What do the numbers 28 and 50 have in common? More than mathematicians may believe! This year marks the 28th Annual Celebration for Jersey Pride, Inc and the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, which is widely considered to be the beginning of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement in the United States. And while the sad truth is that we are still fighting for many of the rights that we were fighting for 50 years ago, Jersey Pride adopted the InterPride international theme of A Million Moments of Pride to celebrate all that has been won and to commemorate those who helped make those rights possible.
Some folks feel that Pride celebrations come about organically, like the perennial flowers we plant in our gardens. The seeds are there, so why should we work on it? The actual truth is that Pride organizers like Jersey Pride start planning next year’s celebration on the heels of the most recent one. Plans for this year’s Jersey Pride actually began last Autumn, with major planning happening through the Winter Holidays. Many of the acts you see onstage, whether those just beginning their careers or those in the midst of their power, book several months in advance. This year Jersey Pride had two headliners–the chanteuse who got her start on Fire Island, the lovely France Joli, and the darlings of “The L Word,” BETTY!
The forecast for Sunday, June 2 had been gloomy for the entire week prior to the event. However, Sunday dawned beautifully in line with the positive vibes that Jersey Pride that requested from attendees. Ultimately, despite sometimes threatening skies, there were only three raindrops the entire day. Food and merchandise vendors, organizations and groups, and amusements for the youngest rainbow folk began set up shortly after sunrise. The stage was adorned with Jersey Pride’s portion of the Stadtlander Flag–the mile-long flag that had been part of NYC’s March in 1994 for Stonewall 25! After the event, it was made into smaller portions that Pride organizations could apply for and Jersey Pride’s has been a treasured part of our Rally stage ever since. Against that brightly colored rainbow, we remembered our warriors, including the late Babs Casbar Siperstein, a groundbreaking transgender activist, who now has a law named in her honor, permitting trans people to have the correct gender on their birth certificate! Congressman Frank Pallone addressed the crowd as did the luminaries, movers and shakers of Asbury Park and Monmouth and Ocean Counties. Also, we were all asked to join the final push toward the cure of HIV/AIDS, as we are finally poised to defeat this epidemic.
The Rally stage kicked off with MC Sandra Valls–comedian, playwright, actor singer–she's the whole package! She started the day with the beautifully colorful Paper Mill Playhouse Broadway Show Choir, under the direction of Shayne Austin Miller. This dazzling group of performers brought their own rainbow and left the audience with an even higher expectation than before. We had bands including the Green Planet Band, a family affair with Mom and kids, kicking it with favorites like “Piece of my Heart” as you’ve never heard it before. The Random Hubiak was up next, with his literate lyrics and clear, beautiful tenor voice. Anjelia Pelay told stories with her guitar, Jamie LeRose gave us the story of her life in dance music and lyrics, Dezi 5 pumped it up with mad moves and two gorgeous dancers, then VIRAGO gave us guitar, drums and horns par excellence! France Joli gave us a combination of her greatest hits and her take on others’ hits, while she charmed the Pride audience holding each one of us in the palm of her hand. The love between star and audience was palpable. Lady Celestina gave us spark, color, and glamour, with dancers of her own, and BETTY brought us back to the politics of Pride. Ultimately, J-LINE gave us the full measure of the day, pulling out all the stops with his dancers and his hot vocals. Truly, in the span of an afternoon, we had more than a Million Moments of Pride, with many more to come.
The sun sank slowly in the west, making sun dogs on the way down, as the sea reminded us she is always present, a huge part of Jersey Pride. We cleaned up the park, and if you would like some copies of the Jersey Pride magazine, let me know. This year’s articles are especially memorable.
Next year, volunteer with Jersey Pride and see Pride from the inside! You’ll become part of a family and create events and memories. First Sunday in June, y’all! See you in Asbury Park!