If the landslide victory in Ireland is any indication the movement for gay rights is finally getting the respect it deserves, North Brooklyn will continue to carry that torch this June by hosting a gay pride festival in Williamsburg. While a gay pride event is nothing new for Chelsea or Jackson Heights, hosts of some of the most fabulicious gay pride celebrations in the city, North Brooklyn business owners and the LGBT community felt it was high time the area had its own celebration.
And anyone who knows Williamsburg, knows this is going to be one affair to remember.
Dubbed as the North Brooklyn Pride Festival, the event’s focus is not just to celebrate gay pride, but to also to shine a light on LGBT youth who end up homeless on account of their sexual identity or orientation.  To make sure the message isn’t lost in the revelry, festival organizers have teamed up with Heart Gallery–a non-profit organization who finds foster children loving adoptive parents–to highlight issues LGBT foster children encounter within their daily lives.
Josh Cohen, owner of Jimmy’s Diner and Anella, told DNA info, “We don’t have a Pride Festival here in North Brooklyn, which seems kind of crazy, but a huge part of this event is to bring awareness of LGBT youth foster care and the trials that they face. It’s a really big problem. They’re always the ones who get the funding cut first.”
Set to kick-off on June 20th, the North Brooklyn Pride Festival will take place on North 9th Street between Wythe and Kent Avenues from noon to 9pm. The festival will feature a slew of good food, live music, lots of smiles, and probably some of the best people watching in the city.  But no need to shy away parents, this isn’t just an adults-only soiree! From 12:30 and 3pm the festival will feature an array of G-rated activities designed for kids, including face painting and twisting up animal balloons with local artists.
Local businesses such as Two Boots Pizza and Brooklyn Roasting company will also be on hand donating their goodies to the cause, and Brooklyn Bowl will be offering free lanes for anyone with a hankering to play with some big balls.
To cover all the logistical costs of running the event, organizers have started a Kickstarter campaign with a goal of reaching $15,000. Any donations beyond that will go to the Heart Foundation.
For more information on how to get involved or donate, visit the North Brooklyn Pride Festival’s Kickstarter page for more details.Â