The Bronx Borough President's Office held an event yesterday honoring Bronx Pride Day and we weren't invited (just kidding!).At the event, according to a press release, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. met with Lisa Winters, Executive Director of The Bronx Community Pride Center, and "discussed their shared agenda for the Bronx LGBT community, including topics such as equal access to borough services and future funding for LGBT initiatives."
Mr. Diaz also presented a proclamation to the organization.
It's a far cry from June of 2006, when Ms. Winters was accusing former Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrión of making it impossible to host a pride event in the Bronx by making it difficult to obtain a permit. At the time she said that if City Council Speaker Christine Quinn had not stepped in at the last minute, the event would have had to been canceled ("LGBT Pride controversy in the Bronx?" June 29, 2006). Mr. Diaz was elected Borough President in April when a special election was held to replace Mr. Carrion who vacated the office in February to join the Obama administration.
Mr. Diaz, of course, is also the son of State Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr., perhaps the best known Latino anti-gay politician in the state. Recently we featured an interview that Diaz, Jr. did on NY1 Noticias in which he discussed his father ("Ruben Diaz, Jr. on his father's homophobia" July 18, 2009) and uploaded a translated YouTube video of the exchange.
As for the date of this year's Bronx Pride Festival, the Pride Center says that it's been scheduled for August 22nd - with more details to come - and will feature headline performer Crystal Waters.
Pictured above, from left to right, Demetrius McCord of the Bronx Community Pride Center, Borough President Diaz and Ms. Winters (photo from the Bronx Borough President's Office).
Related:
- Bronx Borough President's Office's site here
- Bronx Beep, son of anti-gay crusader, issues pro-gay proclamation (The Village Voice, July 30, 2009)