Trailblazers Park (est. 2022)
A Symbol of Representation, Inclusion, and the On-going Quest for Diversity
By Virun Rampersad with contributions from Crayton Robey and Doug Harris, June 2026
Few places in Fire Island Pines have generated as much discussion, pride, and reflection in recent years as Trailblazers Park. Created by the Fire Island Pines Property Owners Association (FIPPOA), based on a recommendation from its Committee on Black Equality (CoBE), the Park represents one of the community’s most visible expressions of its commitment to inclusion, belonging, and the preservation of LGBTQ+ history.
Situated prominently in the Pines Harbor, Trailblazers Park acknowledges that Fire Island Pines is part of a broader LGBTQ+ community and that its history is connected to pioneers whose courage, creativity, activism, and leadership extended far beyond its shores.
Trailblazers Park, Pines Harbor, Fire Island Pines. Photo courtesy of Doug Harris.
The mission of Trailblazers Park is not to honor a single individual or moment in history. Rather, it creates a public space recognizing those whose advocacy, sacrifice, artistry, and resilience advanced LGBTQ+ visibility, civil rights, human rights, and equality. Particular attention has been given to honoring people of color, transgender people, women, artists, activists, and others whose contributions have too often been overlooked.
At its center stands a drinking fountain featuring imagery of transgender pioneers Marsha P Johnson and Sylvia Rivera. A powerful symbol of welcome and equality that evokes the broader struggle for civil rights in America, the fountain also serves a practical purpose -- for many years, there was no place in the Pines Harbor where visitors had access to free drinking water.
Fountain at Trailblazers Park, Fire Island Pines. Photo courtesy Doug Harris
Trailblazers Park is not a static installation. It functions as an evolving outdoor gallery of public art honoring LGBTQ+ trailblazers from the Pines and beyond. Through artist-designed flags and installations, it celebrates activists, elected officials, artists, athletes, public health leaders, and others whose work expanded freedom, dignity, and opportunity.
In 2026, the spotlight shines on trailblazers and artists whose legacies reflect the interconnected histories of Black cultural achievement, LGBTQ+ liberation, and social progress, including: Alain Locke, the writer, philosopher, and educator known as the “Dean of the Harlem Renaissance”; Bill T. Jones, the Tony Award–winning choreographer, dancer, and artist; Lola Flash, whose photography documents queer communities, activism, and resilience; Qween Jean, a Tony Award-winning designer, organizer, and activist centering Black transgender visibility; and Carl Bean, a singer, minister, and LGBTQ+ activist.
The Park also celebrates the contributions of other prominent figures in the LGBTQ+ movement, including Congressman Barney Frank and tennis legend Billie-Jean King who in their time played outsized roles in the advancement of LGBTQ+ rights through their professional accomplishments and activism.
Flags at Trailblazers Park. Photo courtesy of Doug Harris
Doug Harris, a former Wall Street executive and longtime Pines resident chaired the committee that led to the creation of Trailblazers Park. He noted: “Trailblazers Park was created as a space where people can see themselves reflected and recognize the many individuals who helped shape LGBTQ+ history. It is a living project — one that grows as our understanding of our shared history grows.”
Doug Harris speaks at the dedication ceremony of Trailblazers Park. Photo courtesy of Doug Harris.
Longtime Pines resident, writer and filmmaker Crayton Robey had this to say: “Trailblazers Park reminds us that history is not something that simply lives in books or museums — it lives in the communities we build and the stories we choose to preserve. Pride gives us the opportunity to celebrate LGBTQ+ lives and contributions, while Juneteenth deepens the conversation around freedom, visibility, and the many people whose courage helped expand the meaning of equality.”
Crayton Robey speaking at the Trailblazers Park Ceremony in 2022. Photo courtesy of Doug Harris
The ongoing dialogue the Park has stimulated is one of its greatest achievements. LGBTQ+ history is not a completed story. It continues to evolve through each generation of people who challenge convention and create pathways toward a more inclusive future. The legacy of Marsha P. Johnson in particular continues through generations of activists committed to visibility, dignity, and justice. Contemporary advocates, including trans activist Iman LeCaire, have helped continue conversations around preserving, honoring, and protecting the histories of LGBTQ+ pioneers.
The simple truth is Trailblazers Park is more than a collection of flags, plaques, and public art. It is a living expression of the ongoing effort to build a community that is more inclusive, welcoming, and conscious of the diverse individuals whose courage helped shape both Fire Island Pines and the broader LGBTQ+ movement. As one of the world's most iconic LGBTQ+ communities, it is fitting that the Pines has a visible celebration of equality, self-expression, and social progress.