GAYLETTER

We have to admit it — Pride Month this year a little bit strange! The parade is being televised for the first time on ABC for one thing, and then there’s Facebook with their new pride rainbow reaction emoji, Urban Outfitters is doing some half-assed rainbow t-shirts, McDonald’s is making fries gay. Honestly, we’re a little upset the crosswalks aren’t rainbow colored! What the fuck, NYC?!

That said, we’re back with our GAYLETTER PRIDE GUIDE to offer a little consistency to the now ever-so-trendy pride. While cruising our emails and Facebook events, it seems as though everyone working in queer nightlife is ready to hit the ground running. There are a few brand new parties premiering this week, along with some very fresh ones and of course the super great recurring ones.

The New York Times is reporting that queer nightlife is back. There are a ton of new queer communities popping up in every borough and it’s really exciting to be partying considering there are spaces being started or taken over for anyone in the LGBTQ+ community.

Let’s not forget why this month started and that we should celebrate every day after June 30th. We’re just entering the thick of the next four, orange-hued years. Let’s keep our heads up and our skirts hiked even higher.

TUESDAY 20

PARTY: THE LAST BABY TEA
Tyler Ashley has been throwing Baby Tea for three awesome years, but it’s time “to take a break.” It’s actually coming back two times this summer on Fire Island, so watch out for those event postings. Expect performances by special guests; Horrorchata, Charlene and threeASFOUR as your hosts. The Dauphine herself said: “Big love to all of you who have played music, performed, taken photos, celebrated yourselves and your art, released an album or bag….the list goes on! And thanks to everyone that has come to BBT, and especially to the amazing women that have provided their space, love, and friendship and given me a home.”
Free, 8:00PM-12:00AM, Wise Men, 355 Bowery, NY, NY.

EVENT: MACY’S HERALD SQUARE
The fifth floor of Macy’s Herald Square is the home of the men’s suit department, but this Tuesday it’ll transform into a fabulous space to celebrate equality. Rubbing elbows in the suit department might not normally sound like a cruising tactic, but who knows, at this party you may just end up taking someone home. Very little draws me to Herald Square normally, but this party features performances from Marty Thomas Presents Diva, a celebration of divas sure to elicit a finger wag or two and plenty of yaaaasing, you can bet you’ll find my gay ass there. With live music, a silent auction benefiting the Hetrick Martin Institute, cocktails (can’t forget the cocktails), and much more, this party is sure to be a great ease into the chaos of pride week festivities.
Free, 6:00-8:30PM, Macy’s Herald Square, 151 W. 34th St. NY, NY.

WEDNESDAY 21
PARTY: CAKES  
Celebrating their two year anniversary, the weekly party Cakes at Metropolitan will be keeping it cute as they say goodbye to the lovely, Untitled Queen. “Cakes for me has been a great drag show/dance party that’s always carefree, fun, and a touch of the unexpected,” she told us. The party has a weekly booty contest where they celebrate the fiercest cheeks, and for this installment they’ve upped the prize to $100. You can just arrive with a furry ass though. Untitled told us one year the crowd was shocked by an ass completely covered in glitter. I imagine that made sex kind of magical (assuming an ass-prize winner is also a class-A bottom) and ridiculous considering the winner was probably pulling glitter from their hole for a few weeks. DJ Horrorchata and DJ Hannah Lou will spin the evening into a party and Elizabeth James and Untitled Queen will be awaiting your arrival.
Free, 10:00PM-4:00AM, Metropolitan Bar, 559 Lorimer St. Brooklyn, NY.

PARTY: HEBRO PRIDE
In the spirit of Alaska Thunderfuck, l’chaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiim! Celebrate life, love, and equality with the finest Jews New York has to offer this Wednesday at The Vanity NYC for Jappy Hour. Presented by Hebro, this party is sure to gather boy-goys, and those who are thirsty for them. Who doesn’t love a little mixer in their cocktail? Shake things up in the heart of Gramercy on a weeknight; you better believe that in a swanky place like the Vanity you’ll find someone to take home that your mom will approve of. Or maybe not. She doesn’t have to know.
$15-$20, 6:00-9:00PM, The Vanity NYC, 59 W. 21st. NY, NY.

