The second annual Harlem Pride event is coming up on June 24-26; the weekend-long celebration of gay pride in Harlem includes a barbecue, bowling and a dance party. But many people are confused about the name of the event, while others are just enraged at the idea of it. "If children start to believe it is okay to be gay, they will think it's okay to be a pedophile or have sex with animals. It's a slippery slope," said Dr. Ronald Ferguson.
Ferguson, the senior pastor at Antioch Church of God on W. 124th St., told the News he had spoken directly with God, and God was very displeased with the thought of gay people drinking sea breeze's, sharing picnic baskets, and lathering suntan lotion onto each others backs: "This gay pride nonsense is an abomination. God does not want to see homosexuals in our parks." Pastor Charles Curtis of Mount Olivet Baptist Church agreed, although he didn't mention if God had specified to him about whether mimosas are appropriate in the mid-afternoon: "The park is a family area, and the homosexual agenda will do nothing but harm the community."
But even regular Harlem residents who aren't spewing forth hateful bile have also been a bit confused about the event: "When people hear 'Harlem Pride,' they think proud of living in Harlem or proud to be black," said Harlem Pride President Carmen Neely. Nevertheless, the group doesn't plan on changing their name, nor backing down in the face of the verbal tirades: "I want the gay and lesbian people of uptown to have a celebration of our own. This will be different than the events in the West Village because it will be filled with people of color. I realize the church plays a big role in the black community, but we're people, too, and deserve our day in the sun."
