“I’ve been gay all my life. I don’t know exactly when and how. I worked in the bars since 1970 something until like 2001. I worked at a bar on 14th street and 10th avenue. I was a bar boss.
“In 1969, I was 19 years old and I saw a very small news article in The New York Daily News saying homosexuals were rioting. They did not refer to us as the gay and lesbian community. I finally came out of the closet at 25 years old, when I realized what Stonewall was basically all about.
“During COVID, I've had a harder time keeping myself motivated because a lot of the fun stuff my family was going to do got canceled, such as vacations.
Meet Shakola, one of our program participants at Queens Connect! Shakola talks about her interest in furthering her culinary skills and her time with the program!
“During COVID, I’ve had more responsibilities. My parents still went to work, leaving me to watch my sister by myself. It’s been quite an interesting experience to spend so much time with my sister and family, something we hadn't done in years.
"I first discovered photography at John Bowne High School in Flushing, Queens. It was offered as an elective. Once I saw a darkroom, the equipment, and paper dipped into a tray of chemicals for an image to appear, I thought to myself, "I need to learn this magic".
"Since I was very young, I remember visiting my father at his first driving school on 82nd and Roosevelt Avenue back in the 80s. It was a second-floor office at the time.
Meet Naishawn, one of our program participants at Queens Connect! Naishawn talks about what it’s like being in the program, plus his interest in gaining more experience in the kitchen!
