LGBTQ advocates challenge private club takeover of historic Jacob Riis Beach bathhouse

A protest on July 4 highlighted opposition to the conversion of Jacob Riis Beach’s 1930s bathhouse into the Rockaway Ocean Club, slated to open on August 15. Demonstrators with signs and zines were initially cheered, but the mood shifted as families arrived and police later ordered a group of 20-30 predominantly Black queer and trans beachgoers to disperse for exceeding a permitted size. The 60-year National Park Service lease will leave roughly 60% of the renovated building open to the public, while the remainder becomes a private, membership-based venue linked to developer Jonah Bamberger, who has a record of housing violations.

Community organizer Ceyenne Doroshow, founder of GLITS, is pushing for a health-and-wellness center and year-round jobs on the neighboring Neponsit Hospital site, criticizing the club’s marketing for ignoring the beach’s LGBTQIA+ history. Club founder Ursula Damani described the “family-friendly” branding as inclusive but said she had not received Doroshow’s low-income membership request. The dispute underscores broader tensions over federal leasing, policing practices, and the future of a historic public space cherished by New York’s queer community.