June is not only the beginning of sunny skies and the end of rainy days, but it is also the one month of the year in which we actively celebrate every letter in the LGTBQIA+ community, and we welcome Pride Month with open arms. As the community continues to grow and its allies continue to educate themselves, each year brings new opportunity for events all throughout New York, and more excitingly all around Staten Island. While the borough remains the most conservative out of the five, it is certainly relieving to see the amount of individuals becoming acquainted with the LGTBQIA+ folk around them.
The Pride Center of Staten Island is the catalyst for a lot of pride events on the island. The Pride Center of Staten Island is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to keeping the LGBTQIA+ community on the island safe. While they have several different types of events on the island, they also make sure to advertise events on all five boroughs! On June 14th, they are hosting their monthly “Pride Bowling” at Rabs Country Lanes at 7:30pm (1600 Hylan Blvd.) Then, in partnership with SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders) on June 18th at 10am, there will be a hike at the Greenbelt Nature Center (700 Rockland Avenue). While these events are targeted for folks over 50, all are welcome to attend. Later that month, SAGE & The Pride Center of Staten Island are hosting a field trip to the Staten Island Zoo at 1pm on June 23rd (614 Broadway).
On June 21st at The Stone House at Clove Lakes (1150 Clove Road), there will be a pride event honoring Gena Mimozo, Alex Carr, and Elvis Duran. Tickets are $50 per person, and you could visit eventbrite to purchase them. Food and drinks will be included and there will be special performances by Porsche, Tree, and Ariel Sinclair. All proceeds will be donated to The Pride Center of Staten Island. Later that week, The Funkey Monkey Lounge (1205 Forest Avenue) will be presenting “Drag Me To The Monkey: Pride Edition” on June 29th. This event will be hosted by Donna Ria with special guest Lady Geisha Stratton. Tickets are $10 online and can be purchased via eventbrite.
Lastly, The Alice Austen House Museum (2 Hylan Blvd.) will be hosting “Twilight Pride: Celebrate The Larky Life” to celebrate their second anniversary of their site being of LGTBQ significance. Alice Austen was a pioneering female photographer who was recently revealed to be in a same-sex relationship with her partner, Gertrude Tate. This event would be a toast to her unapologetic life, and her passion and dedication to her craft. Tickets are $45 per person and can be purchased at aliceausten.org.
While June and Pride Month have a means to an end, we should continue to celebrate the LGTBQIA+ each and every month and keep them safe. Happy Pride to all of the identifying individuals out there.
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