May 19, 2017 By Jason Cohen
The Jackson Heights Post Office will officially be renamed in honor of two late advocates for the LGBT community tomorrow.
The post office, located at 78-02 37th Avenue, will be named after Jeanne and Jules Manford, a couple who fought for equal rights for the LGBT community after their son, Morty, a gay rights leader was beaten in 1972 while protesting the media’s coverage of the gay rights movement.
Two months after Morty’s beating, Jeanne and Jules Manford walked alongside him in a gay liberation march, carrying a sign: “Parents of Gays: Unite in Support for Our Children.” From there, they formed a national organization called Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG)
Today the organization has more than 350 chapters and more than 200,000 members in all 50 states.
Rep. Joe Crowley and Flushing Postmaster John Lunghi will hold the dedication ceremony at the post office tomorrow.
Crowley passed legislation to rename the post office after the Manfords last year.
Jeanne Manford served as the first-ever grand marshal in the Queens Pride Parade. She passed away in January 2013.
The renaming starts at 1 pm.
