Center Blog

Guest Post by Simeon Mishev

Queens Pride & Multicultural Festival celebrated its 20th anniversary last Sunday, June 3rd, 2012. This year the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center was honored to participate, share its support for the community and commemorate this special occasion in Queens. A number of participants and over 40,000 spectators gathered in Jackson Heights, Queens, between the hours of 11 AM and 6 PM to “promote awareness and education among and of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning community of Queens, New York.”  Queens Lesbian and Gay Pride Committee, Inc. has been in charge of organizing the festivities since the very first Pride march in the early 90s.

The weather was in sync with the overall joyous feel of the event, the warm summer sun made the colorful costumes even more vibrant and, at some point, a real rainbow formed over the marching participators (if one believes in signs from Mother Nature, God and/or the Universe, well, here you go).

Newlywed City Council speaker Christine Quinn joined the Pride march alongside Public Advocate Bill De Blasio, New York Assembly Members Francisco Moya, Aravella Simotas and Costa Constantinides, SAGE Queens, Renaissance Charter School, American Veterans for Equal Rights, Metropolitan Community Church of New York, Queens Pride Lions Club, Transsexuals New York, and many, many more.

As rainbow flags, music and free condoms flooded the streets, people of various colors, ethnicities, races, religions and faiths mingled, hugged, kissed, and greeted each other; the feeling of happiness and joy was overwhelming. One could hear discussions about President Obama’s recent statement endorsing same-sex marriage and how that might help eventually end the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA); there were a number of bi-national couples full of hope that once married they will be able to stay together in the US legally.

While walking around and enjoying this judgment-free, accepting and tolerant environment, I couldn’t help but wonder when every day would feel just like Pride day. When will same-sex couples be able to walk hand-in-hand without fear?

It is of utmost importance to actively participate in advocacy efforts concerning the LGBT community; every effort counts. We must be patient, yet persistent, relentlessly seeking equal rights. There are a number of organizations one can join, such as The LGBT Center, It Gets Better Project, Empire State Pride Agenda, Marriage Equality New York, etc.,  or why not start one yourself?

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much…” – Helen Keller

On Sunday June 17, a coalition of groups, including the Center, will gather for a silent march against racial profiling. The event is set for 3 PM in Manhattan.

Join 1199 SEIU, the NAACP, National Action Network, civil rights, faith, LGBT, labor and community groups in a silent march against NYC’s “Stop and Frisk” policy! On Father’s Day, let’s stand together to show that New Yorkers refuse to let our children be victimized by racial profiling.

Here’s detailed information:

Time: Silent March begins at 3 pm, EST

Assembly Point: LGBT Table Entry Point #3 : 110th Street and Lenox Ave. – also includes RWDSU, LGBT Table, Latino/Hispanic table, UAW, Working Families Party

March Route: march south on Fifth Avenue from 110th Street to 78th Street, passing near the Mayor’s mansion on 79th Street.

Posters: organizers will have posters for people to carry, but they also encourage people/groups to make their own signs and banners to carry in the march. It is important to keep the focus on ending the Stop & Frisk policy and ending racial profiling rather than relevant but peripheral issues.

Website: www.silentmarchnyc.org

Facebook: www.facebook.com/events/341929132541010/

You can also read more about the issue in this New York Times article and a blog post from The Task Force, recapping a recent press conference on the topic.

MATCH GAME LIVE- Photo by Clarissa Macaya

Guest Post by Christopher B. Cox

Thursday’s Match Game Live, hosted by comedian and musician Ben Lerman, was raucously entertaining and brimmed with the wild humor and sincerity only an event the Center could pull off.

Based on the classic game show, contestants were selected from the audience and competed to match six celebrities’ answers to fill-in-the-blank questions.  The celebrity panel ranged from the lovely and luscious drag diva Bianca Del Rio (who also hosts “Hot Mess” Wednesday nights at XL), to the strikingly beautiful comedienne and Huffington Post contributor, Phoebe Robinson. The panel also included the alarmingly handsome adult entertainer and singer, Colton Ford, and social media mogul and professional charmer, Daniel Nardicio.

