6SQFT: How to celebrate Pride Month in NYC

The NYC AIDS Memorial—a landmark stop on the NYC Pride March and a powerful site of remembrance—will host community programming throughout June. The memorial holds deep historical significance for the city’s LGBTQIA+ community, particularly for those still affected by the AIDS epidemic.

Programming includes a new public art exhibition, “Portals of Remembrance,” featuring three virtual monuments that honor and share the stories of underrepresented figures in the HIV/AIDS movement. The works were created by artists Derek Fordjour, Jacolby Satterwhite, Tourmaline, and Egyptt LaBeija.

The memorial will also present “The Gay Chorus: No Time at All,” a sound installation developed by the artist through extensive archival research. The work digitizes VHS recordings of gay choruses from LGBTQIA+ archives across the country, with a soundtrack drawn from performances recorded between 1985 and 1995 at the height of the AIDS epidemic.

Events also include a screening of “Cashing Out” on June 13, a thought-provoking film that explores the personal stories behind the billion-dollar “AIDS profiteering” industry, in which thousands of queer individuals sold their life insurance policies for cash. Additionally, the memorial will present the third annual “Legends of Drag” revue at the Church of the Village, honoring queer elders who have served as vital cultural and spiritual figures in their communities.