Welcome to FireIslandInvasion.com. It is a great honor to
launch this website on July Fourth 2004, one year
after the US Supreme Court abolished the remaining
anti-sodomy laws in America. Anti-sodomy laws have
been used unjustly to persecute or deny gays and
lesbians basic human rights all over the world just
for being different than the heterosexual majority.
Many of us gay immigrants come to America with the
hope of escaping this oppression and ignorance, and
the dream to live a queer American life free of fear.
Now we can ALL proudly pledge allegiance to the Flag
of the United States of America which ends with the
promise: 
We are still waiting for full national legal recognition
of our rights to marry, but celebrate the Massachusetts
and New York Supreme Court decisions in that direction. Civil
marriage is the legal gateway to 1,049 protections,
rights and responsibilities granted by the federal government
and many more granted by the state. In New York,
the rights and responsibilities number more than
700, bringing the total to almost 1800 that are automatically
made available to a couple when the receive a civil
marriage license. These protections, rights and responsibilities
cover almost every aspect of life including taxation,
social security and veterans benefits, wills and
estates, child support and custody, pensions, and
immigration. For more on same-sex marriage and
gay civil rights please visit and support Freedom
To Marry and the National
Gay and Lesbian Task Force.
This website is dedicated to PANZI,
the Imperial
Court of New York's Empress XII of Loyalty and
Laughter, for her courage in launching a small revolution;
and to the brave Drag Queens and Drag Kings who every
year celebrate American Independence by daring to express
their freedom to be different in the world famous 4th
of July Cherry Grove Drag Queen Invasion of Fire Island
Pines. 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. Click on PANZI to
read her biography and a personal Statement
for 2004. See Fire
Island to learn more about this fabulous island
paradise.
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.
 Now the Invasion starts out every 4th
of July at Noon in downtown Cherry Grove as a parade
of hundreds of drag queens and drag kings boarding a big ferry and disembarking
in the Fire Island Pines harbor to the welcoming music
and cheers of thousands of gay men, women, and straight
admirers. The Invasion is an example of the
power of transformation and freedom that gays and lesbians
possess to unite our communities in celebrating our own diversity.
Check out the Mona Lisa smile and our Calendar Girls
in the Drag
Queen Invasion 2005 Calendars, featuring the photography
of Abnel Rodríguez
and Luis Carle; in addition
to hilarious the Invasion Videos produced by César A. Pérez
of the amazing and daring Cherry Grove Drag Queens
during their 2002 and 2003 Invasions of Fire Island
Pines hosted by Annida Greenkard
(the heroine of undocumented queer immigrants). The 2003 Invasion Video includes exclusive
interviews with Invasion Founder, PANZI
and Isabella
Rossellini (Ingrid Bergman's daughter) in "don't
ask, don't tell" military drag commenting on the
abolition of Sodomy laws and Same-Sex Marriage!
If you enjoy our website, please
support it by purchasing our 2005 Calendars or
viewing our Invasion
Videos. Also, stop by to read and
sign our GuestBook,
or you can Contact Us with
constructive comments or questions. Thank you for visiting
and supporting FireIslandInvasion.com: Vive la Différence!
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