Dromm, Flushing Town Hall Kick Off LGBT Pride Season at Queens Center Mall

UsaNewsOnline.Com Desk, Elmhurst, NY – Yesterday NYC Council Member Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights, Elmhurst) and Flushing Town Hall hosted a special celebration of LGBT Pride at Queens Center Mall. Sponsored by Queens Center, the event featured a passed-hors d’oeuvres reception and performances by poet Davidson Garrett (a.k.a. King Lear of the Taxi), International Contemporary Dancer Xiang Xu, and R&B Vocalist Alfa Anderson (formerly of Chic). Flushing Town Hall curated and produced the evening’s performances.
At the event, Dromm recognized LaGuardia & Wagner Archives Director Dr. Richard K. Lieberman, Drag Queen Story Hour, and Queens Pride Co-chairs Tina Arniotis and Monique “Mo” George, who have all contributed greatly to the LGBT rights movement over the years. Dromm also paid special tribute to journalist Mark Lord for his journalistic accomplishments. Lord has frequently profiled LGBT activists and has covered important LGBT events throughout his career.
Gift bags were generously provided by the Queens Chamber of Commerce.
“I was delighted to celebrate the LGBTQ community’s many accomplishments alongside a host of activists, performers and community supporters at Queens Center Mall,” said Dromm, who chairs the Council’s LGBT Caucus. “This year’s honorees have all opened hearts and minds across Queens in their own special and unique ways. It was a pleasure to recognize their work publicly. I thank Queens Center, Flushing Town Hall and all those in attendance for their contributions to this event and our movement at large.”
“We are incredibly honored to help Council Member Dromm celebrate the legacy of Pride in Queens,” said Ellen Kodadek, Executive and Artistic Director of Flushing Town Hall. “At Flushing Town Hall, we are committed to representing and celebrating all the diverse voices that make up our community – the spirit of inclusivity that Queens Pride represents is also core to our own mission. We’d like to congratulate the honorees, who have helped to make Queens a more open and welcoming environment, and we’d like to thank our fantastic performers, Alfa Anderson, Davidson Garrett, and Xiang Xu, whom we know will help us all reflect on the universality of the human spirit.”
“Queens Center was pleased to be the venue for Council Member Dromm’s celebration of LGBTQ pride,” said John Scaturro, Senior Marketing Manager for Queens Center Mall. “What a wonderful opportunity to share in the pride of our entire community and how far we have come. Celebrating LGBTQ Pride in such a public space is testament to that progress. And so we are proud to partner with Council Member Dromm as part our mission to be an active corporate participant in our local community.”
(PHOTO CAPTION (left to right) – Flushing Town Hall Deputy Director Sami Abu Shumays, Council Member Daniel Dromm, R&B Vocalist Alfa Anderson and Queens Center Senior Marketing Manager John Scaturro celebrate LGBT Pride at Dromm’s annual event at Queens Center Mall.

PHOTO CAPTION (left to right) – Joseph P. Addabbo Family Health Center CEO Marjorie J. Hill, Council Member Daniel Dromm, Queens Pride Co-chair Tina Arniotis, LGBT Network CEO David Kilmnick, R&B Vocalist Alfa Anderson, Queens Center Senior Marketing Manager John Scaturro and other attendees dance the night away at Dromm’s LGBT Pride celebration at Queens Center Mall.) Press Release.