Crowds Turn Up for the Bushwick Pride March

Despite the pouring rain, more people than ever turned up for the fourth annual Bushwick Pride March and Barbeque. Irene Tung of Globe, Make the Road New York’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) group, who participated in organizing the Pride March, said that about 160 paraders marched for the parade and many spectators cheered and showed interest in volunteer work for the organization.

For the past four years Bushwick Pride March and Barbeque has put a spotlight on the LGBT community in Bushwick, a notoriously conservative community. But this year, the Bushwick Pride event attracted a large crowd of immigrant and other human rights activists because of the murder of Jose Sucuzhanay. Sucuzhanay was bashed to death with a baseball bat by Keith Phoenix last December when he was walking home holding his brother’s arm. Before murdering Sucuzhanay, Phoenix and his companions yelled out gay and immigrant slurs.

“[Because of the horrible tragedy] we were able to bring together immigrant rights groups and a lot more human rights folks,” said Tung.

The events are held in the neighborhood to honor LGBT Pride Month, June, and to commemorate the victims of hate crimes that have been beaten or murdered in Bushwick.

Karina Claudio-Betancourt of Globe, who co-organized the Pride events, said that education is the best way to prevent violence against LGBT people. This year the paraders marched to oppose police brutality and hate and violence and to support gay marriage and equal rights.

Claudio-Betancourt said the attendance this year was greater than ever and the cheering and applauding from the community that has historically been so hostile toward LGBT individuals “felt really good.”

“Instead of rejection, closing of doors and windows, the community is becoming more involved,” said Claudio. “We felt safer to out, safer to be visible.”

Tung said that the Pride celebration highlighted the increase of the LGBT community in Bushwick.

“You may not like us, but there is a lot of us here and you’re going to have to deal with it,” said Tung. “We’re not going to run and hide no matter what.”