Arts & Entertainment
Pride events in New York, Pgh., Philly and more run thru June and beyond
Cyndi Lauper, Billy Porter, Todrick Hall and Whoopi booked for N.Y. events


Excitement is in the air as communities through the greater D.C. area celebrate Stonewall’s 50th anniversary with Pride events, many for the first time.
New York City will host the largest celebration with World Pride events spanning the entire month. The opening ceremony is June 26 at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center (620 Atlantic Ave.) from 7-10 p.m. and is hosted by Whoopi Goldberg with performances by Cyndi Lauper, Billy Porter, Chaka Khan, Ciara, Daya and Todrick Hall. Tickets range from $45-226. Rally: Stonewall 50 Commemoration is June 28, 6-9 p.m. at Christopher St. and Waverly Place and is a free event. Youth Pride is June 29, 12-6 p.m. at SummerStage, Central Park (5th Avenue at 69th St.) and admission is free for under 21, but registration is required. The VIP Rooftop Party is June 29, 2-10 p.m. at The Park (118 10th Ave.). Tickets start at $100. PrideFest is June 30, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. at 4th Ave. between Union Square and Astor. Admission is free. The closing ceremony is June 20 in Times Square from 7-10 p.m. The event is free but registration is required. Margaret Cho is the host with performances by Melissa Etheridge, Jake Shears, MNEK, Deborah Cox and others to be announced. For more tickets and information, visit 2019-worldpride-stonewall50.nycpride.org.
Pittsburgh Pride runs June 6-9 and this year’s theme is “We are One.” Events begin June 6 at 8 p.m. with the Wheels & Heels drag show at Video Lounge & Cafe (5801 Ellsworth Ave.) hosted by Lola LeCroix and staring Sharon Needles, Dixie Surewood, Daniel Vasquez and Anna Steezia. The event is free, but every dollar tipped to a queen will be matched by a Lyft donation to Proud Haven Pittsburgh. June 7-8 is Pride Rocks PGH with headliners Walk the Moon and Toni Braxton. Tickets start at $39. PrideFest is June 8, at noon to June 9, at 7 p.m. The festival includes vendors, three stages and free STI and HIV testing. Admission is free. June 9 is the Equality March from 12:30-2:30 p.m. from Blvd of the Allies to Liberty Ave. June 28 at 6 p.m. is NYC to PGH: 50 Years After Stonewall, a commemorative celebration unveiling a permanent art installation at the intersection of Ellsworth and Maryland streets, and July 7 is Pride Day at the Pirates and Tailgate. Game time is 1:35 p.m. and tickets are $30. Visit pitsburghpride.org for more information.
Philly Pride is June 9 starting at 11 a.m. with a kick-off party June 7 from 6-10 p.m. at 12th and Locust streets. The parade begins June 9 at 13th and Locust and ends at the festival location at the Grand Plaza of Penn’s Landing. Refreshments, food, amusements and wristbands for the festival are $10 June 7 and $15 June 9. More information and local Stonewall-related history is at phillygaypride.org.
The inaugural Annapolis Pride Parade and Festival is June 29. The parade runs from noon-12:45 p.m. from Amos Garrett to Calvert street, and the festival is from noon-5 p.m. between Calvert street and Church Circle. Planned is a family-friendly event with vendors, children’s activities and entertainment from local artists and DJs. More information is available at annapolispride.org.
Howard County, Maryland will also host its first Pride celebration June 29 from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. at Centennial Park in Elliott City. Its kick-off event is June 28 from 5:30-9:30 p.m. at the Carroll Baldwin Community Hall (9035 Baltimore Street, Savage, Md.) and will be filled with food, fun and a friendly atmosphere. For more information visit howardcountypride.org.
Eastern Panhandle Pride is June 28-29 in Shepherdstown, West Va. June 28, starting at 5 p.m., is the Pride Pub Crawl supporting local businesses and June 29 from 11-4 p.m. is the North King street fair featuring vendors, artisans, nonprofits and a poetry walk. June 29 is also a dance party/drag show from 8 p.m.-midnight at the War Memorial building (102 E. German St.) honoring the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. Visit eppridewv.com for details.
Hampton Roads Pride in Norfolk, Va., begins with a block party June 21 and culminates in PrideFest on June 22 in Norfolk’s Town Point Park. June 22 is also the ninth annual PrideFest boat parade. Locals and visitors can board the ship American Rover for “Out on the Boat,” a two-hour cruise on the Elizabeth River and Hampton Roads Harbor. There will be a DJ on Board as well as a Gourmet Gang lunch and drinks available for purchase. For more information visit hamptonroadspride.org.
Frederick Pride is June 22 from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. at Carroll Creek Linear Park in downtown Frederick, Md. The event is organized by The Frederick Center, which is dedicated to support, educate, link and provide outreach to the LGBT community of central Maryland. This is the city’s eighth annual event and admission is free. More information is available at frederickpride.org.
More Pride celebrations occur later in the year.
Hagerstown Pride, “Love Grows,” is July 13 from 11:30 a.m.- 6 p.m. At this time their plans have not been finalized but will be posted soon at hagerstownhopesmd.org.
The Miss Shenandoah Vally Pride Pageant is July 13 from 7-11 p.m. at the Court Square Theater (41 Court Sq., Harrisonburg, Va.) is also the hosted by the Shenandoah Vally Pride Alliance. Tickets are $7. The Shenandoah Valley Pride Festival is Sept. 21 at 80 Court Square in Harrisonburg, Va. For more information, look for the event on Facebook.
The 27th annual Pride Festival of Central Pa. is July 27 at the Soldier’s Grove Memorial Park, Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex in Harrisburg, Pa. The event runs from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. and the suggested admission donation is $10. The headliner is Aja, a nonbinary queer artist and performer who brings the art of drag into the masculine-dominated world of hip-hop and had a breakout performance on “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” Visit centralpapridefestival.com for more details.
VA PrideFest 2019 is a free and family-friendly event scheduled for Sept. 28 at Browns Island in Richmond, Va. Vendor registration is currently open and more details will be posted as they are available on vapride.org.
The Northern Virginia Pride Festival festival will be at Bull Run Regional Park (7700 Bull Run Drive, Centerville, Va.) Sept. 28 from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. According to virginia.org, Northern Virginia has a large and steadily growing LGBTQ population and event organizers felt a need to recognize this sizable community. While this year’s event is still in the works, their website notes entertainers from previous years to include local singers, bands, comedians and drag performers are excited to return for another year. Check virginia.org soon for details.
Photos
PHOTOS: Montgomery County Pride in the Plaza
LGBTQ celebration held in downtown Silver Spring

