Tony-nominated actor Robin de Jesús named grand marshal of Pride March

By Marvin Pittman –

Greater Bridgeport Pride is fast approaching! RuPaul’s Drag Race queens Robin Fierce and Yuhua Hamasaki will headline the Unity in the Park festival at Wheeler Park, happening on June 22nd from 3:00-7:00 p.m. Tony-nominated actor and Norwalk native Robin de Jesús will join as grand marshal for the festival’s Pride March through the streets of downtown Bridgeport, which steps off at 2:00 p.m. from the painted steps at Broad and Elm streets.

The Leonard-Litz LGBTQ+ Foundation and the newly incorporated Bridgeport Pride Center present Greater Bridgeport Pride in its 14th year. Unity in the Park returns to Wheeler Park, at the corner of Golden Hill Street and Lafayette Square, after a successful inaugural edition in 2023. The free, family-friendly event will feature a variety of activities for people of all ages, including local vendors, food trucks, community and health services providers, games and performances.

The category is: Headliners! Sashay and shantay with RuPaul’s Drag Race alumni Robin Fierce and Yuhua Hamasaki as they burn up the stage and electrify the crowd. Robin, of Hartford, competed on season 15 of the five-time Emmy-winning reality competition series and was among the first queens in series history to represent Connecticut. Robin is known for powerhouse live vocals and show-stopping dance moves. Yuhua gained fame on season 10 of Drag Race and has appeared on numerous programs, including Saturday Night Live with Katy Perry. She is the recently crowned Miss Asia NYC, Miss Gay South Pacific, and a former Miss Fire Island, Miss Stonewall, and Miss Long Island Entertainer of the Year.

From Connecticut to Broadway, and back again! Tony Award-nominated actor Robin de Jesús joins Greater Bridgeport Pride as the grand marshal of this year’s Pride March. A Norwalk native, de Jesús delivered head-turning performances on Broadway in shows including In the Heights, Wicked, The Boys in the Band, Rent and La Cage Aux Folles. He also appeared in supporting roles in the Hulu series Welcome to Chippendales and the cult classic film Camp.

Bridgeport native Xiomarie LaBeija will host Unity in the Park for the second consecutive year. A drag entertainer known as Connecticut’s plus-sized dancing diva, Xio also is the state’s chapter mother of the legendary House of LaBeija drag family.

Greater Bridgeport Pride returns as a single day of activities on June 22nd after a two-day affair last year. The festival’s hallmark Pride March will officially kick off the day’s events at 2:00 p.m. Marchers will line up at 1:00 p.m. at the top of the painted steps at Broad and Elm streets, before traveling through downtown Bridgeport and finishing at Wheeler Park. Grand marshal Robin de Jesús will step off with community and business leaders, and various members of the LGBTQ+ community in the Bridgeport area and across Connecticut.

City Lights Gallery, the originator and longtime former operator of Greater Bridgeport Pride, remains at the heart of the festival. The gallery’s signature art exhibit OUTwork, which became the first-ever LGBTQ+ art exhibit in Fairfield County in 2010, will debut its 2024 edition during GBP. OUTwork explores gender, queer life, love and relationships, social justice, personal stories, and more.

Greater Bridgeport Pride 2024 will conclude with a thrilling Queer Dance Party. This night with a DJ and dancing will move up to an 8:00 p.m. start at Trevi Lounge, located at 548 Kings Hwy Cutoff in neighboring Fairfield.

Greater Bridgeport Pride 2024 Schedule

• 12:00-6:00 p.m. – OUTwork art show (City Lights Gallery)
• 2:00-3:00 p.m. – Pride March (1:00 p.m. lineup on Broad Street steps)
• 3:00-7:00 p.m. – Unity in the Park (Wheeler Park)
• 8:00 p.m. – Queer Dance Party (Trevi Lounge, Fairfield)

Greater Bridgeport Pride continues the Bridgeport Pride Center’s slate of events as the new organization continues its own “coming out,” with additional events scheduled during the week leading up to June 22nd. Bridgeport Pride Center board members and interim executive director Marcus Brown will be on hand for Bridgeport’s pride flag raising ceremony Monday, June 17th at 4:00 p.m. at the Margaret Morton Government Center, 999 Broad Street. A reception immediately follows at Gather Tap & Tavern, 155 State Street. A ribbon cutting and grand opening of BPC’s offices is scheduled Thursday, June 20th at 4:00 p.m., at 166 Elm Street. Later that night, BPC is collaborating with Circle Care Center and the Leonard-Litz Foundation to present a Pride Night performance of Rent at Black Rock Theater, 1935 Black Rock Turnpike in Fairfield.

Pride Week Schedule

• Monday, June 17th at 4:00 p.m. – Bridgeport pride flag raising (Margaret Morton Government Center)
• Thursday, June 20th at 4:00 p.m. – Bridgeport Pride Center ribbon cutting & grand opening (166 Elm Street)
• Thursday, June 20th at 7:30 p.m. – Rent Pride Night at Black Rock Theater (Fairfield)
• Saturday, June 22nd – Greater Bridgeport Pride

Recent BPC events have included a Family Paint Party and Teen Karaoke on May 11th at the Nest Arts Factory and hosting a panel discussion with Colorful Bridgeport on May 4th.

For more information, as well as updates for ongoing activities for Greater Bridgeport Pride and the Bridgeport Pride Center, follow @bridgeport_pride on Instagram or visit www.bridgeportpride.com. People interested in volunteering, vending, marching or other involvement with Greater Bridgeport Pride can visit GBP’s Linktree at linktr.ee/BptPride for various sign-up sheets and contact forms.

About Greater Bridgeport Pride

A community-based event celebrating diversity and inclusivity, Greater Bridgeport Pride seeks to raise awareness of the vibrant local LGBTQ+ community, offer a platform for creative expression, and connect the community to work opportunities for queer creatives. Greater Bridgeport Pride began in 2010 when artist Ricky Mestre approached City Lights Gallery to host the first-ever LGBTQ+ art exhibit in Fairfield County. Now organized under the Bridgeport Pride Center, GBP maintains a diverse and dedicated steering committee of LGBTQ+ artists, professionals and community advocates involved in Greater Bridgeport and Fairfield County.

GBP believes in communities that embrace everyone, regardless of whom they love or how they identify. Through education, events and support, GBP strives to build understanding, acceptance, and a sense of belonging. Our goal is to create a future where every person can be proud of who they are and live without fear or discrimination. GBP’s planning committee received the Futures Award at the 2024 Connecticut Voice Honors during a gala April 24th at The Bushnell in Hartford.

About Bridgeport Pride Center

Bridgeport Pride Center, incorporated in 2024, is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to create affirming and empowering spaces and resources for the intersecting and allied LGBTQ+ communities in Greater Bridgeport. We seek to pursue uplifting social and wellness opportunities, and to unite our voices through collective action, education, and outreach.

Established with an initial gift from the Leonard-Litz LGBTQ+ Foundation that was announced at Greater Bridgeport Pride last year, the Bridgeport Pride Center arrives with a mission to create affirming, empowering spaces and resources for the intersecting and allied LGBTQ+ communities in Greater Bridgeport. The Center is currently working on establishing partnerships with local groups; nurturing bonds with Connecticut’s LGBTQ+ centers, organizations and providers; developing services and social programming; and nesting in its new physical location at 166 Elm Street.

ARTICLE SUBMITTED BY:
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