North Bay Village in Miami-Dade County celebrated Pride month on June 6 at Happy’s Stork Lounge, an aptly named location. There was a drag show by the talented Carla Croqueta and a live DJ set where the 70-year-old DJ wore a hat that read “Strip Club Veteran.” North Bay Village was the first Miami County municipality to prohibit discrimination against sexual orientation, providing safe spaces for queer folks in South Florida to celebrate their identities. North Bay Village, population 7,930, held its first ever Pride concert and Juneteenth celebration in 2021, hosted by Commissioner Richard Chervony. The event set a precedent for the city’s future celebrations.
Old School Catalyst sat down with North Bay Village Commissioner Chervony and sponsor of this year’s Pride event. Chervony, born in Havana, Cuba, has lived in North Bay Village for 31 years. He served as a commissioner from 2011-2016 and 2020-2024 and was elected to his third term in November 2024. He said his efforts to hold pride events have been met with pushback from Gov. Ron DeSantis for several years.
“I check all the wrong boxes,” Chervony told Old School Catalyst. “I am Cuban, I am Jewish, I am gay. And I stand up for all three. I’ll back any Jewish organization, I post about Muslim events, I post about Catholic events, we have Christmas events, we have Hanukkah events. Why not gay events?”
Five years ago, the city made a Pride proclamation which states that its citizens are allies and friends of the LGBTQ+ community. At the time, Chervony hosted a Pride event that encountered backlash from DeSantis.
“It was in a public park, very family oriented,” Chervony said. “But because we did a drag show in public, it cost us state funding. This year, I decided I’m only doing the Pride celebration at Happy’s and I’m doing a drag show.
“We are one of the few communities left that still has a gay flag on the dais,” Chervony continued. “Until our wonderful governor tells us that it must be removed, and then I’ll move it up here to my office.”
Chervony hopes that the Pride event tells his community that LGBTQ+ people deserve respect and equality.
“Number one, we exist. Number one, we should be given equality,” Chervony said. “Love is love, no matter if it’s male-male, female-female, male-female, what we do in the privacy of our own homes is private. There should be no discrimination. There should be no discrimination at work. There should be no discrimination in the house. There is no discrimination in government.
“I want the community to come together,” Chervony continued. “To celebrate a community, inclusion and equality, not an individual sexual preference. This has nothing to do with sexual preferences. This is an event for the community.”
At Happy’s, patrons danced in colorful wigs and drinks with miniature rainbow flags and straws were flourished. Old School Catalyst spoke with Commissioner of Harbor Island Andy Daro, a 10-year resident of Miami who has lived in North Bay Village since 2018 and was elected in 2022. “This event is important because it’s inclusive of everybody. It is why we are North Bay Village,” Daro said. “We are a big melting pot, we have people from all races, genders and this is an event to celebrate that.
“I’m so proud that North Bay Village is hosting its annual Pride event,” Mayor Rachel Streitfeld told Old School Catalyst. “We want everyone to feel safe, welcomed, loved and included in our community.”
North Bay Village Deputy Police Chief Samuel Bejar, who has spent 40 years in law enforcement, also attended the event.
“The North Bay Village Police Department is here to serve the community,” Bejar said. “We serve everybody, all stripes, colors, shapes and sizes. It doesn’t matter. We have a LGBTQ+ community here that is significant and we support them, and they support us. That’s why we’re here supporting Pride.”
In a neon green one-piece and a long floral print skirt, Carla Croqueta emerged from backstage, dancing to ’80s pop music. Patrons of the event cheered as Croqueta made her way through the crowd and dramatically tore off her long skirt.
“Pride is an opportunity for people who are not familiar with the concept or who are closed-minded or have antiquated ideas and beliefs to connect with people who are fully self-expressed and choosing to step into their identity,” Natalia Chinea told Old School Catalyst. Chinea has lived in North Bay Village for two years. “If we can get more people to come who aren’t gay, it would humanize and bridge the gap between both communities.”
Susan Park, a five-year resident of North Bay Village, celebrates Pride to support her transgender niece and other gay family members. “They are loved,” Park said. “We don’t care. I don’t care when the government says, ‘If you have a penis, you’re a man.’”
A shining example of Pride demonstration, the Jacksonville LGBTQ community lit up the Acosta Bridge with rainbow lights in defiance of a DeSantis order to only permit blue, red, and white lights on Florida bridges. Orders like DeSantis’ and President Donald Trump’s executive order to ban trans soldiers from serving in the military prove that celebrating Pride loudly and proudly is more important than ever. Old School Catalyst wishes everyone, no matter their affiliation, to spread some love this June. Here is a link to Pride events all over Florida.
