If you’ve got a spare Monday night during the month of June in the Big Apple, you better be filling it with something gay. Thankfully, this year’s annual Queerty Pride50 gathering fit the bill perfectly.
On an exceptionally sticky June 17th evening at Edison Ballroom –– just a stone’s throw away from Broadway and Hell’s Kitchen –– Queerty made our mark on New York’s Pride season with the East Coast answer to the glamorous Queerties Awards ceremony.
Each year, we honor 50 incredible LGBTQ+ people who have made an impact and inspired us over the last year –– from actors to activists, politicians to drag queens. So, we brought together as many of these icons as possible, alongside some of the biggest names in queer entertainment and media, for one big party.
How about we take this to the next level?
Subscribe to our newsletter for a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Let us take you behind the endless supply of dumplings, thirst-quenching libations, and Troye Sivan songs on repeat for the biggest moments of the night.
Our mistress of ceremonies: Peppermint!
After an intro assured us that Peppermint was in the building –– and most definitely a Faithful, not a Traitor –– the RuPaul’s Drag Race queen strutted up to the stage for a spot-on performance of Janet Jackson’s “Together Again”, complete with costumed background dancers.
@queerty #Peppermint opened her #Pride50 2024 hosting duties with a #JanetJackson ♬ original sound – Queerty*
Throughout the evening, Peppermint kept the ceremony rolling. Even when every speaker was just as gagged to see her onstage as the audience was.
Charles Busch was honored as a catalyst for change.
@queerty #CharlesBusch accepts the Catalyst Award at this year’s Queerty’s #Pride50 ♬ original sound – Queerty*
The illustrious Charles Busch was nearly speechless after a video recounting his groundbreaking work in drag, theater, and screen played before his Catalyst Award acceptance speech. “Everything I was about to say, I said,” the New York native quipped.
Nonetheless, the Broadway icon stressed that he’s as grateful for the LGBTQ+ community as it is for him. The Die, Mommie, Die! and Psycho Beach Party star explained that when he didn’t see a path forward, he carved one out for himself, encouraging the audience to do as much for themselves.
The stars were out, honey!
The night was all about this year’s class of LGBTQ+ Pride50 movers and shakers. In attendance were Daniel K. Isaac, Jackie Cox, Nik Dodani, Brock McGillis, Zander Moricz, Dr. Jennifer Tran, Jes Tom, Cody Rigsby, and Noah J. Ricketts.
Paula Pell cracked up the crowd as this year’s Impact Award recipient.
Funny lady Paula Pell received the Impact Award for her expansive career in comedy. From writing some of Saturday Night Live‘s most iconic characters, to her hilarious turn as a late-in-life lesbian on Girls5eva, Pell has never shied away from letting queer experiences inform her comedy. Throughout the entirety of her inspiring speech, Pell’s partner Janine Brito watched beaming in the wings.
Morgxn celebrated “My Revival.”
Indie-pop darling Morgxn closed out the evening with a powerful showcase of their genre-defying and inspirational fare.
Still, the crowd was especially enraptured by closing number “My Revival,” which provided the perfect sentiment as attendees headed out for another Pride Month night on the town: “Wherever my heart is / I won’t keep it guarded / This is my survival / I don’t plan on stopping.”
Don't forget to share:
