Coronavirus Could Squash NYC Pride's 50th Anniversary March

WEST VILLAGE, NY — The coronavirus pandemic could squash what was meant to be a monumental year for the New York City Pride March.

City officials and NYC Pride staff had not yet made a decision Friday about whether to cancel the June 28 march, which would be the 50th anniversary celebration of the LGBTQ parade, but the chances of it happening are looking more and more slim.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said Friday that all parades, concerts and large events in June will need to pass a "real high bar" to go on as scheduled. All non-essential events in May have already been canceled, he said.

"We have a lot we have to get done to be safe for June and we are far from out of the woods," de Blasio said at a press conference.

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De Blasio said he is still talking with organizers for June events and expects to make a decision soon.

The mayor has already shut down the city's public pools for the summer, both as a coronavirus precaution and to help New York City's devastated budget.

A spokesperson for the Pride March told Patch that they also plan to have an update on the June 28 celebration soon, but are still monitoring the situation.

"NYC Pride’s concern, first and foremost, is the safety of those who attend our events and programs," the spokesperson said. "We continue to monitor the situation in New York closely as well as anticipate the potential impact as we approach June."

The New York City Pride March typically brings almost 50,000 marchers to the 2.5-mile parade route in Manhattan. The 2020 parade, though, would likely have drawn an even bigger crowd given NYC Pride's 50th anniversary.

Last year, the 50th anniversary of the riots near the West Village's Stonewall Inn just about tripled the number of Pride marchers that packed the streets.

It also remains unclear what impact coronavirus will have on the dozens of other events typically scheduled for Pride month across the five boroughs. The month-long celebration usually brings about six million visitors to New York City.

"We love those events...but it inherently means large amounts of people crowded together in a very small space," de Blasio said about all New York City's annual gatherings. "That goes against everything we need to do to fight against the coronavirus."

"This is an area, again, where if we have to make particular sacrifices, those huge gatherings — which run so much risk for the health and safety of New Yorkers — those are the things we’re going to have to set a real high bar on whether we want to continue that," he said.

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