Fire Island ‘Invasion’ is THE place to be on 4th of July!

But you betta’ WORK!

Keywords: july fourths, fire island, invasion of the pines

If you live in NYC or Long Island and you have plans for July 4th, CANCEL THEM! You need to head to Fire Island, on the south shore of Long Island and make a bee-line for either Cherry Grove or The Pines (the two gay islands out of the chain of small vacation islands). Every year on the 4th is The Invasion of The Pines. Simply put, it is a day where HUNDREDS of men dress in drag, parade through the island and board the ferry to The Pines. Then, the partying commneces! And to say it lightly, for the 2012 Invasion of The Pines, EVERYONE comes dressed to the nines!

Here is a little history of the event that is sure to be AMAZING this year! My bags are already packed!

Considered America’s first and preeminent gay & lesbian resort towns, Cherry Grove and Fire Island Pines of Fire Island, New York host a rich and diverse international artistic community. The Fire Island Drag Queen Invasion is a fascinating and brilliant American Queer celebration of diversity and freedom launched in response to discrimination within the Gay community.

Drag queens have always been an integral part of the bohemian Cherry Grove bar & club scene, but frowned upon and practically forbidden in the more affluent and conservative Fire Island Pines of the 70s. According to legend, in 1976 a Cherry Grove man in drag (Teri Warren) was denied service at the Botel, a Pines restaurant & bar owned by John B. Whyte (who died at 75 on March 22, 2004). Upon hearing about this blatant discrimination against one of her sisters, the newly crowned Homecoming Queen of the Arts Project Cherry Grove, PANZI (Thom Hansen) took it upon herself to lead a small group of 9 brave Cherry Grove girls in a water taxi into the Pines harbor one hot afternoon for what they expected to be a confrontational welcoming by the Pines men. On the contrary, the Pines men were so surprised and entertained by this “Drag Queen Invasion” in the middle of the day that they welcomed them all to drinks at the Blue Whale bar for what now is a yearly celebration and tradition. To learn more about this fascinating story read the entertaining and well written History of the Invasion by Jim Jordan at FireIslandQNews.com.

It’s such a huge deal that in 2009, there was a float all decked out from the producers of the Broadway musical ‘Priscilla, Queen of the Desert’!

I’ll be hanging at the beach and on the dock all day with my girl, mom and sis! (Yeah, we’re that cool!) Send me your pics from The Invasion and theyll end up on wePRIDEny.com! Happy 4th of July!