New York leg of International Rainbow Memorial Run

On June 19, New York Frontrunners welcomed the NYC leg of the International Rainbow Memorial Run as part of their weekly Central Park fun run. Here are some photos of the run, and the memorial moment in honor of those in the Gay Games family lost to AIDS and breast cancer.

The founder of the run, Brent Nicholson Earle, made the following speech:

On February 21st we launched the 2010 International Rainbow Memorial Run to bring the Rainbow Flag as a symbolic “torch” and symbol for AIDS and breast cancer awareness from San Francisco, the “Athens” of the Gay Games, to Gay Games VIII in Cologne, Germany [see our post on this leg HERE]. Since then the Rainbow Flag has been run in past Gay Games Host Cities – Vancouver, Amsterdam, Sydney – and this morning – New York!

Members of Front Runners New York and their friends passed this Flag to one another during their fun run in Central Park. Back at Rutgers Church where the club meets every Saturday, we held a Quilt Unfolding Ceremony. We read names of loved ones lost to AIDS, breast cancer and other causes – some of them pioneers of the Gay Games movement and the struggle for our rights. Then we left written memorials on this new Quilt made for us by Gert McMullin of the NAMES Project, as she’s done for the past five efforts to bring the Rainbow Flag to the Gay Games.

Gracing the Pride Rally stage today is her Quilt from Gay Games VII four years ago. The other is one of four Quilts she made for us to bring from San Francisco to New York in 1994 for Gay Games IV with the Rainbow Roll for the End of AIDS. Five other inline skaters helped me rollerblade this Rainbow Flag 4300 miles across the country!

Our Old Glory here has quite a history. Twenty years ago I was running her a thousand miles from San Francisco to Vancouver for Gay Games III. And next week she’ll join Chicago’s Proud To Run event [info HERE] before completing her journey on July 31st in Cologne for the Opening of Gay Games VIII!

Since 1990 we’ve paid tribute with the Rainbow Run to artist Keith Haring and Dr. Tom Waddell, the Founder of the Gay Games. In 1998 when we changed the event to a series of memorial runs and ceremonies and included breast cancer in our awareness campaign, we added lesbian activist Rikki Streicher as an honoree. She may have been tiny but she had a mighty influence.

And now we’re about ready to run into the Rally a section of the historic Mile-Long Rainbow Flag from Stonewall 25 in 1994! There isn’t time to thank all the people and groups who’ve contributed to the Rainbow Run but I want to offer special thanks to Heritage of Pride, the Keith Haring Foundation, and Front Runners New York. A week from today will be their 29th Gay Pride Run in Central Park! Thank you all so much – we’ll see you four years from now on our way to Gay Games IX in Cleveland, Ohio! Happy Pride, Everybody!

See all posts on the International Rainbow Memorial Run HERE.