Brighton Beach Pride

Each year, the BBP takes place along the Riegelmann Boardwalk, beginning in Coney Island (gathering at 11:30 am Stilwell Ave Entrance to the Boardwalk) and proceeding east through the very end of Brighton Beach. The event will take place on May 31, 2026, from 12 - 2pm, rain or shine. For more information, visit https://www.qaravan.org/events. Brighton Beach Pride stands as a beacon of hope and change, the first-ever Russian-language Pride organized in the heart of Russian-speaking Brooklyn annually beginning in 2017. As the LGBTQ+ community from Russia and other former Soviet states continues to grow in southern Brooklyn neighborhoods like Sheepshead Bay, so does the urgency to combat the discrimination they face. This discrimination often stems from conservative values held by local resident and older generations who're susceptable to Russian propagansa. Many of our sibling still find themselves in closets afraid to come out — Brighton Beach Pride aims to cast a light on their presence and rights. Lyosha Gorshkov, who relocated from Russia to Midwood in 2014, resonates with the challenges and prejudice faced by many in the neighborhood. “We’re surrounded by Russians, but it’s like they’re all frozen in time with these old Soviet values,” they shared with the New York Times in 2017. Lyosha, who served as RUSA's co-president from 2014 to 2017, founded Brighton Beach Pride as a stand against the continuous abuse and discrimination they and many others experience. Their initiative has since become a symbol of resistance and hope.