Governor Hochul Issues Proclamation and Directs State Office Buildings and Landmarks to Illuminate in Celebration of Pride Month

Governor Hochul Directs LGBTQ+ Progress Pride Flags To Be Raised and State Landmarks To Illuminate Across New York State on June 1, Marking Commencement of Pride Month

Issues Proclamation Designating June 2026 as LGBTQ+ Pride Month

Opens Requests For Workshop Proposals For The 2026 LGBTQIA+ Convening

New York City To Host Annual Pride Month March on June 28, One of the Largest Pride Marches and Pride Events in the World

Governor Kathy Hochul issued a proclamation designating June 2026 as LGBTQ+ Pride Month in the Empire State. The Governor also directed state office buildings and landmarks to illuminate in the colors of the Pride flag and raise LGBTQ+ progress Pride flags today, June 1, to celebrate New York’s LGBTQ+ community and mark the beginning of Pride month. The Pride flag will be raised at the State Capitol, the Empire State Plaza and the Governor’s Executive Mansion.

“As the birthplace of the LGBTQ+ rights movement, New York has long been at the forefront of advancing equality. During Pride Month, we celebrate New York’s vibrant LGBTQ+ community and acknowledge the importance of protecting the rights and freedoms of LGBTQ+ New Yorkers,” Governor Hochul said. “This month and every month, we proudly stand with the LGBTQ+ community and remain committed to building a more inclusive and equitable future for all where everyone can live freely with dignity, safety, and respect.”

In honor of Pride Month, the following 16 State landmarks will illuminate various colors of the Pride flag on June 1 and June 23-30, and Capital region landmarks will be lit the weekend of June 12-14:

• One World Trade Center
• Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge
• Kosciuszko Bridge
• The H. Carl McCall SUNY Building
• State Education Building
• Alfred E. Smith State Office Building
• Empire State Plaza
• State Fairgrounds – Main Gate & Expo Center
• The “Franklin D. Roosevelt” Mid-Hudson Bridge
• Grand Central Terminal - Pershing Square Viaduct
• Albany International Airport Gateway
• Lake Placid Olympic Center
• MTA LIRR - East End Gateway at Penn Station
• Fairport Lift Bridge over the Erie Canal
• Moynihan Train Hall
• Roosevelt Island Lighthouse

The Pride flag will be flown at the following State agencies and office buildings throughout New York State:

• New York State Capitol
• Empire State Plaza
• Governor’s Executive Mansion
• Alfred E. Smith State Office Building
• New York State Office of General Services
• New York State Department Of Transportation
• New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities
• New York State Workers' Compensation Board
• Hampton Plaza
• Harriman Campus
• Ten Eyck
• Binghamton State Office Building
• Dulles State Office Building
• Henderson-Smith State Office Building
• State Preparedness Training Center (Oriskany)
• Homer Folks Facility
• Senator John H. Hughes State Office Building
• Utica State Office Building
• Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. State Office Building
• Eleanor Roosevelt State Office Building
• Hudson Valley Transportation Management Center
• Perry B. Duryea State Office Building

Additionally, Governor Hochul announced that the Pride flag will be flown at the following State parks across New York State:

• Allegany State Park
• Artpark
• Bayard Cutting Arboretum
• Belmont Lake State Park
• Bethpage State Park
• Caleb Smith State Park
• Clay Pit Ponds State Park Preserve
• Clermont State Historic Site
• Connetquot River State Park
• DF Riverbank State Park
• FDR Four Freedoms State Park
• FDR State Park
• Gantry Plaza State Park
• Green Lakes State Park
• Hamlin State Park
• Hempstead Lake State Park
• Hither Hills State Park
• Jones Beach State Park
• Lake Taghkanic State Park
• Letchworth State Park
• Marsha P Johnson State Park
• Mills-Norrie State Park
• Montauk Downs State Park
• Niagara Falls State Park
• Orient Beach State Park
• Philipse Manor Hall
• Planting Fields State Park
• Robert Moses State Park
• Roberto Clemente State Park
• Saratoga Spa State Park
• Shirley Chisholm State Park
• Sunken Meadow State Park
• Taconic State Park State Park
• Valley Stream State Park
• Wellesley Island State Park

New York stands on a strong foundation of LGBTQ+ history and activism against the federal government's efforts to dismantle years of civil rights progress and advocacy.

