Queens College hosts CUNY Pridefest celebration of diversity and inclusion

Queens College hosts the sixth annual CUNY Pridefest on Friday, June 9, 2023.

Photo by Paul Frangipane

Students, faculty and staff from 25 CUNY college campuses celebrated their pride at the sixth annual City University of New York (CUNY) Pridefest at Queens College on Friday, June 9. 

The event, held at the Queens College Dining Hall, featured musical, dance, DJ and drag performances, stilt walkers, face painting, a photo booth, a Pride in the Sky activity and much more. 

There was a special fundraiser to benefit the AIDS Center of Queens County, the largest provider of HIV/AIDS services in the borough serving over 10,000 HIV clients and 30,000 community residents in five sites throughout the borough. 

Mayor Eric Adams presented a proclamation to the CUNY LGBTQIA+ Consortium, a CUNY-wide committee of faculty and staff dedicated to supporting the intersectional LGBTQI+ communities across the university system. 

JC Carlson, associate director of the CUNY LGBTQIA+ Consortium and founder of CUNY Pridefest, reflected on CUNY’s largest Pride celebration. 

“I can’t believe that it is six years that we have been celebrating our pride together,” Carlson said. “Last year was back in person, but this year is even better because we opened our gates to invite the city of New York to celebrate pride with us.”

In his remarks, Carlson noted the “record numbers of hate-fueled legislation” targeting the community and the importance of coming together to stand against hate. 

“In the beginning of this journey, we were seeing great strides in equality and then saw those rights being rolled back. Pride is a party, pride is personal, but pride is also a protest,” Carlson said. “It’s important to show up in moments like this to remind the haters that we are unstoppable. Proud Boys don’t belong at Pridefest. Hate never wins and we are the people of pride. This is our space and no one shuts us down.” 

Jay Hershenson, Queens College’s vice…