, Chief Strategy Officer Sage Rivera told the Bronx Times.<\/p>\n But on the other hand, as the only center founded and managed by transgender people of color, Destination Tomorrow has built-in layers of resilience and ability to adapt to ever-changing circumstances, Rivera said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not new to this, we\u2019re true to this,\u201d they said. \u201cOur people have seen many things, and one thing we know how to do is pivot.\u201d\n<\/p>\n Far from staying silent, Destination Tomorrow is ramping up programming, which includes counseling, case management, HIV testing, youth afterschool programs, syringe exchange, cultural sensitivity workshops, GED assistance, food pantries and more. The organization also partners with 140 Bronx businesses to provide free condoms throughout the borough.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Trump\u2019s order to remove the Stonewall flag was \u201can erasure\u201d of the LGBTQ community, Rivera said. However, \u201cWhoever thinks they can do this to us, they have the wrong one,\u201d they added.<\/p>\n Re-raising the flag\u00a0 The rainbow flag had hung since 2022 at Stonewall National Monument, a federal park commemorating the birthplace of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement.<\/p>\n Last year, the Trump administration said only the standard rainbow flag \u2014 not the flag with additional black and brown markings to represent transgender people \u2014 would be allowed, as previously reported<\/a> by Gay City News.\u00a0<\/p>\n But this year, in Trump\u2019s efforts to remove \u201cwoke\u201d elements from federal properties, he declared the rainbow flag was also no longer allowed.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n The decision prompted swift criticism from Mayor Zohran Mamdani<\/a>, Governor Kathy Hochul<\/a> and many others \u2014 as well as legal action. Lambda Legal and Washington Litigation group, representing a coalition of advocates, sued<\/a> the Trump administration in federal court, asking it to \u201cdeclare that the defendants\u2019 removal of the Pride Flag from the Stonewall National Monument was arbitrary and capricious, and contrary to law.\u201d<\/p>\n When the news first came down, Rivera said Destination Tomorrow immediately sprang into action, signaling its opposition on social media<\/a> and coordinating action with local partners.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cHow it hit the Bronx was like, \u2018Wow, they can do that?\u2019\u201d Rivera said.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n Staffers and clients made their way downtown, answering the \u201ccall to unify, they said. \u201cOur investment at Destination Tomorrow was to make sure that the Bronx isn\u2019t left behind, that uptown New York City has a voice in this.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n A huge crowd of elected officials and advocates re-raised<\/a> a rainbow flag that afternoon, which Rivera said was \u201ca dynamic event.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt just speaks to the passion of so many people in our community who have gone through trauma and don\u2019t want to take it anymore,\u201d they said.\n<\/p>\n The Bronx contingency was especially pleased to see openly gay Council Member Justin Sanchez among those addressing the crowd. Sanchez was elected in November to represent the district where Destination Tomorrow is located and is co-chair of the LGBTQIA+ caucus<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Rivera said Destination Tomorrow is \u201chappy happy happy\u201d to have Sanchez and other allies in the council. \u201cIt was wonderful to see sort of, like, the eyes of a leader who would understand our cause,\u201d they said.\u00a0<\/p>\n For Destination Tomorrow, as the work of building community during difficult times continues, Rivera said they try to address barriers that may prevent people from taking part in important moments, such as the flag re-raising. For instance, the organization provided train fare for people who wanted to join the crowd downtown.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cFor a lot of the community we serve, there are a lot of things that need addressing before advocacy,\u201d Rivera said.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n But Destination Tomorrow and its leaders have seen many challenges and still stand strong, they said. \u201cWhatever they throw at us, we are a tried and true people, and we will do what we need to do to maneuver a way where we come out on top, no matter what.\u201d<\/p>\n Reach Emily Swanson at\u00a0eswanson@schnepsmedia.com<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0(646) 717-0015<\/a>. For more coverage, subscribe to our\u00a0newsletter<\/a>\u00a0and follow us on\u00a0Twitter<\/a>,\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Instagram<\/a>!<\/p>\n \t
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A massive crowd gathered at the Stonewall National Monument in Feb. to protest Trump\u2019s decision to remove the rainbow flag and re-raise a new flag in defiance. Photo courtesy Destination Tomorrow.<\/p>\n