As a national leader in advocating for LGBTQ+ rights, Governor Hochul continues to ensure that New York is a safe and inclusive home for LGBTQ+ New Yorkers. Since taking office, the Governor has championed legislation to make New York a safe haven for trans youth and signed the Shield Law 2.0 to offer greater protections to healthcare providers and patients receiving gender-affirming healthcare. Most recently, Governor Hochul successfully fought back against the removal of the Pride flag at Stonewall National Park and took additional steps to continue serving young people in New York’s LGBTQ+ community as part of the Enacted FY 2026 Budget.

The Governor’s Office of LGBTQ+ Affairs is now accepting requests for workshop proposals for the 2026 LGBTQIA+ Convening, which will occur on Tuesday, September 15, 2026 in Albany, New York at the Empire State Plaza Concourse. This annual event, entering its fifth year, brings together policymakers and government officials from across state agencies to hear directly from advocates about the most pressing needs for our community and proposed or current efforts to meet those needs and build support.

As the birthplace of the LGBTQ+ rights movement, New York State extends a year-round invitation to LGBTQ+ travelers through the New York State Division of Tourism at Empire State Development. Created in 2012, the I LOVE NY LGBTQ+ initiative promotes events and destinations across the state, anchoring this season's travel with a statewide calendar of more than 100 Pride celebrations. Find more information, including travel guides and blogs.

New York State remains committed to collaboration with its state and local partners, including community-based organizations, to eliminate health disparities and to protect and promote health and well-being for all New Yorkers, on a foundation of health equity.

To learn more about the New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute's Office of LGBTQ Services programs and priorities, visit Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Services. Find more information about the Department's Office of Health Equity and Human Rights.

OUT LIKE THAT! Queer Festival at BAAD! steps off June 4th

 

BAAD! Proudly Presents OUT LIKE THAT 2026 Festival June 4th – JUNE 27th

The Bronx’s Only LGBTQ+ Performing Arts Festival Returns with Bold New Work and Community Celebrations

The Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance (BAAD!) is proud to announce the return of OUT LIKE THAT!, the Bronx’s only LGBTQ+ performing arts festival, running from June 4 through June 27, 2026. At a time when queer and trans communities across the country continue to face escalating attacks on visibility, bodily autonomy, artistic freedom, and basic human rights, OUT LIKE THAT! returns as both a celebration and a declaration: queer artistry, joy, resistance, and community remain vital and unstoppable.

Co-Founder and Executive Director, Charles Rice-Gonzalez shared, “We started Out Like That! over 25 years ago to amplify queer power and creativity in the Bronx. That action remains vital today when there are forces in positions of power in our country working overtime to silence Trans and queer voices and rights. This year’s festival gathers artists, activists, healers, and community members for a month-long series of events that honor queer resilience, cultural memory, chosen family, and collective liberation.”

The festival opens on June 4 with EMO: A Rebel’s Rainbow by Charly Dominguez, a multimedia live museum experience and performance showcase documenting the realities of surviving and creating as an independent queer artist in New York City. Blending live performance, video, fashion, and visual art, the evening serves as both a personal graduation and a call to remain unapologetically authentic in an era of increasing censorship and erasure.

Additional highlights include the KAC Works in Progress Showcase (June 5), featuring acclaimed Kiki scene movement artists Kalik B and Sharron “Slimm” Jones; the return of Courageous Conversations (June 10), a free community forum featuring legal professional Katherine Grainger and acclaimed cinematographer Nadia Hallgren discussing strategies for living, loving, and thriving within today’s political climate; and the OUT LIKE THAT! Dance Compilation (June 11), BAAD!’s signature evening of innovative choreography spanning contemporary, street, experimental, and culturally-rooted movement practices.

The festival also includes a conversation with the Gay Men of The Bronx (June 14); the coming-of- age comedy reading, Nueva Yol (June 18); Juneteenth: Restoration and Rest (June 19), an interactive healing ritual centering QTPOC wellness led by Langston Kahn and Carlos Rosario; the 7th Annual BAAD! Mini Ball (June 20), celebrating ballroom culture and unapologetic self-expression; and cadira-cadera-catedral (June 27), an immersive dance work by choreographer Priscilla Marrero rooted in Afro-Caribbean and diasporic movement traditions.

The events will take place in a combination of in-person and hybrid formats, with online accessibility via live stream. Ticket prices range from free to $20. BAAD! offers discounts to students and seniors, and free admission to residents of 10474 and 10461 zip codes. For ticketing and additional information, visit BAAD!’s website: www.BAADBronx.org.

The Schedule of Events is as follows:

Thursday, June 4 | 7PM | Free

EMO: A Rebel’s Rainbow

Charly Dominguez kicks off Pride Month with a live museum experience and new body of work documenting the struggles, beauty, and resilience of creating as an independent queer artist in modern New York City. Featuring video, live performance, bodypaint fashion, and a magazine release party, this multidisciplinary showcase is a bold celebration of authenticity and artistic survival.

