Uniting the boroughs through Pride at the Highbridge Ball

The sun was fierce on the Highbridge walkway as Bronx and Manhattan residents united for the third annual Highbridge Ball on Wednesday, June 18.

Originally launched as the late-night brainchild of Councilmembers Althea Stevens and Carmen De La Rosa and their friend Sage Rivera – chief strategy officer at Destination Tomorrow and drag queen extraordinaire — the ball was conceived to let decision-makers and the public at large know Pride exists in Black and Brown neighborhoods too.

“A lot of the resources go to white-led LGBTQ organizations where you have Black-led LGBTQ organizations that are struggling to get funding and so, we’re trying to change that dynamic,” said Councilwoman Stevens. “[Councilwoman De La Rosa] and I aren’t necessarily in the [queer] community, but we love them and we really try to make sure we’re funding these types of organizations and programs.”

In 2022, for every $100 awarded by U.S. Foundations, only $.25 cents specifically supported LGBTQ communities, according to a tracking report by Funders for LGBTQ issues. This leaves 1 percent of grants to be split across all sectors of the LGBTQ+ communities of which Black and Brown have been historically underfunded.

Photo ET Rodriguez

Destination Tomorrow — one of the many tables and a sponsor of the event — works to mitigate that disparity. The grassroots agency works with vulnerable LGBTQ+ community members to prevent them from a path of needing emergency care by emphasizing economic, social and mental empowerment and the only program of its kind in the Bronx.

“[The Bronx] doesn’t get the amount of health education [it] needs,” said Luis Angel who studies epidemiology at Bronx Community College and works doing outreach for Destination Tomorrow. “I’m able to analyze and understand the health disparities among different communities – and seeing how different neighborhoods in outer boroughs have a lot less access to these services.”

Other tables included the Dominican Women’s Development Center, created in 1988 to counter gender subordination with programs focused on promoting self-sufficiency. In addition to their plethora of programs, they also provide condom demonstrations where participants receive a $25 Target gift card.

A panel of judges score the different events at the Highbridge Ball where you must score a perfect 10 or you’re out.Photo ET Rodriguez

Meanwhile, the elevated runway hosted all the action as individuals walked, gave realness and face and commentated in front of a panel of judges.

“I call it gay rapping, LGBT hip hop,” said Comic who lives in the Bronx by way of Brooklyn and won the Echoes of the Movement portion of the ball.

Commentating should uplift, call out, educate and entertain while empowering the stories and history of the LGBTQ+ community.

A year into her transition, Lexy from the South Bronx won the realness competition by giving confident attitude and being true to herself. She was the only woman in the competition and gained the trophy by being unabashedly her.

“People can be exactly what they identify themselves as,” said Jennifer Barnes-Balenciaga, part of NYC’s Commission on Gender Equity and director of the Crystal La’Beija Organizing Fellowship which works to empower trans and gender non-conforming people in the house ball community.

Lexy (l.) and Comic won for Realness and Commentating, respectively at this year’s Highbridge Ball on Wednesday, June 18.Photo ET Rodriguez

A niche sector of the LGBTQ+ community, the Ballroom scene dates back to the pre-war South where enslaved individuals pantomimed their slave masters at dances, according to an article in Vogue Magazine, “From Underground to Subculture to Global Phenomenon: An Oral History of Ballroom Mainstream Culture.” It then found a home in Harlem during the renaissance of the 1920s and ‘30s, serving as a space for gathering and community in a time where individuals feared persecution for being true to their desires and values.

The scene then gained prominence during the 1970s and ‘80s during an era of counterculture and exploration. Ballrooms is where voguing was born and different houses or groups started taking on the names of fashion designers: House of Dior, House of Balenciaga, House of Wang and so on. It was where voguing was invented, but also a time where the HIV/AIDS virus was gaining awareness, but still feared and stigmatized by the masses.

“My mom was a victim of catching HIV during the Crack wars and she was a participant in Housing Works and she was part of the ‘community’ as well,” said Liberada Gonzalez of being an ally and who was walking across the bridge with her brother when they happily stumbled upon the ball.

Councilwoman Carmen de La rosa (l.) and Councilwoman Althea Stevens co-sponsored the Highbridge Ball to unite the boroughs in Pride.Photo ET Rodriguez

With support from Manhattan Borough President, Mark Levine and Bronx Borough President, Vanessa Gibson, councilmembers Stevens and De La Rosa wrapped the event with proclamations given to outstanding individuals who helped bring support and visibility to the LGBTQ+ community.

Snooki Lanore was awarded for his fabulosity as an emcee by Stevens and Alexis Ruiz was recognized for her ability to assist with inclusive employment and mental health events for the community.

“I am proud to stand with Councilmembers Carmen De La Rosa and Althea Stevens and our incredible partners at Destination Tomorrow as we bring Manhattan and the Bronx together to uplift the trailblazers fighting for equity, visibility and pride,” Bronx BP Gibson told the Bronx Times. “In the face of attempts to silence or erase our LGBTQIA+ community, we stand together stronger than ever.”

In light of the current administration’s revocations on gender-affirming care and funding for transgender youth, Councilmember De La Rosa emphasized the importance and power of voting.

“People say ‘I don’t care about politics’ and I say, ‘Politics care about you because to raise your rent and take away your rights, politics will be right there to take it away if we’re not every single day fighting in these streets to preserve them,” she said to a sea of catcalls and finger snaps.

But just when they thought it was over, Rivera of Destination Tomorrow had one surprise in store and invited Stevens and De La Rosa to accept an Angie Award at their second annual benefit gala in October. Typically awarded to Queer and Trans individuals in the ballroom community, the councilmembers illustrated an allyship that surpassed tradition.

“These two women have been on the front lines fighting for us, empowering us and definitely lifting our voices,” said Rivera of the councilmembers. “They talk about there are no people in the Rainbow Caucus uptown, but you two are the Rainbow Caucus uptown.”

The crowd awed as the women accepted the honor.

The Angie Awards will take place at the Radio Hotel in Washington Heights on Oct. 10.

Reach ET Rodriguez at etrodriguez317@gmail.com. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes