June may be Pride month but some people can’t wait. A trio of events kicked off the celebration, honoring community leaders and celebrating fabulousness.
The weekend kicked off May 28 with Take PRIDE! at the Galleria Mall. Presented by History Fort Lauderdale, the event honored a slew of community leaders, including OutSFL co-founder and publisher Jason Parsley.
At a time when local queer media is facing existential threats, he said journalists must keep doing what they do best. “We have to keep telling the stories that matter. We have to reiterate to our community that the mainstream media isn’t going to tell our stories. Queer media is so important today.”
This year’s other honorees are Chris Caputo, commissioner and vice mayor of the City of Wilton Manors; Dennis Dean, executive director of ArtsUnited; Robert Griffin and Durrell Watkins, the bishops of Sunshine Cathedral; Ronnie Larsen, actor, director, playwright, and producer; Rafaelé Narváez, co-founder and director of health programs for Latinos Salud; Fort Lauderdale Police Chief William C. Schultz; Nicole Stodard, artistic director of Thinking Cap Theatre; and Tatiana Williams, founder and executive director of TransInclusive Group, Inc.
Stonewall Stands Tall
Saturday saw the inaugural Stonewall Honors at the Stonewall National Museum.
“What this Stonewall Honors is about is acknowledging there are people that you may know or you may not know, who are often behind the scenes,” Stonewall Museum President Robert Kesten said. “You may not even know their organization. But the people we are talking about tonight are the people who make it so we do not have to compromise on being who we are.”
Honorees included Alan Beck, Mark Berryhill, Jaymes Black, Ben Garcia, Robert Griffin & Durrell Watkins, Rand Hoch, Kierra Johnson, Marc Martorana & Don D'Arminio, Julie Seaver, and Denise Spivak.
In addition to their rainbow-ribboned medallions, honorees also received congressional citations from longtime ally Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz who attended the party.
What A Drag!
The weekend wrapped up with a super-mega drag brunch at the Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood. More than a thousand people showed up for the party that benefits the Pride Center.
Honorees were Fort Lauderdale Police Chief Bill Schultz, Kevin Jennings of Lambda Legal, and Katie Phang of MSNBC.
“Visibility is power. But this Pride Month arrives when our rights are under ruthless attack,” Phang said. “That’s exactly why being a loud, active ally to the LGBTQ+ community has never been more important.”
Once the honors were conveyed, the real party began with the drag queens and sexy dancers from The Palace in Miami Beach. They opened with a recreation of the iconic MTV VMA show from 2003, featuring Madonna’s Hollywood (the drag brunch was in Hollywood, Fla.) and closed with Lady Gaga.
Everything in between was one powerhouse production number after another.
Photo by JR Davis.
