[title]
Every year, New York has one of the biggest Pride celebrations anywhere in the world, one that involves exciting programming all the way through June. This year, though, things are looking a bit different: NYC Pride just announced that it's cancelling two of its flagship summer events.
Heritage of Pride, the organization behind NYC Pride events, revealed that Pride Island, the annual flagship music festival, and Pride Rally, an event that involves community leaders discussing the most pressing LGBTQ+ issues of today, will not happen this year.
RECOMMENDED: NYC Pride 2024: guide, themes and dates
"We are still very much working in a 'post' COVID environment, taking into account the impact on our community and the city," Sandra Pérez, Heritage of Pride's Executive Director, told 1010 WINS/WCBS 880. "The cost of doing business has risen dramatically for everyone, that is no secret. While we may receive the same level of support from partners, it simply doesn’t cover all of the expenses we incur so we’ve had to reexamine key events."
She added that, to make up for the changes, Heritage of Pride will work on pushing LGBTQ+ programming throughout the year, and not just June.
If you've been to NYC Pride before, then you know that the cancellation of these two happenings is a pretty big deal.
Pride Island is a big music festival that happens on the last weekend of June and attracts some of the biggest names in music. In 2022, Pride Island took place on Governors Island and featured Lil' Kim and Kim Petras. The year after, the festivities took over the Brooklyn Army Terminal, with Christina Aguilera as the headliner.
Pride Rally, on the other hand, brings together activists and advocates to discuss some of the biggest topics and issues in the queer community. Last year, the event featured trans rights activist Raquel Willis and Sage Dolan-Sandrino.
It's important to note that Pride Rally is not the same thing as the citywide Pride march, which happens on the last Sunday of June, and is very much still happening this year.
Even though this isn't ideal news, don't despair: NYC Pride is still hosting many of its other flagship events, including TEAZE, bringing together New York City's most diverse queer parties into one space on June 22nd; Bliss Days, an event that focuses on queer women happening on June 30th at the DL; and PrideFest, an outdoor festival that features different exhibitors and food vendors.
Outside of Heritage of Pride events, June will still be jam packed with queer-adjacent festivities throughout the city, including drag brunches, queer plays and no shortage of parties.
And yet, it's hard not to mourn the loss of two of the most emblematic Pride events of the year, a development that speaks to a larger set of economic challenges that queer organizations are facing.
"We know from our colleagues that NY Pride is not alone—the investment in Pride organizations across the country is sorely lacking," said Pérez. "But here is the real challenge: while we have an economic impact in our communities, that isn’t reflected in the support we receive from city and state agencies and others who benefit from the work we do."