2 3 Brooklyn Pride Mission Statement Brooklyn Pride, Inc. strives to increase visibility, acceptance, and inclusion to ensure equality for the LBGTQIA+ Community honoring the Spirit of the Stonewall Riots. Brooklyn Pride 159 20th Street • Brooklyn, NY 11232 PO Box 150508 • Brooklyn, NY 11215 PARADE PARTICIPANTS 718-928-3320 [email protected] as of print time...more to come! www.BrooklynPride.org Achievement First Public Charter Schools Connect With Us! AIDS Healthcare Foundation Facebook: BrooklynPrideInc Ali Forney Center Twitter: @brooklyn_pride Antique Automobile Association Instagram: brooklyn_pride Brooklyn Pride Brooklyn Public Library Cheer New York Board of Directors Dignity, New York 5th Prospect Park Scouts Co Chairs First Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn Jamie Farnam & Mickey Heller First Unitarian Congregational Society of Brooklyn Secretary Gay Men’s Health Crisis Tyler Evertsen Good Shepherd Services Hetrick Martin Institute Members at Large Kings County Pipes & Drums Mohammad Hamad Lesbian Herstory Archives Ariel Sanders Metropolitan Community Church of New York New Kings Democrats Brooklyn Pride Committees New York City Comptroller New York City Fire Department Diversity & Inclusion New York City Mayor Mohammad Hamad, Chair, Ron B, Erika New York City Pride Light Bright, Francisco Lazala, Verna Martin, New York City Public Advocate Pauline Park, Daniel Puerto Prospect Park Women’s Softball League Queens Pride 5K Run Rainbow Heights Club Mickey Heller, Joanna Hoffman, John Solano Sanctuary for Families Seeking Asylum & Finding Empowerment Festival Committee Sirens Women’s Motorcycle Club Jamie Farnam, Ariel Sanders, and Stonewall Democrats Stephen Sheffer TARAB NYC The Brooklyn Pride Guide is published by Brooklyn Pride, Pride Guide Inc. Reproduction or use of editorial or advertising contents in any manner without the permission of Brooklyn Pride, Inc. Editor: Mickey Heller is strictly prohibited. Publication in the Newsletter or Guide of the name or photograph of any person or organization is Writer & Copy Editor: Godwin Chu not to be construed as any indication of sexual orientation Design and Layout: Rori Baldari or opinions of said person or organization. Brooklyn Pride, Inc. shall not be held responsible for any typographical or re - Production: Signature Litho, Inc. production errors provided by the advertisers. © 2018 Brooklyn Pride, Inc., Brooklyn, New York 4 5 6 7 8 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Jamie Farnam Ariel Sanders Co-Chair This Brooklyn native is Jamie Farnam is a Jersey super honored to be a girl transplanted to Brook - part of Brooklyn Pride for lyn 11 years ago. She cur - a 3rd year in a row, and a rently resides in Park Slope board member for the first and loves how eclectic the time. Being raised by her borough’s neighborhoods parents to always be are. She is a non-profit warm, friendly and helpful, professional dedicated to coupled with strong community service values in - LGBTQIA+ causes, and is so excited to have stilled by the Quaker High School education she been able to merge these two passions by work - received, Ariel could not be more excited to be ing with Brooklyn Pride for five years. It has been representing an organization that represents 2 of her tremendous honor to serve as co-chair of her biggest loves – Pride and Brooklyn! the board of Brooklyn Pride, Inc. for its 22nd year. She wishes to say a huge Thank You to all of the Tyler Evertsen volunteers and supporting partners. Without Secretary these folks pride simply does not happen. A giant Tyler has led a very adven - XO to Jeana P for all of her love, hard work, and turous and eclectic life, and support for Brooklyn Pride. You are the most the road that has brought amazing wife, gardener, and doggie mamma any him to Brooklyn has been flower could ask for!!! fraught with both highs and lows. However, at this time, Mickey Heller as he pursues his Ph.D., teaches at two colleges in New York, and seeks a few precious moments to Co-Chair venture into the community, he is content with Mickey Heller, a Native contributing his time and energy to keeping Brook - New Yorker from the lyn Pride a success. The artist formerly known as Bronx, has spent the last 35 Tyler Alyxander, he has discharged the heels and years in Brooklyn. A grad - dresses and is currently honing his skills in comedy. uate of the HS of Music & Only time will tell where the new paths that are Art, Hunter College and presently being tackled will lead. Brooklyn Law School, Mickey has been practicing law for over 25 years. A founding board member Mohammad Hamad of the Brooklyn Community Pride Center, Mickey Prior to joining the board of has been doing volunteer work for a number of Brooklyn Pride in 2015, Mo - non-profit organizations, but says he is proudest hammad volunteered as a Stage of his work with Brooklyn Pride, Inc. He began Manager during the summer of with