NYC Pride 2019: Stonewall Anniversary Draws 130,000 Marchers

NEW YORK, NY — Tens of thousands of people packed the streets of New York City Sunday to celebrate Pride and the progress the LGBTQ community has made in the 50 years since the Stonewall uprising.

The 2019 Pride March drew an estimated 130,000 people and 129 floats — making the parade nearly three times larger than it's been in recent years — into the streets of downtown Manhattan Sunday afternoon.

"Love is for everyone," said Marcher Aly Jarama, who came to Pride for the first time this year in part because her family's religion taught, "that God creates men to be with women."

"But Male and male," Jaram said. "Female with female."

The 2.5-mile parade began at noon on Fifth Avenue and East 26th Street, pulled marchers down toward the Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street and Seventh Avenue South, then back uptown to West 23rd Street and Seventh Avenue.

Daniela Strasser came all the way from Frankfurt, Germany to be at the New York City Pride event, she told Patch.

"We should always look back, and then move forward, to fight,” Strasser said. "To stand up for 50 years ago."

Behind her, a group of Pride March protesters gathered carrying signs that called on President Trump to ban gay marriage, on feminists to "Return to the kitchen," and personal interpretations of the Bible.

"I think this is the beauty of democracy," said Pride marcher Diane Young. "See all these beautiful people yell back and protest against this.

"Lots of other countries wouldn’t ever allow an interacting like this to happen.”

“I think they’re definitely trying to be antagonistic," added Pride marcher Amanda Scott. "I don’t think they’re actually going to spread their message. More just try to make people upset.”

The group was protected by a police barricade and surrounded by a thick crowd of marchers, so Patch was unable to reach them for comment.

Many of New York's elected officials joined the march, including Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Mayor Bill de Blasio, Attorney General Letitia James and City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, who was dancing in the streets.

They were not the only people celebrating LGBTQ Pride Sunday.

An alternative Pride event called the Queer Liberation March — which promised a protest march without corporate floats or marching NYPD officials — began hours earlier in front of the Stonewall Inn, then went up Sixth Avenue, rallied in Bryant Park then headed toward Central Park.

The message of the alternate Pride march was a blunt one, according to organizer Ann Northrop. When it comes to the fight for equal rights: "It's not over."

And marchers carried signs demanding equal rights for transgender and immigrant communities, abortion rights protections for women and condemning U.S. evangelicals whom have been accused of promoting violent homophobia across Africa.

"Q: Trans rights WHEN?" One sign read. "U.S. Right Wing Evangelicals Promote Violence Against Quees in NIGERIA," read another.

Many of the alternate Pride marchers took umbrage against what organizers described as "the exploitation of our communities for profit and against corporate and state pinkwashing, as displayed in Pride celebrations worldwide."

They carried signs that read,“Pride is not for profit,” "F--- your rainbow merchandise" and "F--- straight pride.”

But one protester noted that both Pride marches that gathered Sunday were united in at least one common cause.

“It’s a day to celebrate who I am," the marcher said. "Without being judged.”