JULIO OF JACKSON HEIGHTS REVISITED: A CONVERSATION WITH FILMMAKER RICHARD SHPUNTOFF (IN-PERSON)

Filmmaker Richard Shpuntoff presents segments of his film about the 1990 gay bashing murder of Julio Rivera in the PS 69 schoolyard in Jackson Heights, Queens, and how it sparked the creation of the Queens Pride Parade. Shpuntoff will share scenes from the film as well as other archival material and discuss the making of the film and its meaning today.                 

Saturday, June 1
2pm
Jackson Heights
35-51 81 Street

GABBYING WITH GAYS: QUEER ICON SCREEN PRINTING (IN-PERSON)

Come make a t-shirt of your favorite queer icon! Each person will also get to print images of important queer icons with quotes. This event is an opportunity to cultivate empathy and compassion while developing community bonds. It will feature a communal guided meditation led by the presenter. This program is made possible by the support of the Amazin’ Mets Foundation. 

Saturday, June 1
3:30pm
Bayside
214-20 Northern Boulevard

Tuesday, June 4
4pm 
Corona
38-23 104 Street

Wednesday, June 12
4pm
Rochdale Village
169-09 137 Avenue

TALES OF QUEENS PRIDE WITH FILMMAKER RICHARD SHPUNTOFF (IN-PERSON)

Filmmaker Richard Shpuntoff presents a series of short oral history videos reflecting upon and celebrating the diversity of LGBTQ+ life in Queens over the past three decades. Material will include interviews with members of the South Asian Lesbian and Gay Association, the Sirens Women’s Motorcycle Club, and with Maritza Martinez, co-founder of the Queens Pride Parade. Shpuntoff will discuss the history of the Queens LGBTQ community and the process of preserving that history.     

Tuesday, June 4
6:30pm
Central Library
89-11 Merrick Boulevard

Thursday, June 6
6pm
Flushing
41-17 Main Street

Friday, June 7
1:30pm
Sunnyside
43-06 Greenpoint Avenue

OPEN LEVEL BALLET CLASS FOR CHILDREN (IN-PERSON)

Children are invited to learn basic ballet movements through stretching and dance combinations! The class will give kids the opportunity to perform sequences choreographed to music as well as freestyle.

Thursday, June 6
4pm
Astoria
14-01 Astoria Boulevard 

Thursday, June 13
4pm
South Ozone Park
128-16 Rockaway Boulevard

Thursday, June 20
4:30pm
Sunnyside
43-06 Greenpoint Avenue

Thursday, June 27
3:30pm
Briarwood
85-12 Main Street

CULTURE CONNECTION: RADIANT: THE LIFE AND LINE OF KEITH HARING WITH BIOGRAPHER BRAD GOOCH (VIRTUAL)

Join us for this conversation with biographer Brad Gooch and The New School’s Heidi Gelover! Gooch, who was granted access to Keith Haring’s extensive archive, has written a biography that will become the authoritative work on the artist. Based on interviews with those who knew him best, Gooch’s book captures the magic of Keith Haring, a visionary icon whose tragically short life has a unique aura of mystery and power.
Watch on Facebook and YouTube: https://www.facebook.com/QPLNYC and https://www.youtube.com/QueensPublicLibrary

Friday, June 7
7pm

LGBT NETWORK: LGBTQ 101 (IN-PERSON)

Join us for this interactive workshop that addresses stereotypes and provides information about the LGBTQ community. We will explore the definition of sexual orientation and gender identity, as well as what constitutes anti-LGBTQ bullying. This program is made possible, in part, by the support of individual donors and the Queens Public Library Foundation.    

Tuesday, June 11
4pm
Ridgewood
20-12 Madison Street

Wednesday, June 12
4pm
Glen Oaks
256-04 Union Turnpike

ULTIMATE CARNIVAL DANCE MOVES (IN-PERSON)

Join Darren Bankss, former dancer with the Kofago Dance Ensemble and the CarNYval Dancers, for the ultimate carnival experience. Explore dance history, followed by a dance class. Prepare to get loose and have fun! This program is made possible by the support of the Amazin’ Mets Foundation.         

Thursday, June 13 
6pm
Hollis
202-05 Hillside Avenue

Saturday, June 15
1pm
Rosedale
144-20 243 Street   

Thursday, June 20
6pm
St. Albans
191-05 Linden Boulevard

Thursday, June 27
6pm
South Ozone Park
128-16 Rockaway Boulevard

TRADITIONAL WEST AFRICAN DANCE FOR CHILDREN BY ATIYA CLARKE (IN-PERSON)

Through rhythms and songs, children will be able to learn and experience the traditions of West African culture with dance and movement! This program is made possible, in part, by the support of individual donors and the Queens Public Library Foundation.

Friday, June 14
4pm
Woodhaven
85-41 Forest Parkway

Friday, June 28
4pm
Ozone Park
92-24 Rockaway Boulevard

GABBYING WITH GAYS: ACTIVATING ZESTFULNESS (IN-PERSON)

Join us in creating gifts out of reusable materials! We will begin with a guided communal meditation, followed by a Mapping Memories activity and a short discussion about Pride. We’ll all have a chance to celebrate our work and each participant will leave with a souvenir! This program is made possible by the support of the Amazin’ Mets Foundation.   

Tuesday, June 18
4pm
Fresh Meadows
193-20 Horace Harding Expressway       

LITERARY THURSDAYS: JENN M. JACKSON, AUTHOR OF BLACK WOMEN TAUGHT US (VIRTUAL)

Jenn M. Jackson, PhD (they/them) is a queer androgynous Black woman whose book explores the legacy of Black women writers and leaders—from Harriet Jacobs and Ida B. Wells to the Combahee River Collective and Audre Lorde—and tells how Black women have been at the center of modern liberation movements, despite the erasure and misrecognition of their efforts. Join us on Microsoft Teams: https://queenslib.org/3UZMkb4

Thursday, June 20
6pm

LITERARY THURSDAYS: AMELIA POSSANZA, AUTHOR OF LESBIAN LOVE STORY (VIRTUAL)

Amelia Possanza will discuss how she was inspired to seek out lesbians throughout history who could become her role models, in romance and in life. Her journey into the archives recovered the personal histories of lesbians in the 20th century: who they were, how they loved, why their stories were destroyed, and where their memories echo and live on. Along the way, she discovered her own love—for swimming, for community, for New York City—and added her own record to the archive. Join us on Microsoft Teams: https://queenslib.org/45UZe3

Thursday, June 27
6pm

CULTURE CONNECTION: HIDDEN MASTER: THE LEGACY OF GEORGE PLATT LYNES WITH FILMMAKER SAM SHAHID (VIRTUAL)

Join us for this conversation with two fashion industry icons, Sam Shahid and Jeffrey Banks, moderated by filmmaker/producer Taylor Purdee! They will talk about Shahid’s 2023 documentary film, which is an intimate look at pioneering artist George Platt Lynes. Featuring a stunning collection of photography from the 1930s-1950s, Hidden Master reveals Lynes’s gifted eye for the male form, his long-term friendships with Gertrude Stein and Alfred Kinsey, and his lasting influence as one of the first openly gay American artists.
Watch on Facebook and YouTube: https://www.facebook.com/QPLNYC and https://www.youtube.com/QueensPublicLibrary

Friday, June 28
6pm