BBYO, Partners Unite for Global Online Jewish Queer Pride Event Celebrating LGBTQ+ Jews and Allies

Producers of Saturday Night Seder help annual “Jew York Pride” brunch become a free, worldwide virtual experience, hosted by Adam Eli and featuring Sasha Velour

NEW YORK (June 26, 2020) -- Jew York Pride, a collaboration between major Jewish LGBTQ+ organizations, including BBYO, JQY, Out at the J (of the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan), Keshet, CBST, and UJA-Federation of New York, is going virtual this year on Sunday, June 28 at 11 a.m. EST, making it even more inclusive and accessible to Queer Jews across the United States and around the world. For over 15 years, Jew York Pride has been the focal point for LGBTQ+ Jewish teens and young adults during Pride Sunday in New York City, and this year will be no exception.

Jew York Pride will be an interactive program produced in collaboration with Broadway star and creator of Saturday Night Seder, Adam Kantor, and will include an hour of music, comedy, food, art, drag, poetry, teen performances, and appearances by Jewish queer celebrities from stage, screen, and pop music. Rupaul’s Drag Race winner Sasha Velour will headline the event, speaking to how her queer and Jewish identities have influenced her art. The theme will be an exploration and celebration of the many meanings, faces, and narratives of queer Jewish pride. Queer Jewish food Insta-influencer, Jake Cohen will introduce participants to Sephardic and Mizrahi recipes he learned from his husband's family. Renowned choreographer Gabe Katz will be teaching a Ballroom and Israeli-dance influenced combination to Jewish queer singer Troye’s Sivan’s music. Finally, a special spotlight will shine on the women at the helm of the LGBTQ+ Jewish movement, and the collective responsibility to show up for Black lives, LGBTQ+ Jewish youth from Orthodox homes, and queers living in countries where their lives are in danger.

“Queer people anywhere are responsible for queer people everywhere” is how Adam Eli, the event’s co-host, puts it. As the author of The New Queer Conscience and founder of Voices4, an activist group committed to advancing global queer liberation, Eli sees this event within the context of the greater queer movement that is merging with Black Lives Matter and the fight against all intersecting oppressions. He adds, “I am going straight from co-hosting this event to Queer March for Black Lives.”

From chapter-based activities to regional conventions to leadership development and travel programs around the world, BBYO creates safe and welcoming spaces where teens —all teens—can be themselves. Inclusion and wellness are paramount to fostering these environments and to building Jewish communities that are open and accessible to everyone, regardless of background, denominational affiliation, gender, race, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status. Throughout the month of June, BBYO members are celebrating the LGBTQ+ community and Pride with a range of programs, conversations, and Jewish ritual moments on BBYO On Demand.

"Pride is a special time of the year to remind us that through adversity so much can ultimately be achieved. I am proud to work for an organization that provides LGBTQ+ teens a safe space to truly express themselves,” said Rob Kappel, BBYO Regional Director, Big Apple Region. “Just by creating so much visibility we are making a difference in teens’ lives, helping them overcome their own adversities, and finding their own sense of pride.”

Jew York Pride is presented by JQY, BBYO, Out at the J (of the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan), Keshet, CBST, and UJA-Federation of New York. Additional information about Jew York Pride, including registration links, can be found on the website. Participants are also encouraged to follow @BBYOInsider or the hashtag #JewYorkPride on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat, to stay up to date on the event.

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About BBYO
BBYO is the leading pluralistic Jewish teen movement aspiring to involve more Jewish teens in more meaningful Jewish experiences. For more than 95 years, BBYO‘s leadership programs the Aleph Zadik Aleph (AZA, high school fraternity) and the B’nai B’rith Girls (BBG, high school sorority) have been providing exceptional leadership programs and identity enrichment experiences, shaping the confidence and character of more than 400,000 alumni who are among the most prominent figures in business, politics, academia, the arts, and Jewish communal life. Now, BBYO’s network of Jewish teens, alumni, parents, volunteers, and philanthropists serves as the Jewish community’s most valuable platform for delivering to the post Bar/Bat Mitzvah audience fun, meaningful, and affordable experiences. With year-round activities in hundreds of local communities and inspiring world-wide travel experiences, BBYO’s broad program menu enables teens to explore areas of leadership, service, civic engagement, Israel education, and Jewish values.

Please note that BBYO should not be referred to as the B’nai B’rith Youth Organization, but rather as “BBYO.”

For more information on BBYO, please visit bbyo.org and connect with us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.