Thursday, October 1, 2026
Sea Cliff’s Love Your Neighbor Project is set for its third annual Pride Stride, bringing the community together for a parade and family-friendly celebration. Sunday’s parade will begin at the village’s Prospect Park and end at Clifton Park, with an after-party at Still Partners.
When the nonprofit first held the event in 2024, attendees marched from Sea Cliff Beach into Glen Cove to merge with the city’s flag raising, spearheaded by then Councilwoman Marsha Silverman. Jaime Teich, founder of Love Your Neighbor Project, explained that the organization began Pride Stride in response to reports that North Shore Pride lawn signs were being destroyed.
“Our feeling about it was,” she said, “if our organization evolves with our community’s needs, as those needs are occurring, then this is a place where we can step in.”
Teich added that organizers received requests for the parade to walk through Sea Cliff after the initial event in 2024. Pride Stride began at Clifton Park and ended at the village green in its second year.
Sea Cliff resident and Chair of Pride For Youth’s Gala Committee Bruce Castellano described Sea Cliff having its own Pride event as “fantastic.” PFY offers many programs and services to support the LGBTQ+ community including legal support, counseling, sexual health services and gender affirming services.
“I see (Pride Stride) as a great accomplishment, not just for the LGBTQ community in Sea Cliff, but for the entire community of Sea Cliff,” he said. “It sends a clear message about who we are and how we embrace diversity in this town.”
Castellano added that when he and his husband, Gerald Anders, moved to the suburbs, Sea Cliff was where he wanted to be.
More than 530 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced in the United States this year. Castellano thanked straight allies for helping to fight this legislation across the country. He added that he believes it is important to be aware of legal changes while celebrating with Pride events.
“It has to be a celebration of our accomplishments,” he said, “and a time to take action.”
This year’s Pride Stride will also include a North Shore middle and high school Gay Straight Alliance presence. Love Your Neighbor Project has been working with the GSA in both North Shore’s middle and high school on an initiative where the organization donates Pride t-shirts to interested teachers.
According to Teich, more than 130 teachers across both schools participated this year. Teachers wore the shirts on June 1 to kick off Pride Month and on each Friday throughout the month. Teich added that the initiative will be expanded to elementary schools next year.
She shared her experience growing up as a child of two mothers, not feeling safe to let people know who her family was.
“We want to make sure that every single child,” Teich said, “regardless of their family makeup, regardless if they’re queer, if they’re questioning, if they don’t understand it, if they come from a home who is against it, we want to make sure that there’s education and safety, and that these children also know that they are seen and that they belong.”
Teich emphasized that the goal of Pride Stride continues to be about building community and showing every neighbor that they belong. She added that she feels it is “an honor” to be able to bring the community together with this event.
“We hope that there is healing that comes from this, that there’s celebration that comes from this,” she said, “and that there’s unity that comes from this, and some education for some who may not understand it, or who may not agree with it.”
Castellano expressed a hope that this year’s Pride Stride turnout will be equal to or higher than the 2025 turnout. He said he was surprised by how many people filled Clifton Park last year.
“It sends a clear message not only to all of Sea Cliff,” he added, “but the surrounding communities, that together we are strong.”
Pride Stride begins Sunday at 2 p.m. at Prospect Park. To learn more about Love Your Neighbor Project, visit LYNP.org.
