Black Pride 2003

By Keith Boykin, in sexuality
Friday, August 8 2003, 10:43AM

black gay men are not hard to reachAfter months of anticipation and uncertainty, Black Pride 2003 and Pride In The City 2003 went off without a hitch last weekend in New York. I attended several of the week's events. Here are some images from the festivities.

Last week was a very busy week in the community. I attended an HIV prevention conference in Atlanta, a black gay research summit in Brooklyn, an unofficial black pride party in Manhattan, a black LGBT picnic in Fort Greene Park, and a black LGBT beach party in Far Rockaway.

Meanwhile, the pope and the president spoke out on gay marriage, the New York Times Magazine and the Washington Post ran major stories on life on the down low, and the media just couldn't get enough of the gay world.

Despite all the recent hype and sensationalism about gays, lesbians and bisexuals, there is one part of the gay community that the mainstream media chose not to cover last weekend. That was Black Pride. I wrote about the disparity in media coverage in today's Gay City News.

In the meantime, here now are some images from Black Pride 2003 and Pride In The City 2003.

Russell Simmons and Rev. Run (center) meet Black Pride NYC and Verizon Youth Agenda participants.Def Jam founder Russell Simmons and Rev. Run of Run DMC meet Black Pride NYC and Verizon Youth Agenda participants. (Click on the photo to see a larger image.)









Students learn valuable technical and computer skills in the Black Pride 2003 Youth Technical Seminar.Students learn valuable technical and computer skills in the Black Pride 2003 Youth Technical Seminar. (Click on the photo to see a larger image.)









Thousands of black lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people turned up at Jacob Riis Beach on Sunday for the annual beach party.Thousands of black lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people turned up at Jacob Riis Beach on Sunday for the annual beach party, sponsored by Pride In The City this year. (Click on the photo to see a larger image.)









Revelers at Pride in the City dance under one of the tents put up by People of Color In Crisis (POCC).Revelers at Pride In The City dance under one of the tents put up by People of Color In Crisis. POCC provided HIV testing and counseling services at Fort Greene Park. (Click on the photo to see a larger image.)









Black Pride executive director Laurence Pinckney presents an award to Verizon's Vince Reed during Black Pride ceremonies.Black Pride executive director Lawrence Pinckney presents an award to Verizon's Vince Reed during Black Pride ceremonies. (Click on the photo to see a larger image.)