Friday, June 5 | 8PM | Free (Under 24) or $10

KAC Works in Progress Showcase featuring Kalik B and Sharron “Slimm” Jones

An evening of dance featuring two of the Kiki scene’s most prominent movement artists and choreographers, fusing vogue with contemporary performance styles and experimental movement practices.

Wednesday, June 10 | 7PM | Free | Live Stream Option

Courageous Conversations with Katherine Grainger and Nadia Hallgren

Legal professional Katherine Grainger and cinematographer Nadia Hallgren join BAAD!’s Courageous Conversations series for an evening of dialogue, resilience strategies, and community discussion focused on navigating and thriving within today’s political and cultural climate.

Saturday, June 13 | 8PM | $20| Live Stream Option

Out Like That! Dance Compilation

The Out Like That! Dance Compilation celebrates bold and innovative choreography across genres and generations. This signature event brings together 8 powerful artists whose work spans contemporary, street styles, experimental forms, and cultural traditions. Together, they ignite the stage in a collective tribute to queer excellence, movement, and storytelling. 

Featured Artists include: Andrea Cortez, Malcolm Hines, David Guallpa, Darren Justice, Jaylon McCraven, Josefina Rojas, Ava Desiderio, and Brooke Brookshire

Sunday, June 14 | 4PM | Free

Unite to Remember: GMoB and Bronx Queer Activism

Through images, artifacts, memory, and ritual, this event offers an opportunity for collective remembrance to honor GMoB-Gay Men of the Bronx (1990-2001) and Bronx queer history. We’ll celebrate those who we have lost and those still living whose efforts brought the Bronx closer to queer freedom, friendship, and community love.

Thursday, June 18 | 8PM | Free

NuevaYol

Written by Marlyn Matias Feliciano and directed by Dominic Colon, Nueva Yol is a coming-of-age comedy set in the Bronx in 1988. After being sent from Puerto Rico to live with relatives in New York, 13-year-old Yoli navigates culture shock, embarrassing misunderstandings, new friendships, her first crush on a boy, and unexpected feelings for a girl.

Friday, June 19 | 7PM | Free

Juneteenth: Restoration and Rest

BAAD! invites our QTPOC community and allies into an interactive ritual of restoration and rest to commemorate Juneteenth. Guided by healers Langston Kahn and Carlos Rosario (The Greenlight Warrior), participants will breathe, reflect, connect, and move through practices designed to nurture the mind, body, and spirit while exploring what freedom feels like together. Followed by a playlist by DJ Sabine Blaizin.

Saturday, June 20 | 7PM | Free

2026 Mini Ball

Kiki with us at BAAD!’s 7th annual Mini Ball! Join iconic hosts and judges Egyptt LaBeija and Félix Rodriguez Milan as fierce competitors battle across select categories for cash prizes, ballroom glory, and community pride.

Tuesday, June 23rd | 6PM | Free

TransVisionaries

Curated by Linda La, TransVisionaries is an evening celebrating transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary artistry. Presented in partnership with a local Bronx restaurant, the event combines visionary performance, storytelling, and communal gathering over shared food and celebration.

Saturday, June 27 | 7PM | Free

cadira-cadera-catedral

Inspired by Afro-Caribbean and African diaspora social dances, motherhood, yoga, nature and the artist’s own archive of embodied ancestral movement, choreographer Priscilla Marrero and her collaborators will take the audience on an ephemeral sensorial journey for liberation with work rooted in La Pelvis.

ABOUT BAAD!

Described by The New York Times as “a funky and welcoming performance space,” BAAD! Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance is a performance and workshop venue presenting cutting-edge work across disciplines that empower women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ communities. Founded in 1998 by Arthur Aviles and Charles Rice-Gonzalez, BAAD! is home to Arthur Aviles Typical Theatre (AATT) and the AATT Academy, and is a vital cultural hub for the Bronx.

MTA - PSA Newsletter 16 (June 2026)

 

Welcome to the Penn Station Access quarterly newsletter. MTA’s Penn Station Access Project will bolster equity, regional connectivity, and reliability by upgrading Amtrak’s existing Hell Gate Line and providing four new accessible Metro North stations in the East Bronx with service to New York Penn Station. For past newsletter issues, click here. For updates on specific areas along the project corridor where work will take place, sign up here. See the latest MTA project schedule announcement here.

