Happy Gay Pride in Fire Island Pines. Your fantastic parties, fundraisers, yachts, and trippers will bring the crowds to celebrate Pride Month in June and beyond!
Women’s Pride in the Pines at Whyte Hall kicked off the season with an auction, dance, cocktails, and a show featuring Hedda Lettuce and guest EJ Garland. The dress code was white. Thanks to Linda Gottlieb, who has been organizing this event for the past 14 years. The Callen-Lorde Community Health Center is a New York-based organization supporting families and individuals in need.
Congratulations to our neighbor Jerry Mitchell. He recently won the Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk Award as Best Choreographer for his Broadway hit BOOP! The Musical.
Congratulations to Andrew Rannells, a frequent guest at the Pines and the Grove. He has been promoting his new movie, I Don’t Understand You. The film has been released worldwide. His co-star is Nick Kroll.
Architect and author Christopher Bascom Rawlins has re-released his beautiful coffee table book, Fire Island Modernist: Horace Gifford and the Architecture of Seduction, which pays tribute to the late architect, Horace Gifford. The new edition has been revised and expanded, and is for sale where books are sold.
While waiting for the ferry in Sayville, I ran into my old friend, Michael Kors, heading over to Water Island.
SAGE (Advocacy & Services for LGBTQ+ Elders) held its 33rd annual fundraiser at the home of Dr. Ed Schulhafer and Crayton Robey. As in the past, there was an overwhelming crowd to support this wonderful organization, which has grown over the years. They now have branches in all five NYC boroughs and many other locations nationwide. This year’s honorees were Bill Hildebrandt, Scott Ahlborn, and Susan Morabito. SAGE President Michael Adams thanked everyone and announced that he will be retiring after 20 years with the organization.
Fire Island Pines Historical Preservation Society was founded 15 years ago by Bobby Bonanno. A fundraiser was held to meet the new president, John Dempsey, whom Henry Robin introduced. John has great ideas and will take this group to another level in the Pines.
A few dancers, who will perform at the Fire Island Dance Festival in July, did a few five-minute promos in the Harbor to promote their upcoming show. Dancers Responding to AIDS founding director Denise Roberts Hurlin was in the Pines for the weekend to support them.
A memorial service was held at The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center in Manhattan for our beloved Pines legend, Mark Gilbert (also known as Gil Neary). Neary was talented and wore many hats with great success. He loved life and proved it to all. He is deeply missed.
