By Bill Parry
The Queens LGBT community lost a key figure in the borough’s fight for gay rights Saturday when Larry Lombardi died peacefully at the age of 83 in his Jackson Heights home.
Lombardi was the longtime board member and treasurer of the Lesbian and Gay Democratic Club of Queens. He was an active member of the Queens Center for Gay Seniors in Jackson Heights and Lombardi was also part of the Queens Lesbian and Gay Pride Committee, which runs the borough’s annual LGBT Pride Parade.
In June, before the so-called Lavender Line stepped off on its march, Lombardi paid tribute to Julio Rivera, the 29-year-old gay man whose brutal murder by a three members of a skinhead gang in 1990, sparked the movement in Jackson Heights.
“Larry was an amazing human being and he will be sorely missed by all who were lucky to know him,” City Councilman Daniel Dromm said. “Larry spent at least the last 26 years of his life fighting for the rights of LGBT people in Queens and beyond. He was a progressive fighter who took to the streets to fight for the things he believed in. He was active in LGBT causes until the very end. I was fortunate to spend time with Larry on Wednesday in the Queens Center for Gay Seniors. He was on oxygen but was in good spirits. Rest in peace my friend and ally.”
A memorial service honoring Lombardi will be held in January. Details will be forthcoming.
Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparr
