NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) -- NYC Pride is getting a bit of a makeunder this year -- due in part to a handful of external factors beyond organizer Heritage of Pride, Inc.'s control -- with the Pride Rally and Pride Island concert being scrapped.
The organization's executive director, Sandra Pérez, told 1010 WINS/WCBS 880 in a statement Wednesday, "Considering the reality of the current economic, cultural and political climate and based on feedback from the NYC Pride, board, staff, volunteers and our community, Pride does look a bit different this year."
She continued, "Let me explain why. We are still very much working in a 'post' COVID environment, taking into account the impact on our community and the city. The cost of doing business has risen dramatically for everyone, that is no secret."
Last year's Pride Island celebration took places at the Brooklyn Army Terminal, and featured Christina Aguilera as the headliner. The rally, NYC's Pride's annual protest and activism event, took place outside NYC Pride's offices at 154 Christopher Street. In a statement last year, Pérez said, "As relevant and important as The March, The Rally is where diverse perspectives and calls to action from the LGBTQIA+ community coalesce into tangible moments of advocacy."
Pérez further explained that while partners and sponsors may have the funding for Pride events, it's just not enough to cover rising costs. So in lieu of a jam-packed June, NYC Pride is spreading out its coverage over the year.
"So, 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 said. "Our focus is on creating more and different programming that reflects and welcomes the full diversity of New York’s queer community. We are also moving to year round programming to uplift the visibility of our community and its partners throughout the year and not just in June."
But Pérez remained positive, channeling this year's NYC Pride theme of "Reflect. Empower. Unite."
"We know from our colleagues that NY Pride is not alone -- the investment in Pride organizations across the country is sorely lacking," she said. "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. We are very cognizant of challenges our organizations are facing in securing resources and are asking those who benefit from the work Pride organizations do to step up and acknowledge the economic impact of our events and those of the LGBTQ community by investing in us. As we prepare to commemorate the 55th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, there is no better time to show support.“