Sunday, June 26, 2016
By APB Staff Writer
Amid hot temperatures and bright skies, over a million people converged in the Big Apple to witness the annual Gay Pride Parade, which included thousands of marchers from all corners of the globe.
Among the most recognizable participants included former Secretary of State and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, along with activist – TV news commentator Reverend Al Sharpton, New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio, Governor Andrew Cuomo, and Senator Chuck Schumer.
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This year’s celebration was especially poignant given that it took place just two weeks after a massacre at the gay nightclub Pulse in Orlando, Florida. Noted Mayor de Blasio, “this parade is New York City saying defiantly – we will stand up to hatred!”
“We Are Orlando!” Signs paying tribute to Orlando could be seen all along the parade route. The procession commenced near the Empire State Building and gradually moved downtown past the Stonewall Inn- the site of the famous 1969 riots which is generally referred to as the start of the gay rights movement in the United States.
Last week, The Stonewall Inn was declared a national monument by President Barack Obama in the first gay rights site to receive such a designation. Police presence was heavy, but not intrusive. The NYPD host several floats and displays – including a rainbow colored patrol car!
Serving as Grand Marshals for the 2016 New York City Gay Pride Parade were Jazz Jennings, a noted transgender activist who is also the youngest Marshal in the parade’s history; Syrian advocate and refugee Subhi Nahas, who published the first Syrian LGBT magazine, and transgender advocate Cecilia Chung.
The New York City Gay Pride parade was one of several being held on Sunday, most notably in San Francisco and Chicago.