NYC Pride Parade 2016: An FDNY Proposal

Update 2 p.m.: What's a Pride march without a proposal?

Two FDNY EMTs are happily engaged after a proposal at the parade. EMTs Julianna Arroyo and Erika Marrero are now happily engaged.

“This parade is monumental for us because of the Orlando shooting. It hit really close to home. We wanted to walk in the parade in honor of the 49 victims. At the same time, I wanted to give Erika something positive to remember from the parade,” said FDNY EMT Julianna Arroyo, from Station 20 in the Bronx, who, along with the help of family members, proposed to now-fiancée FDNY EMT Erika Marrero at today's #NYCPride March. Congratulations to the happy couple!" the FDNY wrote on Facebook.

Watch the proposal below courtesy of the FDNY:

Update 12:50 p.m.: What appears to be a sit-down protest for stricter gun control made its way into the march. In the wake of the Orlando shooting, the LGBT community is naturally demanding stricter gun control.

Update 12 p.m.: The annual Pride march is officially underway following a moment of silence for the victims of the Orlando shooting. Pride events across the country and the world have honored the victims and to that end Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Sunday morning that the state has appointed a commission to build a monument in honor of the victims of Orlando and hate crimes everywhere.

The grand marshals for this year's parade and a bit about them (via NYC Pride)

Jazz Jennings, the 15-year-old honorary co-founder of the Transkids Purple Rainbow Foundation, and the youngest Grand Marshal in NYC Pride history.

Cecilia Chung, an internationally recognized leader who has been advocating for HIV/AIDS awareness and care, LGBT equality and social justice for more than 30 years and a founding producer of the San Francisco Trans March.

Subhi Nahas, a Syrian refugee who cofounded the first LGBT magazine in Syria. Read the NY Post's profile on Nahas here.

See below for scenes and images from the march:

The NBA is the first sports league to participate in the march.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK — Members and supporters of the LGBT community march with pride in New York City today to celebrate equality in the city's 46th annual Pride march.

The parade takes on a more somber note this year as the event comes in the wake of the horrific mass shooting in Orlando where 49 people dancing and celebrating life were killed in a gay nightclub. Pride events across the country and the world have honored the victims.

To that end, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Sunday morning that the state has appointed a commission to build a monument in honor of the victims of Orlando and hate crimes everywhere. Cuomo made the announcement at the LGBT Community Center in Manhattan.

The events in Orlando have called for more heightened security with both uniformed and plainclothes officers patrolling the streets with a heightened focus on anti-terrorism. Similar measures were introduced at San Francisco's annual Pride parade, leading to a withdrawal of Black Lives Matter as grand marshals due to the increased police presence.

Official start time for the parade is noon and it travels from West 36th Street and Fifth Avenue to Greenwich and Christopher streets in the West Village.

Pride announced on Thursday that Barbara Poma, owner of Pulse Nightclub in Orlando and Neema Bahrami, Pulse Nightclub Entertainment Manager will attend the march. However, Poma announced she will not participate in the march and Bahrami will be riding the lead float in her place, NY-1 reported.

AM-New York says the first group usually makes it to the end of the route by 1:45 p.m. and the parade ends around 6 p.m.

Image Credit: Keith Avery via Flickr Creative Commons