Montgomery County Pride in the Plaza was held on Sunday, June 29 at Veterans Plaza in Silver Spring, Md.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)























The fifth annual Fredericksburg Pride march and festival was held on Saturday, June 28. A march through the streets of downtown Fredericksburg, Va. was followed by a festival at Riverfront Park.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)



















India
Anaya Bangar challenges ban on trans women in female cricket teams
Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Bangar’s daughter has received support

Anaya Bangar, the daughter of former Indian cricketer Sanjay Bangar, has partnered with the Manchester Metropolitan University Institute of Sport in the U.K. to assess her physiological profile following her gender-affirming surgery and undergoing hormone replacement therapy.
From January to March 2025, the 23-year-old underwent an eight-week research project that measured her glucose levels, oxygen uptake, muscle mass, strength, and endurance after extensive training.
The results, shared via Instagram, revealed her metrics align with those of cisgender female athletes, positioning her as eligible for women’s cricket under current scientific standards. Bangar’s findings challenge the International Cricket Council’s 2023 ban on transgender athletes in women’s cricket, prompting her to call for a science-based dialogue with the Board of Control for Cricket in India and the ICC to reform policies for transgender inclusion.
“I am talking with scientific evidence in my hand,” Bangar said in an interview posted to her Instagram page. “So, I hope, this makes an impact and I will be hoping to BCCI and ICC talking with me and discussing this further.”
On Nov. 21, 2023, the ICC enacted a controversial policy barring trans women from international women’s cricket. Finalized after a board meeting in Ahmedabad, India, the regulation prohibits any trans player who has experienced male puberty from competing, irrespective of gender-affirming surgery or hormone therapy. Developed through a 9-month consultation led by the ICC’s Medical Advisory Committee, the rule aims to safeguard the “integrity, safety, and fairness” of women’s cricket but has drawn criticism for excluding athletes like Canada’s Danielle McGahey, the first trans woman to play internationally. The policy, which allows domestic boards to set their own rules, is slated for review by November 2025.
Bangar shared a document on social media verifying her participation in a physiological study at the Manchester Metropolitan University Institute of Sport, conducted from Jan. 20 to March 3, 2025, focused on cricket performance. The report confirmed that her vital metrics — including haemoglobin, blood glucose, peak power, and mean power — aligned with those of cisgender female athletes. Initially, her fasting blood glucose measured 6.1 mmol/L, slightly above the typical non-diabetic range of 4.0–5.9 mmol/L, but subsequent tests showed it normalized, reinforcing the study’s findings that her physical profile meets female athletic standards.
“I am submitting this to the BCCI and ICC, with full transparency and hope,” said Bangar. “My only intention is to start a conversation based on facts not fear. To build space, not divide it.”
In a letter to the BCCI and the ICC, Bangar emphasized her test results from the Manchester Metropolitan University study. She explained that the research aimed to assess how hormone therapy had influenced her strength, stamina, haemoglobin, glucose levels, and overall performance, benchmarked directly against cisgender female athletic standards.
Bangar’s letter to the BCCI and the ICC clarified the Manchester study was not intended as a political statement but as a catalyst for a science-driven dialogue on fairness and inclusion in cricket. She emphasized the importance of prioritizing empirical data over assumptions to shape equitable policies for trans athletes in the sport.
Bangar urged the BCCI, the world’s most influential cricket authority, to initiate a formal dialogue on trans women’s inclusion in women’s cricket, rooted in medical science, performance metrics, and ethical fairness. She called for the exploration of eligibility pathways based on sport-specific criteria, such as haemoglobin thresholds, testosterone suppression timelines, and standardized performance testing. Additionally, she advocated for collaboration with experts, athletes, and legal advisors to develop policies that balance inclusivity with competitive integrity.