MATCH GAME LIVE- Photo by Clarissa Macaya

Jackie Hoffman, a comedy veteran and crowd favorite kept the evening uproarious, with racy, impromptu, and often-unsolicited answers, as well as shameless plugs for her upcoming show (“June 3^rd at 54 Below!”).

Rounding out the panel was Sirius radio host and Dead Celebrity Cookbook author, Frank DeCaro, who donned an “I’m Fat, Let’s Party” t-shirt. When DeCaro’s name came up as an answer to a question that called for ”something no one wanted on their face at the end of a night of partying,” he retorted: “It’s dangerous, but worth it!”

Match Game Live was the final event in The Center’s Summer “Camp” series, a month-long celebration of the elusive queer aesthetic known simply as “gay camp.”

“Camp” was promised, and camp was delivered. Host Ben Lerman smiled infectiously throughout Match Game Live, which he also wrote and co-produced.

The joy was contagious. Todd Mick, a bra designer and Match Game contestant admitted upon winning, “It feels like being the President!”

MATCH GAME LIVE- Photo by Clarissa Macaya

Paul Menard, Director of Cultural Programs at The Center, teased the crowd with cocktails sponsored by El Dorado rum while they waited for the panel, which became a game in itself. One free drink went to the first audience member to pull up a picture of their pet (the winner had an image of her cat in a bow tie), and another to the first person to prove they had Paul’s favorite Madonna song on their smartphone.

The final drink ticket went to the first person that could prove he or she was carrying a condom.

This bit of trivia reveals the most about The Center, their Match Game Live, and what they both stand for: The realities that some consider unpleasant or crass are exactly those truths which need to be recognized and celebrated.

MATCH GAME LIVE- Photo by Clarissa Macaya

Speaking clearly about sexual health, re-examining the supposed gender binary, and respecting, even laughing about sexuality are the salves that mend broken hearts and broken communities. What the Match Game taught its audience most was that being Queer and being honest are both good things.

When The Center hosts another Match Game Live be sure not to miss it.

There’s a new report out today that emphasizes the importance of LGBT community centers.

CenterLink, the Community of LGBT Centers and the Movement Advancement Project (MAP) released the comprehensive report which details the critical services offered by LGBT community centers, as well as a national overview of centers across the country. The 2012 LGBT Community Center Survey Report: Assessing the Capacity and Programs of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Centers surveyed 79 LGBT community centers nationwide.

Despite the slow economic recovery, LGBT Centers manage to provide vital resources to 1.7 million people annually. The report details the many ways in which community centers are a lifeline in the LGBT community, offering a variety of much-needed resources including Physical and Mental Health Programs, Information and Education Programs, Legal Services and Programs, Social and Recreational Programs, Community Outreach and Civic Engagement, Computer Centers, and more.

 The full report is available online at www.lgbtcenters.org or www.lgbtmap.org.

Senator Tom Duane at Center's Wedding Reception, July 2011- Photo (C) Tom Sengel

State Senator Tom Duane announced that he will not seek reelection after he completes his current term in office, ending December 31, 2012. Duane’s disctrict spans the Upper West Side to Greenwich Village, and across to the East Village, and includes the LGBT Center.

As The New York Times reported on Sunday, Duane “first burst onto the political scene two decades ago, when he disclosed during a successful bid for City Council that he was H.I.V. positive, and later made his mark as the first openly gay member of the Senate.”

Throughout his time in office Duane has been a fierce advocate for the LGBT community and for the Center.  He’s been here in our home for nearly every major celebration, rally and  pivotal moment in our rich history.  Last July Duane attended our special Wedding Reception, on the first day same-sex couples could legally marry in New York, a day that he helped make possible.

Also from the New York Times:

“Mr. Duane, who was a pivotal figure during the recent battle over same-sex marriage, said that he had only begun to think seriously about retiring a few weeks ago, around the time that he and his longtime partner, Louis Webre, attended the wedding of Christine C. Quinn, the City Council speaker and his former chief of staff, and Kim M. Catullo.”

The Center wishes Senator Duane the best of luck as he prepares for a new chapter in his life; we applaud him for his numerous accomplishments as a legislator and for his tireless pursuit of social justice on behalf of the entire LGBT community.

He has been a true friend to the Center.