The Reclaim Pride Coalition, which organizes the annual Queer Liberation March in New York City, will hold a town hall meeting at the LGBT Community Center on Jan. 26 to begin planning this year’s march on Pride Sunday.
This year marks the sixth annual edition of the Queer Liberation March, which was first held in 2019 in response to frustration over the police and corporate presence at the main NYC Pride March, which is produced by Heritage of Pride. The Queer Liberation March bars corporate sponsors and police participation, drawing grassroots activists and other community members seeking an alternative to the main event.
The Reclaim Pride Coalition says the meeting will give members an opportunity to talk about issues, advocate for important causes, and engage new organizers.
“This meeting comes at a time when queer and trans people — from Times Square to Main Street — are facing unprecedented focus and attacks from Republican leadership, Christian Nationalists and other domestic terrorist groups,” Paul Nocera, a queer/bisexual Organizer with Reclaim Pride since 2018, said in a written statement.
The planning meeting at the LGBT Center — which is located at 208 W. 13th St. — is scheduled to take place at 7 p.m. It will be an in-person meeting, but attendees can also join virtually by tuning in to the livestream on the Reclaim Pride Coalition’s Facebook and YouTube pages.
The NYC Pride March and the Queer Liberation March are held on the same final Sunday in June, which falls on June 30 this year. The Queer Liberation March outshined the NYC Pride March during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic because it was the only full in-person march in the city. NYC Pride has since returned to a full slate on Pride Sunday.
The Reclaim Pride Coalition held a similar town hall meeting last February, culminating in last year’s theme of “Trans & Queer; Forever Here!” Last year’s town hall featured discussions on issues ranging from the NYPD’s aggressive behavior towards marchers at the end of the 2020 and 2021 Queer Liberation Marches to healthcare issues and safety concerns.
American Sign Language interpreters will be available and The Center is wheelchair accessible. There will also be resources for individuals with children: A sitter will be on hand to watch children in the room during the meeting, according to the Reclaim Pride Coalition.
