The Stonewall Uprising turns 55 years old this year, making it a perfect time to “Reflect. Empower. Unite.”
That’s the extremely fitting theme for 2024’s NYC Pride — one designed to “highlight the importance of the NYC Pride March as the intersection for queer liberation and joy.” The Heritage of Pride Parade, the cornerstone of NYC Pride, will celebrate its 40th year.
“Drawing upon the activist history that ignited the movement for LGBTQIA+ rights, the theme encourages individuals, advocates, community leaders and allies to reflect on the challenges they have overcome together and empowers them to take action in shaping our collective future,” organizers said Tuesday.
The LGBTQ community is increasingly besieged, making the theme “an imperative and a call to action,” NYC Pride co-chair Kazz Alexander told ABC News, which broadcasts the event. It brings together a reflection on past triumphs and challenges while empowering the community to push for change, he said.
“Unity at this time is critical to our survival,” Alexander said. “Our theme calls us all to action.”
The proliferation of anti-LGBTQ legislation across the United States and escalating violence against trans people make this year’s theme a “beacon of unity, resilience, and determination,” NYC Pride said. “It serves as a critical call to action for all allies, urging them to demonstrate their alliance with the community, particularly in government and the private sector, during this crucial time in our nation’s history.”
June 29 will see Youth Pride celebrated, with the annual NYC Pride March & Broadcast in conjunction with PrideFest on June 30. It’s intended as a celebration of positivity and resilience, NYC Pride Executive Director Sandra Perez told ABC, and is “how we combat all the negativity.”
From an inaugural march in 1970, then called the Christopher Street Liberation Day March, Pride has morphed into an annual civil rights demonstration, the organizers said in recounting Pride’s history.
“Its purpose has expanded over time to encompass raising awareness about the fight against AIDS and honoring those we have lost to illness, violence and neglect.”