EVENT: BIG GAY ROLLER SKATE
Okay, literally I can’t be the only one, so if you have ever wanted to live out your Beyonce fantasy and pretend like you’re in the Blow music video, this is your chance. Hell hath no fury like a drag queen on wheels, so ready your singles for performances and the cash bar (pre-skating cocktail hour, obviously). This party is hosted by hunks Chad Schuyler LaClair and Brian Pizza, along with the teams behind Guy Social and Girl Social. They started this a few years ago and it’s been a big hit. Queers love a campy reference! Be sure to coordinate with your gang, grease your wheels and your holes, and dress in rainbow for this kiki!
$20-$25 at door, 6:00-10:00PM, Lefrak Center at Lakeside Prospect Park, 171 East Dr., Brooklyn, NY.

THURSDAY 22

PARTY: TIME OUT PRIDE
Partnering with the Ali Forney Center, the largest shelter for queer youth in New York, Time Out and Visit Austin present the Thursday banger this pride week at Arena. With an open Tito’s bar and unlimited Bud light, being thirsty won’t be part of the equation- well, except for the cute boys you’ll be salivating over. Performances from Ruby Roo and Elizabeth James will have you gagging as usual. The shows don’t stop there, because two tickets each will be raffled off to see Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, and Miss Saigon. This party is for a good cause and is one not to be missed!
$20-$26, 7:00-9:30PM, Arena, 135 W. 41ST ST. NY, NY

PARTY: LINDA
Woof. The opening night of this party was really wonderful. It felt like everyone in the downtown scene came together to try and crowd out the random straight people who thought PUBLIC was having a packed night on the Roof. Nah, Linda was very meticulously curated and it’s one of the most fabulous parties I’ve been to in New York. The first thing I overheard someone say as we got off the elevator was: “Everyone here is so attractive.” Not wrong! The Misshapes brought that cunty stylish crowd back to the LES for what is sure to be a great summer of Thursday nights. At first we all were like, why is this party called Linda? Can we call it 
“Evangelista”? Well, we left that party not really caring what the fuck the Misshapes want to call it. This week is their second installment and though not overtly pride-centric, this party is most certainly very gay. I am hoping they added six more barbacks… five total was not enough for the 500 people that got in…
Free, 10:00-4:00AM, Roof at Public, 215 Chrystie St. NY, NY.

PARTY: PAT Pride
The first time I went to PAT was last summer and I felt like a celebrity because I knew three people there. I was expecting to not know anyone, so you could imagine I was hyped as hell when I bumped into some people I actually wouldn’t try and hide from. Some other cute boy told me he loved my outfit. This was like the best night of my life for the most simple reasons, and when I left the party (when the lights turned on at 3AM), I realized PAT was by far the friendliest party I’d ever gone to. Amber Valentine, JD Samson and other awesome DJs have been firm in the party’s message: it’s for everyone. No hosts, no cover, no bottle service, and honestly never any oppressive straight dudes, but a ton of cute trans guys. PAT is this wild good time right under the train tracks at Union Pool, which in the summer busts open their courtyard and packs us queers in like sardines. The backroom feels like a speakeasy and I’ve once seen a gal freeing the nipple. Their PRIDE edition will be nothing less than fantastic, just stick with beers though. Last time I was there I ran the bar gamut and went through vodka, gin and tequila— none of which were good. Heineken forever xoxo
Free, 10:00PM-3:00AM, Union Pool, 484 Union Avenue. Brooklyn, NY.

PARTY: BUBBLE_T
Last month a group of really amazing folks threw the very first Bubble_T at the Rosemont. It’s still a brand new party and for their second installment they are going all in for Pride. Pauly_T who throws the party along with a huge list of awesome queer Asians, told us “the first BUBBLE_T was perfect. We shared all the LOVE that night and got back so much more! The at-capacity turnout for our party surprised us and proved that a night like this is very necessary! Everyone (of all walks) was communing in music and dance.” There aren’t many spaces and parties carved out specifically for queer asians, but New York nightlife is heading in a very inclusive direction, with queers from every corner throwing their own parties in spaces, warehouses, Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. It’s an exciting time to be part of the LGBTQ community in New York. Music provided by DJ Tito Nonon serving garage R&B, freestyle, hip hop and love anthems from the 90’s, Anne Ishii is back with goodies from Massive Goods (love them) and a bubble tea cocktail!
Free, 10:00PM-4:00AM, The Rosemont, 63 Montrose Ave. Brooklyn, NY.

