GayRidge, South Brooklyn’s premiere queer-celebration group, took over Owl’s Head Park this weekend for their vibrant Pride event.
Live musicians, drag performers and other artists lined “Pride Hill” overlooking the bay while supporters danced, sang and smiled their way through the park, celebrating themselves and each other. It was the organization’s third annual Pride event in southern Brooklyn.
“We are so thrilled that everyone here has come together to commemorate the ongoing struggle for LGBTQIA+ rights and celebrate queer culture in South Brooklyn,” McKenzie Keating, one of three co-directors for GayRidge told Brooklyn Paper.
Local community groups also showed up for the fun and to support the community with educational material and activities, including face painting, snacks and games. Even four-legged Brooklynites got involved, strutting their stuff in the Queer Pet March, and a lineup of queer musicians and artists — including Evangeline, Julie Her and Zoe Briskey — kept the party going. GayRidge Pride is a free and family-friendly event — and is the only Pride event in Bay Ridge. GayRidge hosted their first Pride celebration in 2022, and the group itself was founded online in 2020.
“We just want it to be a wonderful year,” said GayRidge co-director Liam Vogel.
Karen Tadross, founder and president of Bay Ridge Cares, the primary sponsor of the event, said the team was proud to attend as allies and advocates for the gay pride movement in Bay Ridge.
“We want everybody to know that this is a safe community for everyone to come and be who they are, to love who they want to love and to be proud of who they are,” Tadross said.
The organization launched on online fundraiser to support the event last month, and collected more than $2,700 from supportive neighbors.
“To me, this event is the culmination of all of our efforts throughout the year to bring people together,” Vogel told Brooklyn Paper. “We partner with local organization and businesses to create spaces for our community within southern Brooklyn. GayRidge Pride is about bringing all of that together into one amazing event right in our backyard.”
GayRidge hosts events throughout the year including monthly coffee hangs, group discussions that explore LGBTQ history and identity and holiday events. Co-directors said in all their celebrations, they aim to help the queer Brooklynites connect with one another and find a welcoming community.
(Update 06/03/2024 at 4:22 p.m.): This story has been updated to include a comment from Vogel.
