HARLEM — Pride Week is approaching and the neighborhood is ready with a range of events, including an LGBT-friendly Sunday church service, a boozy river cruise, a film festival screening and an outdoor dance party.
"I think our lineup is more of a lineup of cultural events as opposed to a list of parties to go to every night," said Carmen Neely, a member of Harlem Pride. "It’s Uptown so it’s a completely different feel than all of the other prides in the city."
Harlem's Pride Week — now in its sixth year — will start with a worship service at St. Phillip's Church on 204 West 134th St. From its inception, the festival has always kicked off with a prayer, Neely said.
“A lot of our members don’t do church because they have been made to feel inadequate or less than in the past,” she said. “Spirituality in our community is a very important thing and we do have churches that are open and affirming here in Harlem.”
Over the years Harlem Pride has become an important event for the African American LGBT community, particularly in places where they are not comfortable expressing themselves in public, said Manny Rivera a member of Community Board 10's LGBT task force.
“I’m finding a lot of people around the country coming to Harlem Pride,” he said. “A lot of people from Atlanta and southern states that don’t have a big LGBT presence. I’m seeing a lot of people who can’t celebrate openly in other states.”
Not only does it support Harlem's LGBT community but it stimulates the local economy as well, he added.
The week's diverse events are meant to appeal to everyone, from family-friendly parties, somber memorial services and cultural events.
Some of those events include the screening of “Dolares De Arena,” a movie about an older French woman who falls in love with a young Dominican woman being shown at the Dominican Film Festival, and a night at the Apollo to watch "Invisible Life," a musical about a college athlete struggling to come to terms with his identity.
The parties include a river cruise on the Hudson June 26, an outdoor party that features live music and local vendors at Jackie Robinson Park on June 27, and a closing party at Cove Lounge on Lenox Avenue on June 28.
Although Harlem Pride has grown over the years — the inaugural celebration was a three day affair compared to this year's eight — the organizers still honor their Harlem roots.
An important part of Harlem Pride is to honor members of the LGBT community who have passed away, Neely said.
When families of gay men and women are not accepting of their lifestyle, they sometimes exclude their gay friends away from attending the funeral services, she said.
“They don’t always follow the wishes of burying the person as who they were instead they bury them as how their family wishes to see them,” she said. “There are plenty of stories of families not allowing their lovers to be at the funeral.”
