Doug Harris has spent his life doing something both rare and invaluable -- building worlds where people can thrive. Whether helping shape the regulatory architecture of the global capital markets, elevating LGBTQ+ elders through SAGE, or steering the Pines towards becoming a more open and welcoming community, Doug’s legacy is defined by brilliance, perseverance, risk taking, and an extraordinary gift for connection.

Many people believe Stonewall was the event that made the Pines and Cherry Grove safe for gays. While the 1969 riots played a major role, one year prior, the Mattachine Society and a straight Long Island lawyer, Benny Vuturo, effectively stopped the shameful police raids and arrests of gay men in the community..

The murder of George Floyd murder spawned a global reckoning on race. Within the Pines, the property owners association (FIPPOA), who are essentially the community’s leaders, created the Committee on Black Equality (CoBE). its goals were to make recommendations on how the Pines could be more diverse and welcoming to people of color.

For almost a century, the LaFountaine’s have been at the beating heart of Fire Island Pines—building homes, fighting fires, raising glasses, raising roofs, and raising voices. Nicole LaFountaine stands as the third generation of that legacy: a woman who turned fire into renewal, theatre into community, and heritage into hope.

One of the less known traditions in the Pines is celebrating New Year’s Eve. For years, at a time when the summer season is a distant memory, people have crossed the Great South Bay to ring in the New Year with their year-round neighbors. The enduring and increasingly popular ritual is a reminder that the Pines is far more than a seasonal beach resort; rather, it is a true community where people have put down strong and durable roots.

The Pines was Ground Zero for both the start of the AIDS epidemic and the world’s response to it. As we mark World AIDS Day on December 1st, we look back on the journey that brought us to the point that AIDS is no longer a fatal disease, and on the profound role members of the Pines community played in making that possible. These warriors banded with others from across the country to overcome immense resistance and reshape how medical research is conducted and expand the social-service systems we rely on today. In this way, they improved the lives for millions of people. Today, with the LGBTQ+ community once again under siege, it is essential that we honor and carry forward the stories of some of America’s greatest heroes..

Major dance parties have long held profound social, emotional, and cultural significance within the gay community. In many ways, they are rituals of freedom, resistance, and belonging, that are deeply woven into the fabric of LGBTQ+ culture. Over time, this spirit has given rise to some of the most spectacular and imaginative celebrations in the world. For more than three decades Guy Smith has been at the center of this, bringing his unique blend of technical mastery, psychological insight, and creative vision, to craft immersive experiences that evoke joy, liberation, and connection.

“Eric is a true hero.  What he did – and still does -- the sacrifices he makes and what he has accomplished for our community, is simply remarkable.”

- Jim Pepper, Former Board Member GMHC, and Founder of Stonewall Community Foundation.

The harbor is one of the Pines’ most distinctive features. In the late 1980s it was its own kind of theater-- a floating stage where yachts, ferries, and seaplanes carried an ever-changing cast of characters, ranging from celebrities like Madonna, Peter Allen, and Liza Minnelli to foreign dignitaries guarded by men with Uzis to hundreds of drag queens arriving in full regalia for the July 4th Invasion. Henderson Rose was a dockmaster from 1986 to 1990 and had a front row seat to it all. From chatting with Tony Randall on the docks to sipping cocktails with Joan Rivers and helping to keep order as throngs of revelers flowed between Tea, house parties, and the Pavilion, his memories of those summers are as fresh as if they happened yesterday.