Brooklyn Pride, Inc. driving former Brooklyn 2014. He originally moved to Borough President Marty Markowitz’ parade New York from Boston to pur - truck/float in 2007 and 2008. That led to volun - sue graduate studies in sociol - teering in 2009 on the parade and 5K Run, and in ogy and remains invested in 2010 he became, and currently serves, as the Pa - making quality education acces - rade Coordinator. Mickey became Co-Chair of sible to undeserved people and Brooklyn Pride in 2012, Chair from 2013-2015 communities. Aside from his and is thrilled to be working with Jamie Farnam involvement as a board member, Mohammad is the as Co-Chairs in 2016, 2017 and again for 2018. chair of our inaugural Diversity & Inclusion Commit - Mickey also serves on the board of the Piper The - tee, which aims to integrate and empower the most atre Company, returning to the stage last summer marginalized voices in the LGBTQIA+ community. in their production of “Priscilla” and this summer Beyond Brooklyn Pride, he is an activist in the global in “Peter Pan”. Finally, Mickey has been proud to movement for Palestinian human rights, enjoys the serve as the Fifth Avenue BID’s “official” Park s arts and plays the violin. Slope Santa for the past four years. 9 PARADE MC Stage MCs cont’d Ron B clubs, bars and venues to Ron B is a nationally talk to people about the known transgender importance of safe sex. actor and activist who Robyn has also released 2 sits on three national EPs and her first full- committees for length album ‘JAW - SAG/AFTRA, executive BREAKER’ on May 4th, producer and host of 2018. “No Boundaries: Up Close and Personal” on Spectrum Television, celebrity tribute artist ("Tina Dominick Turner"), and Official MC of the Brooklyn Pride Parade. She served on the national LGBT Com - McClellan mittee for nine years and currently serves on the I’m Dominick, my friends national Native Americans Committee. Ron is the and family call me Nick longtime host of the original LGBT Expo and was or Dom . I’m a 28-year- recently appointed to the SAG/AFTRA EEO and old native New Yorker. I Diversity Committee. She is a former Grand Mar - started my studies in shal for Staten Island Pride and Brooklyn Pride Hospitality Management and the first transgender MC/Host for the City in New York, then relocated to Florida to further Council LGBT Pride Celebration. Ron was also my studies. I am now a hospitality professional recently appointed to serve on the 25th annual who plans and hosts unique yet amazing events Screen Actors Guild Awards Theatrical Motion on the water. I spent the past 3 1/2 Years traveling Picture Nominating Committee. internationally and domestically to places such as Hong Kong, Thailand, Russia, France, and Peru just ASST. PARADE MC to name a few, experiencing the culture and all that those countries have to offer. Now that I’m Melanie Morgan back in New York, I must say there’s no LGBTQ community like the one here in New York, espe - Parade Assistant MC cially Brooklyn! Melanie Morgan has worked in arts and en - Ernest Mingo tertainment for over 20 Ernest Mingo is an 18-year-old, years, most recently as a Queer, Non-Binary artist. Production Coordina - Born and raised in Harlem, tor/Instructor at Manhat - they have always looked to be tan Neighborhood a major part of multiple differ - Network (MNN). She also served as a videogra - ent LGBTQ+ spaces, spear - pher/photographer on the long-running television heading LGBTQ+ events at show, No Boundaries: Up Close and Personal, their school as well as being a hosted by actor and celebrity tribute artist, Ron frequent member of the LGBTQ+ Center Youth B, whom she'll be assisting in announcing the var - space in Manhattan. In addition to performing ious groups marching in this year's Brooklyn Pride overall, they take pride in taking part in queer Parade. productions. Recently performing as Zaza, the lead in a school production of the musical La STAGE MCs Cage Aux Folles. Ernest has also choreographed a Vogue piece for a Dance Concert. Thanks to Robyn Banks this exposure, they have been offered opportuni - Robyn Banks was born and raised in Harlem New ties to choreograph Off-Broadway productions York. During her graduating year at Harvey Milk where they tackle Vogue, Afro-Caribbean, and step High School she discovered drag. Since then, choreography in which they hope will launch Robyn has used her platform to not only perform them towards being able to be apart of Broadway but to educate the youth about safe sex and sex production teams. [email protected] education. She has traveled to different school, s 10 11 GRAND MARSHALS 2018 The Howard-Jennings Family Drag Queen Story Hour Norma Jean Jennings is a founding board member Drag Queen Story Hour is just what it sounds of Brooklyn Community Pride Center, and a like—drag queens reading stories to children in board member of Center for Anti-Violence Edu - libraries, schools, and community spaces.