“It’s a celebration to commemorate the struggles and triumphs of our gay brothers and sisters that have truly helped us to get to this point. Just the name alone is synonymous with struggle,” Baptiste explains. Stonewall Pride has also become a major event for local politicians to show their sup- port for the LGBTQ+ community. Amid the floats and flags will be members of the city council of Wilton Manors, Wilton Manors Mayor Scott Newton, and Rep. Debbie Was- serman Schultz. In a city of 12,000, that’s a powerful statement. “Our Stonewall Pride Parade and Street Festival celebrates the importance of accep- tance and Pride that makes up the fabric of our community. We are excited to bring this event back once again to our city and invite everyone from near and far to come out and celebrate Pride with us,” Newton said in a press release. Wasserman Schultz was one of the peo- ple who were nearby at the start of last year’s festival when a truck that was lead- ing the parade accelerated unexpectedly, striking three participants and killing one of them. The victims and the driver were all members of the Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus; an investigation determined that despite initial rumors to the contrary, the collision was an accident. In a sense, last year’s tragedy is a meta- phor for the Stonewall Pride Parade and Fes- tival itself — a story of struggle and perseverance, all while courageously push- ing the envelope for communities that, as Baptiste notes, continue to be underrepre- sented, even at Pride. “When you look at Pride, you see so many men flocking to these locations and so many ads appealing to men. It’s nice to have a place where women feel accepted and can belong,” says Baptiste, discussing the decision to in- clude a women’s stage this time around. In many ways, Stonewall Pride’s trajectory mirrors that of Pride’s larger story. The inclu- sion of women, trans, and nonbinary people, and people of color in the face of national conflicts such as the overturning of Roe v. Wade, anti-trans laws, and police brutality, brings to mind an old gay battle cry: “We’re here! We’re queer! Get used to it.” Stonewall Pride Parade & Street Festival. 3 to 11 p.m. Saturday, June 18, at Wilton Drive be- tween NE 20th and 26th streets, Wilton Man- ors; stonewallpride.lgbt. Tickets cost $7 to $10. [email protected] 7 7 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com miaminewtimes.com | CONTENTS | LETTERS | RIPTIDE | METRO | NIGHT+DAY | STAGE | ART | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | | CONTENTS | LETTERS | NEWS | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | CAFE | MUSIC | MIAMI NEW TIMES NEW TIMES MONTH XX–MONTH XX, 2008 JUNE 16-JUNE 22, 2022 Photo courtesy of Stonewall Pride Photo courtesy of Stonewall Pride
