Nothing could dampen the spirits of the participants in this year’s New York City Pride March—not after the United States Supreme Court’s historic decision establishing marriage equality throughout the United States.
Under a cloudy sky that burst into brilliant sunshine by the afternoon, nearly 2 million spectators lined the 2-mile route along Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue to cheer on nearly 25,000 marchers and nearly 350 marching contingents that strutted and twirled and danced and posed with a contagious sense of collective pride.
NYC Pride March 2015 ©MRNY
Marching behind the theme of “Complete the Dream,” this year’s Grand Marshals were Sir Ian McKellen, Sir Derek Jacobi, J. Christopher Neal, and Kasha Nabagesera.
Hailing from Uganda where homosexuality is “illegal,” Nabagesera spoke with galvanizing eloquence at the NYC Pride Rally, addressing the state of LGBT life in her home country and the pressing need for global support for LGBT Ugandans while urging people to follow the pursuit for equality at Kuchu Times.
NYC Pride March 2015 Grand Marshal Sir Ian McKellen
Following the National Anthem sung by Tituss Burgess, the March stepped off with its traditional roar from the Sirens Women’s Motorcycle Club. A one-minute Moment of Silence, which is rooted in tribute to those lives lost through the HIV/AIDS crisis, honored those who have marched before, as well as the victims of senseless hate crimes around the world.
For the second year, the Boy Scouts of America provided the March’s color guard, which, this year, was joined by Fred Sargeant, a retired police officer who participated in the first Pride March in 1970.
NYC Pride March 2015 ©MRNY
Produced by NYC Pride (historically known as Heritage of Pride, Inc.) and always celebrated on the last Sunday in June, the annual NYC LGBT Pride March commemorates the first Pride March, which took place on the first anniversary of the Stonewall Riots on June 28, 1970.
Originally known as Christopher Street Liberation Day, the first LGBT Pride was an unpermitted, explicitly political protest of anti-LGBT policies and attitudes—and, therefore, the event remains a march (rather than a parade) until complete and full equality has been achieved for all LGBT people.
NYC Pride Dance on the Pier 2015 ©MRNY
Each year, the March is followed by Dance on the Pier, now celebrating its 29th anniversary. NYC Pride’s largest annual fundraiser for Pride events and LGBT non-profit grant winners, Dance on the Pier featured music from DJs Wayne G., The Cube Guys, and Ralphi Rosario.
The luminous headliner Ariana Grande opened her tightly-choreographed set with a rousing medley of Madonna’s “Vogue” and Chaka Khan’s “I’m Every Woman.” A former Nickelodeon star, Grande offered some choice commentary about the four recalcitrant Supremes before launching into an infectiously ebullient performance of her multi-platinum selling songs, including “Bang Bang,” “Love Me Harder,” and “Break Free.”
Ariana Grande at NYC Pride Dance on the Pier 2015 ©MRNY
As brilliantly incandescent as the fireworks display that followed Dance on the Pier, Grande made it clear that equality and love were the message of the moment. As NYC Pride stated, “the dream of marriage equality has been a goal of millions of LGBT and ally Americans since before the Stonewall Riots gave rise to our movement”—and this year’s NYC Pride “will go down in the history books.”
Click here for NYC Pride March and Dance on the Pier 2015 slideshow.
