JULIO DOCUMENTARY

The story of Julio Rivera by documentary filmmaker Richard Shpuntoff. Bronx-born Puerto Rican Julio Rivera was murdered in a schoolyard in Jackson Heights, Queens on July 2, 1990, by three young men looking to "clean up" their neighbourhood, but instead the murder sparked the coming out of New York’s largest and until then most closeted LGBTQ community. JULIO OF JACKSON HEIGHTS is the story of how all this changed. It is the story of how a handful of people – Julio’s friends and family – decided that they would not accept the official police report, and learned how to organize, ultimately bringing their case to the attention of then NYC Mayor Dinkins. The movement has given birth to dozens of LGBTQ organizations and advocacy groups, the Queens Pride Parade which was the first LGBTQ pride parade in one of the “outer” boroughs of New York City, and ultimately it served as the platform for electing Queens’ first two openly gay candidates to the New York City Council.

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JULIO REVISITED

Born and raised in Elmhurst, Richard Shpuntoff was the official photographer of Queens Pride for its first 20 years (1993 - 2012). In 2016, he completed the feature length documentary film Julio of Jackson Heights, about the 1990 gay bashing murder of Julio Rivera, and its enormous impact LGBTQIA+ organizing in Queens, that directly led to the creation of the Queens Pride Parade. The film premiered at the Queens World Film Festival where it won the Social Impact Award. He has received funding support from the Queens Council on the Arts for various projects in support of the Queens Pride Committee's work on building awareness and understanding of the history of Queens Pride and the Queens LGBTQ community, and in 2016 I was awarded a "Special Honor for Service to the LGBTIQ Community of Queens for over two decades documenting and narrating the history of the community’s struggle" by the Queens Borough President. His most recent film, Everything that is Forgotten in an Instant, had its New York premiere at the documentary film festival of MoMA (the Museum of Modern Art).

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Jack Eichenbaum 1943-2023

The Queens Historical Society joins the entire historic preservation community of Queens, greater New York City and State in mourning the passing of Jack Eichenbaum, official Queens Borough Historian and QHS Board Member. Jack was a mentor, educator and a good friend. He will be greatly missed. A memorial to honor Jack's many years of work to help preserve Queens history will be held at Kingsland Homestead later this spring.

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JULIO DOCUMENTARY

The story of Julio Rivera by documentary filmmaker Richard Shpuntoff. Bronx-born Puerto Rican Julio Rivera was murdered in a schoolyard in Jackson Heights, Queens on July 2, 1990, by three young men looking to "clean up" their neighbourhood, but instead the murder sparked the coming out of New York’s largest and until then most closeted LGBTQ community. JULIO OF JACKSON HEIGHTS is the story of how all this changed. It is the story of how a handful of people – Julio’s friends and family – decided that they would not accept the official police report, and learned how to organize, ultimately bringing their case to the attention of then NYC Mayor Dinkins. The movement has given birth to dozens of LGBTQ organizations and advocacy groups, the Queens Pride Parade which was the first LGBTQ pride parade in one of the “outer” boroughs of New York City, and ultimately it served as the platform for electing Queens’ first two openly gay candidates to the New York City Council.

Sunday

March 3rd, 2024

2:30 pm

JULIO REVISITED

Born and raised in Elmhurst, Richard Shpuntoff was the official photographer of Queens Pride for its first 20 years (1993 - 2012). In 2016, he completed the feature length documentary film Julio of Jackson Heights, about the 1990 gay bashing murder of Julio Rivera, and its enormous impact LGBTQIA+ organizing in Queens, that directly led to the creation of the Queens Pride Parade. The film premiered at the Queens World Film Festival where it won the Social Impact Award. He has received funding support from the Queens Council on the Arts for various projects in support of the Queens Pride Committee's work on building awareness and understanding of the history of Queens Pride and the Queens LGBTQ community, and in 2016 I was awarded a "Special Honor for Service to the LGBTIQ Community of Queens for over two decades documenting and narrating the history of the community’s struggle" by the Queens Borough President. His most recent film, Everything that is Forgotten in an Instant, had its New York premiere at the documentary film festival of MoMA (the Museum of Modern Art).

Saturday

February 24th, 2024

2:30 pm

Holiday Poetry Slam and Musical Jam

Come to Kingsland Homestead on Saturday, December 16th from 1pm until 5pm for the soothing acoustic guitar and flute music of Stephen C. Josephs and Glen Flax.  And then join us from 3pm until 5pm for the poetry of David Mills. Stephen C. Josephs and Glen Flax will perform music with a holiday theme. Also, if you are looking for the perfect gift or stocking stuffer books in our gift shop will be available for 20 percent off and additional 10 percent for Queens Historical Society members.  Poet David Mills has also appeared at Flushing Town Hall and is the writer of the audio script for Reflections in Black:100 Years of Black Photography, a photography exhibition which was shown at the Whitney Museum and Dallas Museum. Mr. Mills has recorded his poetry on ESPN and RCA Records and has had poems displayed at the Venice Biennale.  Poetry will spotlight Trumpeter Louis Armstrong, Tuskegee Airman Harry Stewart Jr., and George Johnson the country's first recording star who recorded for Thomas Edison's record company.

Saturday

December 16th, 2023

1:00 pm