“I am releasing my report and story publicly not for sympathy, but for truth. Because inclusion does not mean ignoring fairness, it means measuring it, transparently and responsibly,” said Bangar in a letter to the BCCI. “I would deeply appreciate the opportunity to meet with you or a representative of the BCCI or ICC to present my findings, discuss possible policy pathways, and work towards a future where every athlete is evaluated based on real data, not outdated perceptions.”
Before her transition, Bangar competed for Islam Gymkhana in Mumbai and Hinckley Cricket Club in the U.K., showcasing her talent in domestic cricket circuits. Her father, Sanjay Bangar, was a dependable all-rounder for the Indian national cricket team from 2001 to 2004, playing 12 test matches and 15 One Day Internationals. He later served as a batting coach for the Indian team from 2014 to 2019, contributing to its strategic development.
Cricket in India is a cultural phenomenon, commanding a fanbase of more than 1 billion, with more than 80 percent of global cricket viewership originating from the country.
The International Cricket Council, the sport’s governing body, oversees 12 full member nations and more than 90 associate members, with the U.S. recently gaining associate member status in 2019 and co-hosting the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. The BCCI generated approximately $2.25 billion in revenue in the 2023–24 financial year, primarily from the Indian Premier League, bilateral series, and ICC revenue sharing. The ICC earns over $3 billion from media rights in India alone for the 2024–27 cycle, contributing nearly 90 percent of its global media rights revenue, with the BCCI receiving 38.5 percent of the ICC’s annual earnings, approximately $231 million per year.
Women’s cricket in India enjoys a growing fanbase, with over 300 million viewers for the Women’s Premier League in 2024, making it a significant driver of the sport’s global popularity. The International Cricket Council oversees women’s cricket in 12 full member nations and over 90 associate members, with the U.S. fielding a women’s team since gaining associate status in 2019 and competing in ICC events like the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup qualifiers. The BCCI invests heavily in women’s cricket, allocating approximately $60 million annually to the WPL and domestic programs in 2024–25, while contributing to the ICC’s $20 million budget for women’s cricket development globally. India’s media market for women’s cricket, including WPL broadcasting rights, generated $120 million in 2024, accounting for over 50 percent of the ICC’s women’s cricket media revenue.
“As a woman, I feel when someone says that they are women, then they are, be trans or cis. A trans woman is definitely the same as a cis woman emotionally and in vitals, and specially, when someone is on hormone replacement therapy. Stopping Anaya Bangar from playing is discrimination and violation of her rights. It is really sad and painful that every transwoman need to fight and prove their identity everywhere,” said Indrani Chakraborty, an LGBTQ rights activist and a mother of a trans woman. “If ICC and BCCI is stopping her from playing for being transgender, then I will say this to be their lack of awareness and of course the social mindsets which deny acceptance.”
Chakraborty told the Blade that Bangar is an asset, no matter what. She said that the women’s cricket team will only benefit by participation, but the discriminating policies are the hindrance.
“Actually the transgender community face such discrimination in every sphere. In spite of being potent, they face rejection. This is highly inhuman. These attitudes is regressive and will never let to prosper. Are we really in 2025?,” said Chakraborty. “We, our mindset and the society are the issues. We, as a whole, need to get aware and have to come together for getting justice for Anaya. If today, we remain silent, the entire community will be oppressed. Proper knowledge of gender issues need to be understood.”
The BCCI and the International Cricket Council have not responded to the Blade’s repeated requests for comment.
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