On June 26, Cherry Grove celebrated the 52nd anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion, start of the late 20th century Gay and Lesbian rights movement, with its own 23rd annual Pride Parade, begun on the 30th anniversary of Stonewall.
With Homecoming Queen 2021 Davida presiding, the organizations Arts Project of Cherry Grove (APCG), headed by Invasion founder Thom “Panzi” Hansen, and Cherry Grove Community Organization, Inc. (CGCAI), led by Diane Romano, organizers of the parade, were present, as were the Garden Club, Cherry Grove volunteer Fire Department (CGFD), and Northwell Health, which runs the Doctor’s Office. The Suffolk County Police LGBTQ Society had a contingent for the first time.
Businesses participating included Top of the Bay restaurant, the Ice Palace and, for the first time in years, Belvedere Guesthouse for Men. There was, as is customary, a Leather contingent, made up of Mr. Fire Island Leather titleholders and our friends, Bruce Michael Weitzmon, known as Bruce Michael the Second, the reigning Mr. FI Leather (2019); Mark Nayden (2012), my spouse Joe Saporito (2005), and me (2001, the first); with Wendy Lewis, Dawn Cookler, and Excelsior MC Vice-President Mike Desanto.
Robin Byrd was there from Fire Island Pines, as were pillars of the Grove community Bob “Rose” Levine; Paul Jablonski, who founded the Grove Pride Parade with the late Amelia Migliaccio; Gay Nathan and Julie Paradise; Warren Boyd Wexler and Dick Webster; Dr. Anna Tirado and Henriette Van Woerkum Grul; and Susan Ann Thornton and Nancy Adams. Lee Sharmat was there, playing her euphonium.
A new component of the Grove’s Pride celebration was a house decorating contest, which, Davida announced on the dock, was won by Seascape, which featured a huge paint brush giving forth with sheer cloth streamers in rainbow colors.
photo captions & credits:
all photos by Bruce-Michael Gelbert except as noted
1.Homecoming Queen 2021 Davida
2 & 3. Suffolk County Police LGBTQ Society
4. APCG
5. Bruce Michael Weitzmon & Mike De Santo
7. Ray Bagnuolo
8. Summer
9. Robin Byrd
10.decorated for Pride
11.Rosemary & Marianne
12.Leather contingent: Dawn Cookler, Messrs. Fire Island Leather 2001 Bruce-Michael Gelbert & 2019 Bruce Michael Weitzmon, Excelsior MC VP Mike Desanto, Mr. FI Leather 2012 Mark Nayden, Wendy Lewis & Mr. FI Leather 2005 Joe Saporito
photo by Koitz
13. Anna & Henriette
14. APCG, Davida & CGCAI
15. CGFD
16. dancers on the dock
17. Beach DeBree
18. Garden Club
19. Top of the Bay
20. Lee Sharmat & euphonium
21. Porsche & Chuck & Ice Palace float
22. Todd Yeager
23. Warren Boyd Wexler & Dick Webster
24. Nancy Adams & Susan Ann Thorton
25. Northwell Health
26. Belvedere
27 & 28 Seascape
29. Julie Paradise & Gay Nathan
30. Bruce Michael Weitzmon, Davida & Mike DeSanto
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