Crystal Waters, a musician best known for her ’90s dance hits “Gypsy Woman” and “100% Pure Love,” will be headlining the Queens Pride Parade on Sunday, June 5, in Jackson Heights.
Waters’ hit “100% Pure Love” debuted at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts and was one of the longest charting songs in history when it spent a total of 45 weeks on the charts.
She has participated in several AIDS benefit concerts and performed at pride festivals all across the country.
“We are excited to have Crystal Waters share her talents with us at Queens Pride,” said Andrew Ronan, co-chair of Queens Pride.
The theme of the parade, which starts at noon, will be “Pride Unites Us!/El Orgullo Nos Une” and grand marshals include Councilman Julissa Ferreras-Copeland, the AIDS Center of Queens County, and Jessica Stern, executive director of Outright Action International.
The parade will begin at 89th Street and 37th Avenue and end at 75th Street, where it disperses into a festival. Singers, comedians, drag acts and dance groups will take the stage at the Multicultural Festival component of the event held at 37th Road from 73rd to 77th streets. The festival begins at 11 a.m. and ends at 6 p.m.
Food vendors and business, community and social groups will also have a presence at the festival. The parade was founded in 1993 by Councilman Daniel Dromm in response to School District 24 President Mary Cummins’ refusal to adopt Board of Education curriculum that encourages students to be accepting of gay people.
In 1992, Dromm came out as an openly gay public school teacher. He also served as a former co-chair of Queens Pride.
“The Queens LGBT Pride Parade continues to spread the empowering message that we in the LGBT community are your family, friends and neighbors,” Dromm said. “For 24 years, this parade has opened the hearts and minds of Queens residents and has made the historic gains the LGBT has seen over the past several years possible.”
Last year, Mayor Bill de Blasio became the first mayor to serve as grand marshal in the parade.
For more information about the parade, click here.
Listen to Crystal Waters’ “Gypsy Woman (She’s Homeless)” below:
