Sunday, June 25, 2023

Pride Month Celebrated On Roosevelt Island With RIOC Flag Raising And Special Multicolored Rainbow Setting At Historic Lighthouse - You're Invited To Celebrate Local Queer Community Art Exhibit This Week At RIVAA Gallery And Public Library

According to the The Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC):

Resident Thom Heyer reports on Roosevelt Island Pride Month celebration events this coming week.

CELEBRATE PRIDE MONTH ON ROOSEVELT ISLAND!

Hi Friends and Neighbors,

Please join Penny Gold and me at RIVAA Gallery (527 Main Street) this coming week starting Monday June 27 as we celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride on Roosevelt Island!  

There will be an art exhibit by local Queer artists on 6/26--7/2.  Events will include:

Mon. 6/26--6-9pm OPENING RECEPTION w/ entertainment featuring MJ Abdul

Tue. 6/27--6-7:30pm  Movie Nite at the Roosevelt Island Library
                    Showing "Keyboard Fantasies" (documentary)

Thu. 6/29--7-8:30pm  Dance and Poetry Nite 

Choreographer Cecilia Whalen & dancers from the renown Martha Graham School + plus local poets merge poetry and dance based on e.e. cummings poems.

Sun. 7/2--2-5:00pm  CLOSING RECEPTION w/ entertainment featuring MSTDA

Please show your support to your LGBTQ+ friends and take time to meet your other LGBTQ+ neighbors!  
I look forward to seeing you!

Mr Heyer adds:

Sometimes it's the unscripted moments that are the most unexpected and the most meaningful! That's what it was like on Friday 6/16/23 when RIOC had its PRIDE flag raising and Proclamation of June as PRIDE Month on Roosevelt Island.

The usual niceties and honors were generously bestowed by RIOC President Shelton Haynes. Penny Gold and I were even invited to say a few words because of our efforts in creating an upcoming PRIDE exhibit at RIVAA this year. 

It seems we had unintentionally become the LGBTQ+ Reps on Roosevelt Island! 

And then the REAL moment happened...
RIOC Public Safety Department (PSD) Inspector Suarez came up to the podium to say a few words. She has been an officer at PSD for 30 years and is now among their highest ranking officers. She told us that when she first started at PSD, there were two other gay women there besides herself. All three acknowledged one another, but remained somewhat distanced from one another, lest the merest "taint" of being Gay be whispered around work.

She remained closeted at work for ten years.

Then one day her boss took her aside privately and said that she should feel free to live her life openly because "he had her back".

As she told her story, tears filled her eyes and there wasn't a dry eye in the crowd!

Inspector Suarez is married to a wonderful wife of 22 years. She is a mother and a grandmother.....

She was also that unexpected gift to our LGBTQ+ community and the entire Roosevelt Island community that day! Here's to you, Inspector Suarez--CHEERS!

By ROOSEVELT ISLANDER at 8:15:00 PM

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