Arts & Entertainment
Chris Frederick steps down as Exec Director of NYC Pride
Chris Frederick, the Executive Director of NYC Pride, has stepped down from his post to accept a position with Out Leadership.
Out Leadership, the only business organization working globally to promote LGBT+ equality, has hired Frederick as their new Global Head of Events. According to Advertising Industry News Wire, he is the first of 5 strategic hires the organization has made.
Frederick spent eight years as Executive Director of NYC Pride, building it from a relatively modest metropolitan event to this year’s massive World Pride celebration over the course of his tenure.
In the official release from Out Leadership, he says:
“Hi All,
10 years ago I set out to remake the Pride experience in New York City. As New York was the epicenter of the gay rights movement, it deserved a world-class experience that could inspire generations, amplify the voices of the less fortunate, and pay homage to our remarkable history. It was so incredibly important to create something that people from around the world could experience and take back to emulate in areas that lack basic LGBTQ+ rights.
When I started with the organization our annual budget hovered between $800 – $900k and in 2019 we reached an operating budget of $13 million dollars. We were able to grow our grants given to other small LGBTQ nonprofits to over $300,000 annually. We were able to grow Dance on the Pier, now Pride Island, into a world-class event with artists like Madonna, Cher, Ariana Grande, Kylie Minogue, Lizzo, and more. We increased our programs from five events in 2009 to 25+ events in 2019. We successfully pulled off the largest LGBTQ event in history and the first WorldPride in the United States with over 5 million in attendance.
A lot can change over a decade. The political landscape is vastly different. Our community’s needs have evolved. The Pride experience around the globe has grown tremendously. However, I’m ready for the next chapter in my career. As a result, I will be stepping down from my role as Executive Director of NYC Pride. I’ve accepted an exciting new role as the Managing Director of Global Events for Out Leadership and my last day will be Friday, December 6th.
Out Leadership is the preeminent global business network driving LGBTQ advocacy and leadership development within the workplace. They do this by creating global events that help like-minded leaders convene, develop diverse talent, advocate for issues affecting LGBTQ professionals, and develop research and data driven content for businesses to provide a more meaningful understanding of our community.
As I wrap up these last ten years at NYC Pride, I want to thank my husband, family, friends and all of you for your support over the years. Thank you to all of the staff for being rockstars and your tireless work every single year. Thank you to the Executive Board for believing in my vision. The true partnership and friendship I found in our long running Co-Chairs, Maryanne and David, was something I’ll never forget. Of course, thank you to the volunteers for helping to make Pride simply remarkable. We couldn’t have become what we’ve become without you.
To say this job was a dream job was an understatement yet I’m excited for this next chapter. A new dream job awaits with new challenges, reimagined goals, and a fresh outlook on how to move our community forward. Thank you to everyone for coming along with me on this incredible journey and I hope you join me in this new opportunity where we will be impacting LGBTQ rights globally.”
The fourth annual Equality Prince William Pride was held at the Harris Pavilion in Manassas, Va. on Saturday, May 17.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
The Washington Blade held its 18th annual Summer Kickoff Party in Rehoboth Beach, Del., on Friday, May 16. Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer spoke along with State Sen. Russ Huxtable, CAMP Rehoboth Executive Director Kim Leisey, Blade Editor Kevin Naff, and Clear Space Theatre Managing Director Joe Gfaller. The event raises funds for the Steve Elkins Memorial Fellowship in Journalism, which was awarded to AU student Abigail Hatting.
(Washington Blade photos by Daniel Truitt)
In some fowl fiction foreshadowing, a gay-owned chicken joint has come home to roost on U Street, taking a page from the chicken window subplot on the HBO show “Looking.”
Last Friday, Lucky Pollo – much more than just a takeout window – stretched its wings atop the busy nightlife corner of 14th and U Streets NW.
Behind the poultry production place is Zach Renovátes, a D.C.-based nightlife operator and managing partner of LGBTQ venues Bunker and District Eagle, as well as the LGBTQ event production company KINETIC Presents.
Renovátes opened Bunker in February 2023 and District Eagle in January of this year. Lucky Pollo is the third in his growing gay empire, though this time there are noshes.
“Lucky Pollo was meant to be fun and a little provocative,” Renovátes said.
Based around its Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken, Lucky Pollo is a quick-service restaurant boasting a small menu of poultry and sides. Renovátes says that the dishes are deeply rooted in Peruvian culinary tradition, “a playful experience alongside seriously good food.”
Lucky Pollo’s signature chicken is steeped in a dozen-plus-spice marinade for 24 hours. The meat is then slow-roasted, rotisserie-style, over oak-wood charcoal. Chicken options include quarter, half, and whole.
Helming the kitchen at Lucky Pollo is Chef Luis Herrera, who brings Peruvian recipes passed down through three generations, including his grandmother Laura’s original creations.
Beyond the full bird, the menu features Peruvian-inspired sides like yuca fries (“I personally love these,” says Renovátes) and fried plantains, as well as comfort classics such as mac and cheese and mashed potatoes, and bowls, wraps, and salads. Herrera oversees development of the multiple sauces (including staff favorite, the “secret green sauce”), crafted in-house using traditional Peruvian ingredients.
Lucky Pollo, in its streetside perch, is an independent concept from District Eagle, open to the public and staying open late (3 a.m. on weekends) to serve both nightlife guests and the wider U Street crowd hungry for late-night bites. However, just beyond the kitchen, tucked in the back lies a vintage 1950s candy machine—labeled “Out of Order,” which serves as the door leading to subterranean District Eagle.
Renovátes notes that when District Eagle is open, security staff will maintain a strict two-line policy, ensuring that those seeking meat to eat will not get entwined with those looking to gain access to District Eagle.
Lucky Pollo unites the need for sustenance with the idea of a bit of fortune, given its motto, “Get Lucky” and the whimsical brand mascot: a leather-booted chicken perched on a horseshoe. Renovátes and his District Eagle business partner had always been interested in opening a restaurant, and the Lucky Pollo space was indeed lucky: It already came with a functional kitchen. Plus, he says, the nearby fast-casual places around 14th and U streets “don’t offer a lot of quality options,” so opening the chicken spot “was a no-brainer.”
The space, designed by NYC creative Jasin Cadic, blends theatrical street-art-style vibes with Keith Haring-inspired wall prints, neon signs, and ceiling-hung chicken figurines —”some edgy, some sweet,” says Renovátes —creating an immersive, playful atmosphere. Lucky Pollo and District Eagle maintain separate amenities for their respective customers.
Lucky Pollo opened last week with a competition to devour a whole rotisserie chicken in the fastest time, with the winner earning $1,000 and a framed spot on the restaurant’s “Wall of Fame.” The opening also featured other games and prizes, and a full crowd spilling out the door.
“We want it to be a great place to eat, but also serve as a playful front for something completely unexpected.” Renovátes says.
On weekends especially, he jokes, the motto will be, ‘Come for the chicken, stay for the cock.’”
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