FRIDAY 23
PARTY: GAYLETTER’S RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE FINALE & PING PONG
To kick off New York Pride 2017 we’re hosting a Friday night Pride party at SPiN Ping-Pong Club! That’s right, we’re gonna watch the season finale of Drag Race on the big screen, play some ping-pong and also have a dance, kiki, watch some performances, take some cute pics and just celebrate not being straight! There’s an open bar for the first hour so be sure to get there early and drink your fill. Thee Suburbia is MCing the night, and she told us she’s gonna turn two rainbow looks, make all of you laugh and bring “seven huge bottles of poppers.” OK, I guess that’s one way to make ping pong interesting! The House of Mugler is also going to be giving a very special performance and Joey Quinones is DJing as we enjoy ourselves just around Madison Square Park. SPiN is giving us 4 tables to play at for as long as we want. Ohh and we will have an armpit sniffing station, you wont want to miss that. The party is taking place in the private room of the club, so don’t worry it’s gonna be very VIP.P.P.P!
$12-$20, 7:00PM-2:00AM, 48 E. 23rd St. NY, NY.

PARTY: Ova The Rainbow
When I went to this party on NYE I was drunk enough to say OK, it’s after 3AM, I’m wasted and am willing to pay $25 to get in. You know that mood. Also I’d just found someone’s wallet and spent the $50 that was in it — so long story short, I didn’t have to pay to get into Dreamhouse, which, thank god, because it’s a bit like walking into someone’s basement where their dad has smoked Pall Malls for 23 years straight. I left the party at 7 in the morning, feeling like a fucking piece of shit because I had been drinking Budweiser because it was all they had. This was an amazing party and I literally love anywhere I can have a cigarette inside. Go to this if you like to feel crazy, also La’Fem Ladosha & A Village Raid are DJing so bring your poppers. All donations go towards funding this super special queer space!
$10-$25, 9:00PM-6:00AM, 10-22 Wyckoff Ave, Ridgewood, NY.

SATURDAY 24
PARTY: GAYLETTER PRIDE AT THE IDES
We are back at the Wythe Hotel to celebrate Pride. This time on the rooftop for a more intimate affair. The view from the Ides is hella cute. We love throwing parties here. They always feel a little bit upscale, but this is pride weekend so trust it’s going to get a little wonky up there. Come relax and have a cocktail to get your night going. Aquaria and Hannah Lou are both performing, they’ll have you laughing, yassing, dancing and singing because what else are you supposed to do during pride? Think of it as Low T, but in Brooklyn, and much better drinks than in Fire Island. Get tickets!
$15, 3:00PM-9:00-PM Wythe Hotel, 80th Wythe Ave. Brooklyn, NY.

PARTY: GAYLETTER PRIDE AFTER PARTY AT PUBLIC
We are so excited to be throwing this pride party at PUBLIC Arts. When we saw the space for the first time, we knew we wanted to throw a party that would tear it up. The walls are cement, the seating is leather. Everything about it screams get wasted and feel fabulous. From 11pm-4am we’re taking over the club for a super sweet pride after party. Joey Qui̴nones and Chrissy will be bringing you campy tunes all night. Kandy Muse, Sean Ford (Cocky Boys Exclusive), Gio Black Peter and Candy & Sookie Sterling are just a few of our knock out, super fierce, super hung hosts. There’s no cover for this, but space is limited, so if you want to get in, we’ll meet you at the door. Serve your best rainbow looks! Promise not to be mean to anyone as you wait around. It’s pride. We’re all trying to have fun and do a bump at some point in the night. Trust — we are all on the same page. This party is for us. Do whatever you need to do and bring whatever you need to have the very best night. Can’t wait to join you xoxo
Free, 11:00PM-4:00AM, PUBLIC ARTS, 215 Chrystie St. NY, NY.