Para obtener más información sobre los hitos recientes del proyecto y el trabajo próximo, haga clic aqui.

Parkchester/Van Nest station, May 2026

PSA Progress

With the cold of winter behind us, progress on the PSA project is in full bloom! The Parkchester/Van Nest station continues to take shape, with the main entrance metal decking in place and the excavation for the future platform complete. At the Morris Park station, all north entrance utilities have been installed and are ready to be connected to the street, and steel installation for the entrance will follow shortly after. At Co-op City, the station head house and boiler room are being built out, with steel installation for the head house scheduled to start later this summer. Finally, at Hunts Point, the north entrance construction is progressing steadily with the installation of precast walls, cast-in-place foundations, and utility installations, which will be completed later this summer. On the track front, we have already completed 2.6 miles of brand-new track construction. Overhead, we removed 23 century-old overhead catenary system (OCS) structures in the Van Nest area, and extensive electrical/signal work and feeder transfers have been completed.

Left: Original Pelham Lane Bridge  Right: Reconstructed Pelham Lane Bridge, May 2026

Bridges Roundup

Work on the Pelham Lane Bridge, that we highlighted previously in Newsletter 15, is officially complete! Both Track 1 and Track 2 spans were demolished and replaced over the course of approximately three months. Now, train service has resumed on both tracks, and the site has been cleaned up, landscaped and fenced.  

At the Eastchester Road Bridge, Track 3 erection and ballast retainer/wire wall work are complete, and Track 1 demolition is planned to begin in mid-June, with roughly 4–6 weeks of demolition followed by 12 weeks of new span construction. To safely complete this work, there will be partial road closures during demolition and one or two full weekend closures of Eastchester Road during girder erection. Look out for further updates about these “super-weekends.” At the Bronx River Bridge, 90% of work is complete with just installation of track and ballast remaining. Finally, at the Bronxdale Avenue Bridge, work is halfway there, Tracks 2 and 4 are done, with Tracks 1 and 3 next to be demolished and constructed.

Installing formwork for concrete placement, May 2026

Upcoming Activities

Substation work is ramping up, Co-op City substation steel installation began in April and New Rochelle substation work and the Oak substation are entering construction in summer 2026. Trackbed excavation work under our latest long-term track outage will focus on the Bronx Interlocking and Van Nest areas. At the New Rochelle Yard, activities to prep the site and the installation of wall foundations have started. Work will continue at all four stations, with the steel installation at Morris Park being a major highlight!

Jim Seisfeld, Environmental Manager

Meet the Team: Jim Seisfeld

Jim has over 40 years of experience in project management roles, taking on challenges from the land to the sea. His early career was in marine construction, which included port and channel dredging, remediating New York State’s largest active waste site, and hardening utility infrastructure following Hurricane Sandy. He later transitioned to capital construction for oil pollution prevention, and most recently, rail construction. Now on the Penn Station Access project, Jim serves as the MTA Project Management Team’s Manager of Environmental Compliance and Sustainability. In this role, Jim manages people and processes. Every aspect of the PSA project has an environmental or sustainability element, from the recycling goal of 75% to achieving ISI Envision Gold. Jim ensures that all chemical products used on the project are approved for environmental, safety, and sustainability requirements and that all environmental hazards are investigated, reviewed, and managed according to regulatory requirements, this keeps Jim and his team very busy.

Jim says the PSA project “keeps me on my toes, looking out for potential compliance issues which might pop up when least expected,” and he is excited about the transformational aspects of the project. “Opening the East Bronx to commuter railroad travel will make it much easier for people living and working along the Hell Gate Line to move between the different communities which will help grow the vibrance of the region.” Jim is a life-long resident of the Long Island Sound Shore area and enjoys his free time outdoors and close to nature. He expresses his creativity by making things, including a collection of small boats he has either made and/or collected, and he has been quilting since middle school.

Left: New Rochelle Earth Day Festival, April 2026; Right: Safety Week, May 2026

Community Corner

The Penn Station Access project has been busy building relationships both on and off the job site. In April, the PSA Outreach team attended the City of New Rochelle’s Earth Day Festival and the Bronx River Alliance Open House Event, bringing along fun activities and project information. Our Outreach Team is also meeting with four Community Boards across the East Bronx, and to the Bronx Westchester Community Council (BWCC) to share construction progress and upcoming activities. Meanwhile on site, the construction team observed Safety Week with briefings to reinforce health and safety of the crews.

Contact Us web: mta.info/project/penn-station-access Email: PSAOutreach@mtacd.org | Hotline: 347-263-7837