Every year since 1976, crossdressing Queens and Kings, titleholders, and other supporters from Cherry Grove have “invaded” Fire Island Pines on the Fourth of July, commemorating the time, during America’s Bicentennial, when Grove Queen Teri Warren, in drag, was refused service at entrepreneur John Whyte’s restaurant in the Pines, and a dozen of Teri’s Grove friends returned to avenge the slight, were not turned away, and declared victory.
Invasion has grown to include hundreds of participating revelers and is still coordinated by its founder, Homecoming Queen 1976-1977 Panzi, and is led by the reigning Grove Homecoming Queen, who this year is Victoria Falls, with her entourage. Red, white, and cobalt blue was her theme, the red supplied Imperial Court of New York members, the white by elegant Queen Victoria herself and by the reigning Emperor of New York, and the blue by the Queen’s ladies-in-waiting, as supported by “Tom Collins,” Wen-D Pinkhouse, and Messrs Fire Island Leather 2019 Bruce Michael the Second and 2001 this writer.
Other veteran Invaders present were the legendary Rose Levine, one of the participants in the original Invasion, and China. There was a British Invasion made up of Angela Smith and Sue Panzer and friends as English rock stars. Drag Repair was there keeping everybody shipshape. La Tormenta and Alexandra were there, winning a “Most Glamorous” award from the Fire Island Pines Property Owners Association, and Androgyny, whom I photographed with Michael Musto, winning FIPPOA’s “Miss Stoned Wall” award.

Every year since 1976, crossdressing Queens and Kings, titleholders, and other supporters from Cherry Grove have “invaded” Fire Island Pines on the Fourth of July, commemorating the time, during America’s Bicentennial, when Grove Queen Teri Warren, in drag, was refused service at entrepreneur John Whyte’s restaurant in the Pines, and a dozen of Teri’s Grove friends returned to avenge the slight, were not turned away, and declared victory.
Invasion has grown to include hundreds of participating revelers and is still coordinated by its founder, Homecoming Queen 1976-1977 Panzi, and is led by the reigning Grove Homecoming Queen, who this year is Victoria Falls, with her entourage. Red, white, and cobalt blue was her theme, the red supplied Imperial Court of New York members, the white by elegant Queen Victoria herself and by the reigning Emperor of New York, and the blue by the Queen’s ladies-in-waiting, as supported by “Tom Collins,” Wen-D Pinkhouse, and Messrs Fire Island Leather 2019 Bruce Michael the Second and 2001 this writer.
Other veteran Invaders present were the legendary Rose Levine, one of the participants in the original Invasion, and China. There was a British Invasion made up of Angela Smith and Sue Panzer and friends as English rock stars. Drag Repair was there keeping everybody shipshape. La Tormenta and Alexandra were there, winning a “Most Glamorous” award from the Fire Island Pines Property Owners Association, and Androgyny, whom I photographed with Michael Musto, winning FIPPOA’s “Miss Stoned Wall” award.

all photos by Bruce-Michael Gelbert, except where noted
Joan Van Ness & Lorraine Michels
Bruce Michael II, Victoria Falls & Bruce-Michael I, photo by Lorraine Michels
QueenVictoria Falls prepares to invade
Queen Victoria Falls (center) & entourage
Victoria Falls & Panzi
seeing the Invaders off
Drag Repair
Beach De Bree & YaNeeda Dunes
Queen Victoria Falls
Juicy & Chiclet
Chris Caswell & Matt Baney
Porsche & Davida
Pines welcomes Invader
Lorraine Michels & Robin Byrd
Panzi in the Pines
Victoria Falls in the Pines
Drag Repair in the Pines
Bruce Michael & Richie
(Michael & Dan)
contingent
Bruce Michael, Sister Effie & diabolical friend
Ms. Fire Island & escort at Sip 'n' Twirl
opera queens
July 4 revelers
Rose Levine
Victoria Falls
photographer Daniel Roberts & Victoria Falls
Imperial Court of New York group
Most Glamorous La Tormenta & Alex
Demi-Tasse & Bella
China
Bruce Michael & China
China & Victoria Falls
moneyed
Madison Mansfield (center) & friends
British Invaders & Panzi
British Invasion
Frank & Demi
Invaders
Michel Musto & Miss Stoned Wall Androgy
Sayville Ferry's Ken Stein & Invasion Founder Panzi