Asbury Park celebrates Drag Queen Visibility Day on May 7

Charles Daye, Asbury Park Press
·4 min read
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Drag Queen Visibility Day Sunday, May 7
Drag Queen Visibility Day Sunday, May 7

ASBURY PARK - Drag queen story time, a bake sale and karaoke are just some of the events planned as Asbury Park and the Paradise nightclub celebrate Drag Queen Visibility Day on May 7.

Paradise, located at 101 Asbury Ave., will host events starting at 1 p.m. to highlight local drag performers to show that "drag is more than just entertainment."

"I have been out for nearly 30 years, and I have seen so many amazing things within our community," said Paradise manager Ryan Jimenez. "These queens show up and show out and raise money and give their time and everything else to help people in need."

A portion of the proceeds from the day will go to the Human Rights Campaign, an organization that "strives to end discrimination against LGBTQ+ people and realize a world that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all."

"These queens are donating their time to say, 'We care,' and that is the way the community has always been, and I wish that other people could really see that side of it," Jimenez said.

The event is being held at a time when anti-drag and anti-transgender laws are being passed in state legislatures across the country.

There have been 469 anti-LGBTQ legislative measures introduced in the U.S. in 2023, according to the ACLU.

"It is a response to all the anti-drag and anti-trans laws that are being proposed now days. So, I got this idea in my head, and I went to the city of Asbury Park," Jimenez said. "Asbury Park has been on the forefront of many things including handing out same-sex marriage licenses before they were legal. I said we can't be afraid, and we have to confront this."

Drag Queen Visibility Day in Asbury Park is one way, Jimenez said, to show support for the larger LGBTQ community across the nation.

"New Jersey is pretty progressive, but if you're in Tennessee right now and looking at social media and you see something like this it is going to mean the world to you, and it might change your perspective on life. Hopefully it will do that for some politicians as well," Jimenez said.

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Miss Paradise 2023 Sapphira Cristal, who will host the event, called Paradise a "safe haven" with "good energy."

Cristal said Drag Queen Visibility Day is confirmation that "we are people who deserve to be celebrated, confirmation that all art is valid."

"There are so many states in this country that are really taking a stand against drag for no other reason than to distract their constituents from the issues that are actually harming them, and New Jersey decided we are going to take the opposite stand. It feels great," Cristal said.

Cristal believes that when people get really uncomfortable they lash out at those "living in their full comfort."

"I don't care about what people tell me what I can and cannot do. I am going to live my life for me because my parents got to live their life for them. So I am going to do that for myself," Cristal said.

The day is split into two acts, according to the Paradise website.

Act I will begin at 1 p.m. May 7 with drag queen story time with Jolina Jasmine in the Empress Hotel Lobby. The rest of the schedule features:

  • 1 p.m. to 11 p.m: Trans Empowerment Program information table.

  • 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. : A viewing of Mrs. Doubtfire in the Empress Hotel Lobby.

  • 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. : Bake sale with Tastie in the Copper Bar.

  • 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.: Drag Zumba with Victoria Cortez in the Main Room.

  • 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.: Distribution of food to those with food insecurities in conjunction with Mercy Center in the Paradise parking lot.

Act II begins after 5 p.m. and includes:

  • 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. : Drag queen bingo with Mancie Mandell and Ms. Cee'Mour Cox in the Copper Bar.

  • 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.: Voter Registration Table with Asbury Park Womens Convention

  • 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. : HIV Mobile Testing Unit with Prevention Resource Network (PRN).

  • 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.: Drag Queen Comedy hour with Pissi Myles in the Copper Bar.

  • 8 p.m. : Main Event hosted by Miss Paradise 2023 Sapphira Cristal in the Main Room, featuring various talents and surprise guests. City officials will join on stage to announce the proclamation.

  • 9 p.m. to close: Karaoke with Bella Sky in the Copper Bar.

Charles Daye is the metro reporter for Asbury Park and Neptune, with a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion. @CharlesDayeAPP Contact him: CDaye@gannettnj.com

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Asbury Park, Paradise club hosting drag queen story time, bake sale