SUNDAY 25
EVENT: THE PARADE
We couldn’t do a pride guide without mentioning the main event, the actual parade! While this year’s parade is being aired on Live TV for the first time and is being sponsored by everyone from TD Bank, to Delta, Coke, T Mobile, Target and Facebook we should never forget where it all started. That was in 1969 when “Craig Rodwell, his partner Fred Sargeant, Ellen Broidy, and Linda Rhodes proposed the first pride march to be held in New York City the following June. They saw it as a “demonstration be held annually on the last Saturday in June in New York City to commemorate the 1969 spontaneous demonstrations on Christopher Street and this demonstration be called CHRISTOPHER STREET LIBERATION DAY. No dress or age regulations shall be made for this demonstration.” In the first, hmmm, 30 years of the parade it was not exactly welcomed by most of New York. While the complete corporatization of our community has taken place over the last few years we must never forget that for a looooong ass time we were nothing more than freaks, deviants and degenerates. Those were labels many of us embraced wholeheartedly. And while they were judging us, we were having a great time! In honor of those who fought and died for our rights to have a ball this weekend we suggest you show up to the parade with your your freak flag raised so high that the whole world sees it. Dance, drink, be merry. We don’t need Bud Light and Capital One Bank to tell us our lives matter. We’ve been screaming it from every parade float, dance floor and city street for the last 50 years. It’s always been cool to be queer, ain’t our problem straight people took so long to figure it out.

TRUTH OR DARE: A MADONNA PARTY
Every time I hear ‘Into the Groove’ I think a part of my homosexual heart grows even larger. What could be more quintessentially gay than a Madonna party with drag queens and cunty ass hosts at the most chic spot in New York, The Top of the Standard. Really? I know I am sounding annoying, but c’mon, this is just a fool-proof party for Sunday of Pride. Ty Sunderland has dame Aquaria performing (if you’ve seen her Amanda Lepore drag, you can imagine what she might show up in for this) and so is newcomer Wench. We met her at Linda last week and were pretty impressed with her look (she’s been doing drag for only 2 months! She was polished, classic and a bit snatched! Come enjoy the sunset and maybe start crying a little while singing Like A Prayer and looking over the Hudson.
List situation, 3:00PM-9:00PM, Top of the Standard, 848 Washington St. NY, NY.

PARTY: BATTLE HYMN PRIDE SPECIAL
LadyFag’s wild ass Battle Hymn is back to their Sunday spot. When I got this notification about the party I really had to laugh. It’s from 5pm to 5am. That’s carrying. You can leave the parade and go straight to the party and then leave the party, have a shower, and go to work. New York isn’t Berlin but why not pretend it is? Honey Dijon is playing a 12 hour set. I am pretty sure my entire iTunes library is only 12 hours long, so kudos to her. This is such a nutso event to close out pride. Lady is teasing out a special performance and also $10 drink specials. Yes, that’s a big deal. A gin and tonic at Flash Factory is normally $16 so… shut up and drink the juice. Also, something worth noting is that they will have a Mr. Gay Syria booth where you can learn about gay Syrians living through the migration crisis. All proceeds from Sunday & Friday will go to Ali Forney Center for LGBT homeless youth.
$20-$25, 5:00PM-5:00PM, Flash Factory, 229 W. 28th St. NY, NY.

PARTY: Tiki Disco
Eli Escobar, Lloydski and Andy Pry are back for the summer with their bi-weekly daytime party. This special pride edition sees all proceeds going to Trinity Place Shelter supporting LGBT homeless youth. Expect fruity cocktails, the absolute best disco you could think of enjoying in daytime, pride-parade heat, and lots of sexy, sweaty people. What’s also really thrilling about their party is that they’ve partnered with Roberta’s pizza and if you haven’t had Roberta’s, we feel bad for you. This is a bit more low-key for those of you who might be partied out, but wild fun nonetheless.
$10, 2:00-10:00PM, The Well, 272 Meserole St. Brooklyn, NY.

PARTY: Bushwick A/V Pride Afterparty
We’re recommending this to you because the music is going to be sick and it’s more secret than public. Just the other day on the news, the broadcast was referencing that horrendous 2016 Oakland warehouse flyer that killed a ton of ravers. I politely said to myself, why do we go to these things? If you’ve ever been to one of “these” things as I’m calling them, you know the answer is because these kind of events are indescribable to anyone who hasn’t gone. These kinds of parties are special because those attending are not there for an Instagram moment. They’re there for the music and for each other. Parties like this are for total euphoria. This starts at 4AM, so come to our party at PUBLIC ARTS and then cab over to this. You can do it girl. Katie Rex, Michael Magnan and A Village Raid are all DJing, so I am thinking this is how I want to end my pride week — with more music, more dancing — more and more! And then like… show up to the parade looking strung out as Lindsey circa 2008 (it was a magical era). She’s now helping Syrian refugees, by opening a nightclub in Turkey and speaking with a weird new accent. See how well being a mess worked out for her? Get into it
$20, 4:00AM-2:00PM, 299 Vandervoort Ave, Brooklyn, NY.