Electeds, community organizers celebrate Pride

The Bronx sky showed a little more color on the first day of June, also known as the first day of Pride Month.

Communications student Analia Santana, a Manhattan College rising junior, was awarded the Youth Award at the annual Pride flag-raising ceremony held at Bronx Borough Hall by Bronx borough president Vanessa Gibson.

“I thought it was just going to be a flag-raising ceremony, and they’re going to be like these people did a good job, and then I was like — oh, there’s more!” Santana said.

“I was so nervous. I didn’t even write a little acceptance speech because I didn’t realize I was going to get a plaque.”

She received a phone call from Gibson’s office a day before the event claiming their former intern nominated her. But once she was at the ceremony and spotted the golden plaques, she knew it was more than just an ordinary honor.

“The Bronx borough president invited me to this event; they’re very accepting of this life and are clear this is how people live, and we’re here to support, accept and provide them resources.”

Gibson’s flag-raising ceremony also honored a slate of LGBTQ+ leaders, such as Tabytha Gonzalez, an associate human rights specialist and transgender communities liaison  with the New York City Commission on Human Rights; Sandra Perez, executive director of New York City Pride; and Tony Jermin, surface-level podcaster and social justice advocate.

At the beginning of the semester, the club hosts a “coming out diner,” she said, where students share their stories about coming out.

The Rainbow Jaspers president said this year served up some good questions. One that was addressed was how to navigate in a classroom when a professor isn’t as accepting towards the community.

Santana is the newly appointed president of Rainbow Jaspers on campus — a safe space where students can feel authentic during group meetings. The student group also hosts events.

As for the Rainbow Jaspers, it is unclear how many students are in the student group because coming to the events might be hard for students.

But their email list alone has 90 people.

Bronx Pride Week comes at a time of political change where some politicians are violating the rights and freedom of the LGBTQ+ community. Multiple states codified bills only this year targeting transgender and nonconforming individuals. There have been more than 400 anti-LGBTQ bills introduced across the United States at the start of this year, according to American Civil Liberties Union Data, while 180 were introduced last year and only 42 in 2018.

There has been a heavy focus on school curricula in public schools, including discussions about gender identity and sexuality.

Anti-LGBTQ legislation is “trying to stop it, prevent us, and put us down,” Santana said. “This is not a happy pride — this is just an act of pride, and we need to be out there supporting our brothers and sisters.”

Santana grew up in Florida, where now people criticize Gov. Ron DeSantis “Don’t Say Gay”  law.

“It’s very scary, and I’m praying and sending my love, thoughts and prayers to my friends back in Florida who are going through this really tough time,” she said.

Riverdale Pride event

In greater Riverdale, on Sunday, June 4, Riverdale Pride was organized by Laura Levine-Pinedo and her 4Bronx Project.

Supported by The Mayor’s Office of Community Affairs, people came as far as Connecticut and Brooklyn to join the event, and in total drew more than 400 people. There was also live music, performances, and local officials. In addition drag queens  Kelly Kaboom, Jahiyrah McQueen, Alexa DuMont, and Zalina Duva performed.

Levine-Pinedo is still figuring out how much funds her organization raised at the event. Although, the leftovers will go to an LGBTQ+ carnival at the concourse house in a women and children’s shelter on July 1

KRVC, Riverspring, Rivers Edge, Compass Real Estate, Riverdale Country School and Priscilla Borin Real Estate were top-tier sponsors.

“I have to say the feeling that people said about pride, they could just feel like love —there was so much love there,” Levine-Pinedo said. “The community was really pleased with it and very happy about it.

I don’t know how I’m going to top this next year. It was a family-friendly event which this year we need more than ever.

It was important to show the queer communities that we’re with them because it can be a very scary time right now for people with all this controversy going on.

“But at the end of the day, we’re all people, and we all deserve to be treated with love and respect, and love.”

Riverdale Pride was founded by Levine-Pinedo and Mike Gabert in 2022 to bring support for the LGBTQ+ community.