NYC, San Francisco and other US cities capping LGBTQ+ Pride month with a mix of party and protest
Share this @internewscast.com

NEW YORK (AP) — LGBTQ+ Pride Month culminates with colorful celebrations as New York and other major cities globally organize grand parades and marches this Sunday.

In Manhattan, where the oldest and largest Pride events in the U.S. take place, festivities begin with a grand parade down Fifth Avenue. This event features over 700 groups, attracting large crowds.

The parade will pass by the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, the historic gay bar where a pivotal police raid in 1969 sparked protests and galvanized the LGBTQ+ rights movement. Today, it stands as a national monument.

In San Francisco, marchers in another of the world’s largest Pride events will head down the city’s central Market Street, reaching concert stages set up at the Civic Center Plaza. San Francisco’s mammoth City Hall is also among the venues hosting a post-march party.

Chicago, Seattle, Minneapolis and Toronto, Canada are among the other major North American cities hosting Pride parades on Sunday.

Several global cities including Tokyo, Paris and Sao Paulo, held their events earlier this month while others come later in the year, including London in July and Rio de Janeiro in November.

The first pride march was held in New York City in 1970 to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall uprising.

Pride celebrations are typically a daylong mix of jubilant street parties and political protest, but organizers said this year’s iterations will take a more defiant stance than recent years.

The festivities come days after the tenth anniversary of the Supreme Court’s landmark June 26, 2015, ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges that recognized same-sex marriage nationwide.

But Republicans, led by President Donald Trump, have sought to roll back LGBTQ+ friendly policies.

Since taking office in January, Trump has specifically targeted transgender people, removing them from the military, preventing federal insurance programs from paying for gender-affirmation surgeries for young people and attempting to keep transgender athletes out of girls and women’s sports.

The theme for the Manhattan event is, appropriately, “Rise Up: Pride in Protest.” San Francisco’s Pride theme is “Queer Joy is Resistance” while Seattle’s is simply “Louder.”

“This is not a time to be quiet,” Patti Hearn, Seattle Pride’s executive director, said in a statement ahead of the event. “We will stand up. We will speak up. We will get loud.”

Among the other headwinds faced by gay rights groups this year is the loss of corporate sponsorship.

American companies have pulled back support of Pride events, reflecting a broader walking back of diversity and inclusion efforts amid shifting public sentiment.

NYC Pride said earlier this month that about 20% of its corporate sponsors dropped or reduced support, including PepsiCo and Nissan. Organizers of San Francisco Pride said they lost the support of five major corporate donors, including Comcast and Anheuser-Busch.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Ted Bundy unmasked in decades-old teen murder as cold case finally solved by DNA: report

Decades-Old Cold Case Solved: DNA Evidence Links Ted Bundy to Teen’s Murder

Over five decades after a Utah teenager’s tragic end, she has been…
Florida woman accused of squatting in home near The Villages, then selling the owner's appliances

Florida Woman Allegedly Squats in Home Near The Villages, Sells Off Owner’s Appliances

Law enforcement officials apprehended a woman at a residence near The Villages…
Exclusive—Michael S. Selig: Restoring American Leadership in Financial Markets

Exclusive: Michael S. Selig on Revitalizing U.S. Leadership in Global Financial Markets

In my November testimony before the Senate Agriculture Committee, I vowed to…
Trump wages war on California insurance giants over wildfire payouts while teasing probe: ‘Horrendous companies’

Trump Challenges California Insurance Titans Over Wildfire Payout Disputes, Hints at Investigation: ‘Terrible Companies

President Trump has criticized State Farm and other insurance companies, accusing them…
Twisted past emerges as friend of suspect in LA love-triangle murder says violence wasn't a shock

Unmasking the Shocking Secrets: Inside the LA Love-Triangle Murder and the Friend Who Saw it Coming

The dark shadows of a troubled past have surfaced as a family…
Gavin Newsom slams Supreme Court ruling striking down ban on conversion therapy

Gavin Newsom Criticizes Supreme Court Decision Overturning Conversion Therapy Ban

California’s Governor Gavin Newsom criticized the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on Tuesday,…
Fresno family awarded $57M after drunk driver killed doctoral student

Fresno Family Secures $57 Million Settlement Following Tragic Loss of Doctoral Student to Drunk Driving Incident

A heart-wrenching chapter has come to a close for the family of…
Multiple community-honored firefighters charged in child sex abuse case targeting same juvenile victim

Shocking Scandal: Esteemed Firefighters Face Charges in Disturbing Child Abuse Case

Three firefighters from the North Dallas suburbs have been arrested on multiple…
Iran rejects Trump’s claim of cease-fire request, says Tehran determined to win war

Iran Denies Trump’s Cease-Fire Claim, Vows to Persist in Conflict

High-ranking officials in Iran have refuted claims made by former President Trump…
Ahead of Cook County property tax bill deadline, thousands waiting on $186M in refunds after Tyler Technologies upgrade

Cook County Races Against Property Tax Deadline Amid $186M Refund Delays Due to Tyler Technologies System Upgrade

CHICAGO (WLS) — The ABC7 I-Team is delving into the significant delays…
UAE ready to help US open Strait of Hormuz by force: report

Report: UAE Prepared to Assist US in Reopening Strait of Hormuz through Forceful Measures

The United Arab Emirates is reportedly gearing up to collaborate with the…
Indiana tightens rules on migrant truckers, requires visas and English proficiency

Indiana Implements New Regulations for Migrant Truck Drivers: Visas and English Skills Now Mandatory

Indiana authorities are taking steps to revoke commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) for…