{"id":274486,"date":"2026-06-22T21:40:13","date_gmt":"2026-06-22T21:40:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/274486\/"},"modified":"2026-06-22T21:40:13","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T21:40:13","slug":"the-largest-lgbtq-pride-celebration-in-the-bronx-bronx-pride-celebrates-28-years-of-acceptance-bronx-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/274486\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018The largest LGBTQ+ Pride celebration in the Bronx\u2019 Bronx Pride celebrates 28 years of acceptance \u2013 Bronx Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s Pride month and ahead of Manhattan\u2019s big parade on June 28, which sees upwards of two million people each year, the outer boroughs conducted their own festivities. In the Bronx, Borough President Vanessa Gibson led the 28th official Pride parade along the Grand Concourse on Saturday along with cheering marchers.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn this climate where we\u2019re seeing a denigration of immigrants, of undocumented individuals, of the LGBT community, of people of color, of women. We\u2019re seeing the Supreme Court overturn so many laws that our ancestors have fought for. Recognizing Juneteenth as a holiday, right? All of this comes together, and that\u2019s why Pride is so important for the month of June,\u201d Gibson told the Bronx Times.\u00a0<\/p>\n

However, not everyone was feeling the togetherness. As parade organizers and participants set up in Lou Gehrig Plaza on 161st Street, so did a counter, right across the way in Joyce Kilmer Park. About two dozen people made up Bronx Queers for Palestine and the Bronx Anti-War Coalition, who began their march about 20 minutes before the Pride parade kicked off around 12:30 p.m.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Parade-goers walking south along the Grand Concourse. Photo by ET Rodriguez
\n\"\"Lanye Armon, wearing a pink sequins gown and hidden Squidward Croc shoes, was this year\u2019s grand marshal and last year\u2019s Miss Bronx Pride. Photo by ET Rodriguez<\/p>\n

\u200a\u201dThey are not addressing the issues of what Bronxites need, specifically queer Bronxites,\u201d said one of the counter-marchers who did not want to disclose their name. \u201cNo one is talking about the poverty issue here, the homelessness here. They\u2019re not talking about what\u2019s going on in Palestine.\u201d<\/p>\n

To which Gibson responded, \u201cWhat I\u2019d rather do is broadly talk about just the federal administration, how they\u2019re attacking our human rights and voting rights and LGBT rights.\u201d<\/p>\n

There are currently 530 anti-LGBTQ bills across the U.S., according to the American Civil Liberties Union<\/a>, from things as serious as gender-affirming healthcare to things as simple as being allowed to fly the trans and gay flags.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThere has not been a borough president that has embraced the LGBTQ community \u2013 not just embraced it, celebrated, highlighted, put it up front and center \u2013 as Vanessa,\u201d Charles Rice-Gonzalez said, executive director of the Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance. He also mentioned the names of activists who were \u201chere and queer, and not here anymore.\u201d Names like Ron Jacobowitz, activist who co-founded Gay Men of the Bronx and Bronx Lesbians.<\/p>\n

\"\"The parade route seemed like any other day as marchers and pedestrians casually coincided. Photo by ET Rodriguez
\n\"\"The City University of New York\u2019s Bronx schools showed their pride. Photo by ET Rodriguez<\/p>\n

Shortly thereafter, the parade marched southbound like a grassroots movement; no barricades, no police tape and no designated spectators. When parade-goers turned left onto 149th Street, the crowds blended. Unsuspecting passersby found themselves casually engulfed in a sea of rainbow flags. Store-owners walked outside their establishments as they heard the music from the Keeping It Classic Tessa drummers. Some people pulled out their phones to record and waved to the crowd as they passed, some remained indifferent, but no one was hostile. It was a beautiful sunny day of openness and acceptance.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cFor a little gay boy from the Bronx, from the projects, to even get a chance to be a part of something that is about visibility, about showing up, about being there for, not only yourself, but the youth that comes after you, the girl in me, the little princess in me is super happy to do this,\u201d\u00a0 Grand Marshal Lanye Armon said, and last year\u2019s winner of Miss Bronx Pride. Armon recalled finding her identity at the Madison Square Boys and Girls Club in the Bronx as a 14-year-old seeking community.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u200a\u201d[It\u2019s] where I learned that there are people that actually see us and want to keep us safe and wanna be around us, and treat us as such, and nurture it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"From left: Wawa, Justin and Jadon (who did not want to include their last names) identify as femboys. \u200a\u201dOne day you\u2019re just kinda like, \u2018Ooh, let me dress up,\u201d or let me start taking better care of like my hygiene and stuff.\u2019 You just worry more about looks, about how you\u2019re perceived, and you just find, like, dressing up in different clothes makes you feel good,\u201d Jadon told the Bronx Times. Photo by ET Rodriguez<\/p>\n

\"\"At the festival along Westchester Avenue, people danced the day away as DJ Alex Mendez played classic house and 90s dance hits. Photo by ET Rodriguez<\/p>\n

The parade ended at Westchester Avenue by La Central YMCA in The Hub with \u201cthe largest LGBTQ+ Pride celebration in the Bronx,\u201d courtesy of Destination Tomorrow,<\/a> the Bronx\u2019s LGBT center.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Titled this year, From Da Bronx to Da World, the theme of the festival reflects the simultaneity of Pride and New York\u2019s World Cup season. On stage, Sage Rivera aka Vivika Westwood, announced the incoming groups, including Gay Men\u2019s Health, VNS Health, the American Cancer Society, the Bronx CUNY schools and others. <\/p>\n

June Jambalaya of RuPaul\u2019s Drag Race hosted the celebration with live performances, including pop singer JoJo. Food, resources, SWAG bags and community were plenty as a spectrum of people broke into dance and vogued the day away.<\/p>\n

\"\"The 28th Bronx Pride parade marched down the Grand Concourse from 161st Street to La Central YMCA near 149th Street. Photo by ET Rodriguez<\/p>\n

Reach ET Rodriguez at\u00a0etrodriguez317@gmail.com<\/a>. For more coverage, subscribe to our\u00a0newsletter<\/a>\u00a0and follow us on\u00a0Twitter<\/a>,\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Instagram<\/a>!\u00a0<\/p>\n