Cherry Grove celebrated Pride on the sunny afternoon of June 25. It was the community’s 13th annual parade, organized by Violet Letter publisher Denise Harbin and dockmaster Paul Jablonski, and there was an extra special reason to celebrate: the New York State Legislature’s passage and Governor Andrew Cuomo’s signing, the previous night, of a law making same-sex marriage legal at last in the Empire State!
Grove organizations and businesses were represented, the Fire Department was there, and there were a lesbian contingent in a rainbow of hues and a leather contingent, of Messrs. Fire Island Leather and friends, marching behind the Leather Pride flag. Sherri Rase proudly led the parade, carrying the American flag, Lorraine Michels was Miss Gay Pride, and Bud Hendrickson was Mr. Gay Pride.
A panel of judges, including Dan Evans and Jim Kelly, awarded eight prizes to participants: Best Float went to Dune Point, winning a gift certificate to Cherry’s; Best Group went to the Arts Project of Cherry Grove’s (APCG) Camp Fire Island contingent, including Homecoming Queen YaNeeda Dunes, winning a gift certificate to Island Breeze; Best Individual was Don Robb, as Lady Gardener’s evil sister, winning a Grove Market gift certificate; Gayest! was Lorraine Michels, getting a gift certificate for Top of the Bay; Most Colorful was Color Us Gay, the rainbow lesbian contingent, winning a bar tab at the Ice Palace; Worst, but encouraged to try harder next year, was Jumping Jack’s Seafood Shack, winning back its own gift certificate; the Most Green—Save our gay earth prize was won by the Ice Palace, featuring Logan Hardcore in emerald green and Miss Grove Hotel crown, winning APCG tickets; and Most Resourceful use of unusual materials was Cherry’s, including Miss Fire Island Sabel Scities, awarded a gift certificate to the Grove Market.