Wave of Pride lights up NYC
NEW YORK — Tens of thousands of people wrapped themselves in LGBTQ+ Pride flags and wore their brightest rainbow gear to celebrate the New York City Pride March on Sunday. Despite the cloudy, humid day, gold and silver glitter lit up the sky.
The march commemorates the 1969 Stonewall uprising, the catalyst for the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. The New York march is the largest of its kind in the United States, with organizers this year expecting around 25,000 marchers and around 21⁄2 million spectators.
Luccy Griman, 52, of Waterbury, Connecticut, was among the paraders Sunday, marching for the 20th time. Over the past two decades, the annual celebration has changed in many ways, he said, but one thing remains constant: the collective spirit to embrace who you are and live in the moment.
“Every year, I’m here to celebrate being together, to dress up and have fun,” he said. “To celebrate life now.”
Despite the joyous mood, the upcoming presidential election and laws threatening the rights of the LGBTQ+ community motivated many to show their support at the parade.
Edwin Josue, 69, said he hoped that the swell of pride shown Sunday would inspire the younger generation express themselves freely and fight for equality for all.
“This is an expression of our freedom; this is an expression of our diversity,” Josue said.
This year, some paraders called attention to the war in the Gaza Strip. Palestinian flags waved on many floats, and some attendees wore kaffiyehs and hats with watermelon designs in solidarity with the Palestinian cause. As the parade reached Christopher Street near Waverly Place in midafternoon, about a dozen pro-palestinian demonstrators sat down in front of a float and prevented it from moving for about a half-hour as a large crowd chanted slogans to support them.
Police took the protesters, their wrists bound with zip ties, into custody around 3 p.m., and the parade resumed, with red paint symbolizing blood remaining in the street.
Liz Gagliano, 28, who was standing next to the demonstration, said she supported the protest and said the interruption only added to the spirit of the march.
“Pride started with protest,” she said, adding that she was glad it ended peacefully.
Gov. Kathy Hochul was one of the many public officials attending the parade. On Friday, she and President Joe Biden attended the unveiling of the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center. The Christopher Street subway station in Manhattan was also renamed to celebrate the birthplace of the movement.
The theme of this year’s march is “Reflect. Empower. Unite.” Sandra Pérez, the executive director of NYC Pride, said the march brings together people from all over the city and beyond “in joy, to share the accomplishments, talents and resilience of our community.”
Some children sat atop adults’ shoulders, enjoying a prime view of the floats. Older couples cheered and waved flags alongside giddy teenagers and even infants.
Kate Winnick and her 9month-old son, Levi, were among them. The parade is a chance to show him early the diversity and acceptance of the community, she said.
“Pride at its core is political; it’s about effecting change,” she said.