Councilman Daniel Dromm and Flushing Town Hall hosted a special celebration of LGBT pride at the Queens Center Mall Monday.
Dromm recognized former state Senator Thomas Duane, the first openly HIV positive and the first openly gay man elected to public office in New York; Lindsey Duel, director of Generation Q, one of the few LGBT youth service organizations in the city; and activist and social worker Brian Romero, who have all contributed greatly to the LGBTQ rights movement over the years.
“It was a thrill to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion alongside so many LGBTQ leaders at Queens Center mall,” said Dromm, who chairs the Council’s LGBT Caucus. “This year’s honorees have all done so much to drive our movement forward in their own special and unique ways. It was a pleasure to recognize their work publicly.”
The event is held annually at the Queens Center mall as a kickoff to Pride Month in June. The 27th Queens Pride Parade and Festival, also known as the Lavender Line, will step off Sunday, June 2, in Jackson Heights. That march is the second-largest pride event in the city, known for helping young people, in the midst of a gender identity crisis, find a community where they can be comfortable in their own skin.
“Artistic Expression is one of the best ways for people to reveal their true selves, and communicate our humanity to each other,” Flushing Town Hall Deputy Director Sami Abu Shumays said. “At Flushing Town Hall, we’re honored to be able to partner with Council member Dromm to recognize the social and cultural achievements of LGBT individuals and others.”
