INVASION 2019 - Fire Island Sun & Theater Scene New York Broadway Reviews

INVASION 2019

by Jeannie

The Legendary Panzi Leads On

It was the biggest ever Invasion inspired by and part of the global celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Stonewall, when a police raid of that now landmarked Village bar sparked the first ever revolt by the gay community. Like the Invasion it started small and is still growing.

The Invasion mimics history in that it too began as a revolt against the Pines' proprietor refusing entrance of several Grove drag queens because of the law against cross dressing in the Pines

The Story:

Much like the retelling of the miracle of Moses parting the waters for the Jews escape from Egypt at Passover, the story and retelling of it for newbie's has become a tradition

Only this is ON the water and there is no escape but in effect a welcoming

(do you think if the Jews returned to Egypt each year it would also turn from an insult to a celebration?)

Here is the story again: as retold by Bruce Michael Gelbert:

Every year since 1976, cross dressing Queens and Kings, titleholders, and other supporters from Cherry Grove have “invaded” Fire Island Pines on the Fourth of July, commemorating the time, during America’s Bicentennial, when Grove Queen Teri Warren, in drag, was refused service at entrepreneur John Whyte’s restaurant in the Pines, and a dozen of Teri’s Grove friends returned to avenge the slight, were not turned away, and declared victory.
Invasion has grown to include hundreds of participating revelers and is still coordinated by its founder, Homecoming Queen 1976-1977 Panzi, and is led by the reigning Grove Homecoming Queen, who this year is Victoria Falls, with her entourage. Red, white, and cobalt blue was her theme, the red supplied Imperial Court of New York members, the white by elegant Queen Victoria herself and by the reigning Emperor of New York, and the blue by the Queen’s ladies-in-waiting, as supported by “Tom Collins,” Wen-D Pinkhouse, and Messrs Fire Island Leather 2019 Bruce Michael the Second and 2001 this writer.
Other veteran Invaders present were Rose Levine, one of the participants in the original Invasion, and China. There was a British Invasion made up of Angela Smith and Sue Panzer and friends as English rock stars. Drag Repair was there keeping everybody shipshape. La Tormenta and Alexandra were there, winning a “Most Glamorous” award from the Fire Island Pines Property Owners Association, and Androgyny, who was photographed with Michael Musto, winning FIPPOA’s “Miss Stoned Wall” award.

The event:

Preceding the events were the following performance on the dock before the ever growing assemblage of appr 2000 Pines hosts (and some hostesses)

SHANGELA hosting again - .

Luis Villabon singing a song before the boat arrives,

Bob Levine also singing before the boat arrives.

Luis will be singing the National Anthem for us as well.

We are planning on 3 boats tomorrow - stellar crowds!!!

1:55P NATIONAL ANTHEM / STAR SPANGLED BANNER

2:00P THE MONITOR ARRIVES – PANZI ARRIVES

SHANE AND THE GIRLS – PERFORMANCE (LOVE YOURSELF)

PANZI ANNOUNCES FOLKS ON MONITOR

2:10P OVERFLOW BOAT ARRIVES (PARKS ON EAST SIDE)