Episode 30- The Legacy of Julio Rivera of Jackson Heights

Episode Description- On July 2, 1990, Jackson Heights resident Alan Sack had stopped while walking home to speak with a friend after parting ways with his life partner Julio Rivera about 20 minutes earlier near Public School 69 on 78th Street when they were approached by a panicked man yelling that a man was being murdered in the nearby school yard. The group started running in the direction of the school yard and what they would find would alter not only the lives of the group but would lead to the first prosecutions and convictions for a hate crime in New York State and spur a flurry of pro-LGBTQ changes across the state and the nation. 

Original Publication Date: June 9, 2024

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Martinez, A. (2021, June 25). 30 Years Later: Reflections on Julio Rivera’s Life and Death. Retrieved from The Latinx Project: https://www.latinxproject.nyu.edu/intervenxions/nbsp30-years-later-reflections-on-julio-riveras-life-and-death#:~:text=The%20organizing%20that%20local%20LGBT,gay%20life%20and%20social%20service

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Moore, J. (2023, June 9). Remembering Julio Rivera, whose murder gave rise to Queens Pride Parade to increase visibility in Jackson Heights. Retrieved from CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/julio-rivera-queens-pride-parade/

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