As someone who has spent many an hour, day, and literally years advocating for the Norwood / Bronx LGBTQIA+ community to finally be represented locally, witnessing a group of people film themselves commit a hate crime by destroying the rainbow balloons and decor which decorated a nationally registered historic place, the Williamsbridge Oval during the inaugural Norwood Pride festival this past June 23 was heartbreaking.

 

The staff [who organized the event] had just placed the decor there and not even an hour later, the vandals attacked. If anyone saw the “Grinches who stole pride,” please contact the police, the Norwood News, or me on social media at @MRAJTHEARTIST. Norwood, The Bronx, and Bainbridge is not the place for hate crimes. Outside is for everyone.

 

With that being said, Mosholu Preservation Corporation, State Sen. Gustavo Rivera (S.D. 33), Jerome Gun Hill Business Improvement District (BID), & all other vendors or sponsors, the event was amazing! Representation matters and to see so many families, kids, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community gathering locally, and not “below 14^th street” or the piers is an amazing step towards progress and representation for us, Norwoodians & Bronxites, in the outer boroughs.

 

AJ Ramos is a Norwood resident, a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, and recently graduated from The CUNY School of Professional Studies in Manhattan with a B.A. in communications and media.

 

Editor’s Note: June marks Pride Month, and a story on the inaugural Norwood Pride festival will be published shortly.

Mr. Ramos confirmed to Norwood News that he did not report the incident to police at the time it occurred. He did share some photos with us, separate from the attached photo, taken on the day of the Pride event of the people suspected of damaging the Pride display. However, we are precluded from publishing these photos unless they have been identified as suspects by police. The attached photo shows organizers setting up before the event. 

 

The latest Bronx-wide hate crime statistics are included in the Crime File section of this edition on page 8. They show an increase of 200 percent in the last 28 days as of June 23, and of 27 percent since the beginning of the year.

 

To report a hate crime in progress or any emergency, call 911. Non-emergencies should be reported to the local precinct.