SunnyPride lights up Sunnyside with joy, resistance and LGBTQ+ pride

Local leaders and residents joined together in celebration of the 2025 SunnyPride festival. Photos by Ramy Mahmoud

June 16, 2025 By Ramy Mahmoud and Queens Post News Team

Despite looming political tensions and cloudy skies, the fourth annual SunnyPride lit up 46th Street in Sunnyside on Friday, June 13, with a vibrant and defiant celebration of LGBTQ+ pride, immigrant solidarity and neighborhood unity.

Organized by the Sunnyside Shines Business Improvement District and community volunteers, the event brought hundreds of residents and local leaders together at the 46th Street Bliss Plaza under the elevated 7 train line to mark Pride Month in true Queens fashion—loud, colorful, inclusive and deeply rooted in community values.

This year’s SunnyPride was particularly timely, as national debates over LGBTQ+ rights, immigration, and democracy took center stage in conversations across the country. Council Member Julie Won, who represents the area and has been a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ and immigrant communities, addressed the crowd with a heartfelt—and unapologetically political—message.

Council Member Julie Won addressed the crowd at SunnyPride with a passionate message of unity and resistance.

“Today, on the fourth anniversary, I’m sorry to say that I am not at a place where I am proud to be part of the government at this time,” Won said. “But I do know that as Pride was born out of resistance, we have a community that is united. We have a community that loves. We have a community that has pride for all of our LGBTQ neighbors, for all of our immigrant neighbors, and for all the things that the United States and America—as well as a sanctuary city of New York—stands for. We will resist, we will fight, and we will show Donald Trump that there is no king in this country.”

Won’s remarks drew cheers from attendees who packed the plaza to hear speeches, enjoy performances, and visit vendor tables featuring local LGBTQ+ artists and advocates.

Pride came alive in Queens with music, dancing, and messages from Drag queen superstars.

The event’s high-energy entertainment kept the crowd on its feet throughout the evening. Drag artists delivered dazzling performances that blended humor, glamour, and political expression, while Cheer NY wowed attendees with their infectious energy.

Fogo Azul’s powerful drumline performance set the tone for a lively and defiant Pride celebration in Queens.

The cheerleaders brought beauty, energy and joy to the fourth annual SunnyPride.

The electrifying rhythms of Fogo Azul, the all-women Brazilian drumline, echoed through the plaza, turning the space beneath the 7 train into a full-blown dance floor. Together, the performances underscored the spirit of pride—joyful, defiant, and unifying.

Colorful crowds filled 46th Street Bliss Plaza to celebrate LGBTQ+ pride and neighborhood unity.

Rainbow flags waved from every corner, and families with children joined longtime residents and activists for an evening of joy and protest.

SunnyPride began in 2021 as a grassroots effort to provide localized, accessible Pride events in Western Queens, where residents could celebrate diversity and inclusion without needing to travel. Since then, it has grown into one of the most beloved annual gatherings in Sunnyside, reflecting the neighborhood’s progressive values and multicultural identity.

The office of Assembly Member Claire Valdez joined the celebration during the 2025 SunnyPride festival.

The 2025 SunnyPride celebration served as both a joyful occasion and a somber reminder that the fight for equality continues. In an election year marked by political uncertainty, speakers urged the crowd to remain engaged, informed, and unified.

As one community member said during the event, “Pride started as a protest—and it still is one.”

Local vendors set up colorful booths at SunnyPride, showcasing LGBTQ+ artists, makers, and community organizations.