Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson raised the Rainbow Flag as part of a ceremony at the Bronx County Building on the first day of Pride Month.
Gibson’s June 1 flag-raising ceremony, featuring LGBTQ leaders such as Sean Coleman of Destination Tomorrow, also included a slate of honorees in commemoration of Pride. The honorees included Tabytha Gonzalez, an associate human rights specialist and transgender communities liaison at the New York City Commission on Human Rights; Tony Jermin, a podcaster and social justice advocate; and Sandra Perez, the executive director of NYC Pride.
DJ LEXS spun club hits — Hardive’s “Deep Inside,” David Morales’ “Party in the Ghetto,” CC Music Factory’s “Deeper Love,” and others. Honorees had their own walk-up music and danced back to their seats after their speeches. After the ceremony, refreshments and snacks were served, including fresh fruit, wraps and empanadas.
“Trans rights are human rights,” Gonzalez said. “Trans people are moving and accessing spaces like we’ve never done before, but there’s still more to do.”
Jada Frederick, a 41-year-old transgender individual and a client of BronxWorks, said at the ceremony that Pride Month is a reminder that “there’s still injustice.”
“It’s still a fight,” Frederick said. “Victory is not won until all are equal,”
Tym Moss was the master of ceremonies and had three costume changes throughout the one-hour event — a black and silver sequined blazer that looked like a cow print; a tie-dye t-shirt with the words “San Juan” in honor of Perez. and a royal blue sequined blazer with a floral print.
Two recipients of special awards were Dr. Viraj Patel, the John Wade honoree, and Analia Santana, a junior at Manhattan College who earned the youth award.
The flag will remain at the Bronx County Building throughout the remainder of Pride Month.
ET Rodriguez contributed reporting to this story.
