Jackson Heights is known for its emerging and racially diverse LGBTQ community. The neighborhood has been a staple for the second oldest and second biggest Queens Pride Parade in New York City. 

Here is a list of some of the street landmarks, community groups and locations considered safe havens that provide visibility and support to the LGBTQ community in Jackson Heights.

STREET LANDMARKS

Julio Rivera Corner

A corner at 78th Street and 37th Avenue commemorates 29-year-old Julio Rivera, who was killed on July 2, 1990. Rivera, a gay Latino, was lured away to the schoolyard by three white men and fatally attacked. His death was the first to be ruled by authorities as a hate crime against an LGBTQ person. Rivera’s death sparked a surge in LGBTQ activism in the area. 

Edgar Garzon Corner

A second corner, at 77th Street and 37th Avenue, remembers Edgar Garzon, an openly gay man, who was brutally attacked and died of his injuries, after being in a coma for nearly a month on Sept. 4, 2001. According to the Queens Chronicle, prosecutors believed Garzon was on his way home from Friend’s Tavern. Garzon was known to design floats for pride parades. 

Lorena Borja Way 

Lorena Borja was considered the mother of transgender women in Queens. She was a Jackson Heights resident and was one of the earliest victims of the coronavirus pandemic. The Manuel de Dios Unanue Triangle that divides Jackson Heights and Elmhurst was renamed in acknowledgment of her activism for the transgender immigrant community a year after her death.

COMMUNITY GROUPS 

Trans Immigrant Project (TrIP)

TrIP, an LGBTQ immigrant advocacy division of Make the Road New York, helps empower the TGNCIQ (Transgender, gender non-conforming, intersex, and queer) community of Queens. The group has organized the annual Trans LatinX Night, when many take part to call for an end to discrimination toward the trans community. Each year, the rally features trans speakers and live performances from transgender entertainers. 

Colectivo Intercultural Transgrediendo

A nonprofit with a mission that educates the community on TransGNB (Transgender/Gender Non-Binary) people in the city. The organization offers legal, medical, and psychological help for the TransGNB community. The organization also hosts a weekly community closet with free clothing for the TransGNB community. 

Queens Center for Gay Seniors

The center is located at the Jewish Center for Jackson Heights, where elderly Jackson Heights residents take part in support groups, social events and various activities. According to their Instagram, it’s considered the “first and only” LGBTQ senior center in Queens. 

SAFE HAVENS

Friend’s Tavern 

A gay bar in Queens that is considered being the oldest active gay Latin bar in the neighborhood. It has been open for 32 years, and owned by Eddie Valentin and his partner. This summer, it also served as a community outreach center with information on monkeypox.

Hombres Lounge

Its website calls it the “hottest gay spot in Jackson Heights,” with a club-vibe feeling inspired by Manhattan’s nightlife. The mission of the lounge, located on 85th Street and 37th Avenue, is to educate and promote awareness within the growing community.