July 17, 2024

Bayard Rustin Center Shares Gratitude For Sixth Annual Princeton Pride Event

To the Editor:
During the hottest day of the year, we threw the coolest Pride. Princeton’s Sixth Annual Pride Parade and After-Party on June 22 was everything our community needed and deserved, a true celebration of queer joy, as meaningful as it was inspirational and fabulous!

Thousands of us marched, sashayed, and rolled through the beautiful Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood on our way to an empowering and entertaining After-Party at the YMCA. We couldn’t have asked for better syncopation for our mobilization than the wonderful Empress Winter Guard! Thank you to Lt. Ben Gering and the entire Princeton Police Department for showing support and keeping us safe, along with Keshon and Mike at the YMCA for so warmly welcoming us to your gorgeous green space. Much love and respect to our Grand Marshal Walter Naegle, Sen. Andrew Zwicker, Mayors Mark Freda (Princeton) and Reed Gusciora (Trenton), Mercer County Executive Dan Benson, Princeton Council members, and trans-activist Miles Gorman for marching with us in solidarity at the Parade and sharing inspirational remarks at the After-Party.

Further kudos to Frank Mahood who organized a strong contingent of Princeton’s first gay rights organization, Gay People Princeton, celebrating their 50th anniversary. Our Queens Miss Stonewall Inn Cissy Walken and ByancaRaye Lovestorm-Prime not only represented in fabulous fashion, but also rocked the house with amazing performances at the After-Party. We were serenaded by the talented Olive Joseph who opened the show and our Pride headliner the jovial Jill Sobule who closed out the program with a fantastic set. Above all else, we want to share our gratitude, love, and respect with the thousands of community members who joined us from across the country to brave the elements and celebrate queer joy! The love and support that each person brought made the day truly incredible.

Princeton’s Pride Parade would not have been the magical day it was without the strong support of community, business, religious leaders, our own extraordinary Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice (BRCSJ) volunteers (over 50 strong!), state and local dignitaries, elected officials, and of course our fire, safety, health, and police departments, who went above and beyond to serve and protect in a truly affirming way. Although the names are too numerous to mention here in print, please know that you helped to create something monumental that will carry on for years to come. Don’t forget to stop by our dedicated LGBTQIA safe space at BRCSJ headquarters on 12 Stockton Street, so we can express our gratitude in person.

In the meanwhile, we invite our entire community to carry forth the message of love, diversity,  inclusivity next year, so save the date with a big rainbow heart for Princeton Pride 2025 on Saturday, June 14!

Thanks again to everyone who showed up and glowed up at Pride, and for allowing us to be of service each and every day.

Sara Wasserman, Ph.D.
Queer Educator and Local Community Organizer
Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice
Stockton Street