"Diversity is on the march across Long Island and in thousands of communities throughout the United States. The 16th Annual Long Island Pride Parade and Festival in the Park, scheduled for Sunday, June 11, in Huntington, NY is symbolic of the sea of change taking place and now corroborated by a more positive climate towards the very concept of Diversity", according to Pete Scibilia, CoExecutive Director of Long Island Pride Parade, Inc., host of the Annual Event which is free to everyone.

"Nowhere is this change better reflected than in the Roster of Honorary Co-Chairs headlining this year's Parade & Festival", added Eva Sanchez, CoExecutive Director of LIPP. Sanchez added, "Suffolk County Legislators Elie Mystal and Jon Cooper, Majority Leader, recently added their names to the Roster."

"United States Congressmen Tim Bishop and Steve Israel also lead this contingent of community leaders who comprise an important new centerpiece for 2006, as we honor them for their longterm support of Long Island's GLBT community", Sanchez concluded.

Other Honorary Co-Chairs include Gail A. Cohan, MD, Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Rev. Dr. G. Shane Hibbs, Pastor of Long Island Community Fellowship; Kristen Nyitray, Head, Special Collections and Archives at Stony Brook University; Andy Peters, Director of Pride For Youth, Ken Shanahan, Senior Vice President of North Fork Bank; Dr. Bill Thierfelder, Associate Professor of English at Dowling College and Steven J. Champlin, known as "Randy", On-air Personality on WBLI-FM Radio.

The Event annually attracts more than 5,000 government leaders, families, individual Long Islanders and more than 100 GLBT organizations as marchers, spectators and sponsors. The Festival features all-live entertainment, food courts, community booths, a wide range of vendors and much more. For information call: 631-225-2726.