The world’s most famous Material Girl will perform at Pride Island 2019 in New York City as part of LGBTQ Pride Month.
“I hear you,” she posted on her Instagram account. “I’ll be on Pride Island, where I was born.”
Sporting a rainbow blanket, Madonna confirmed that she will perform on June 30 for the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York.
The New York City Police raided the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village on June 28, 1969, an event that is often cited as the birth of the modern LGBTQ rights movement when members of the city’s underground gay community squared off and fought back against police. The Stonewall Inn served as a safe haven speakeasy for the vilified gay community, as police crackedown on gay bars for operating without New York State Liquor Authority licenses.
When police raided the bar, patrons stood their ground. This lead to a six-day standoff with sporadic melees known now as the Stonewall Riots. The first NYC Pride Rally occurred one month after the Stonewall Riots in June 1969, when 500 people gathered for a “Gay Power” demonstration in Washington Square Park, followed by a candlelight vigil in Sheridan Square.
A year after the skirmish, the Christopher Street Liberation Day Committee held the first Gay Pride March in the United States.
Madonna has spent the course of her career advocating for LGBTQ rights, serving as a leading voice in AIDS activism, and countless other cases of acting as an ally. Madonna recently teased a new song, “I Rise,” from her upcoming album, “Madame X,” which will be released June 14.
“I wrote ‘I Rise’ as a way of giving a voice to all marginalized people who feel they don’t have the opportunity to speak their mind,” she said in a statement posted on CNN.com. “This year is the 50th anniversary of Pride and I hope this song encourages all individuals to be who they are, to speak their minds and to love themselves.”
Grace Jones will headline the weekend-long live musical event featuring performances from Teyana Taylor, Pabllo Vittar, and more on Saturday, June 29 to Sunday, June 30, 2019 at Pier 97. Tickets for Pride Island Saturday and Sunday have sold out.
