Warm weather, rosé on rooftops, and short-shorts mean only one thing in NYC: it’s almost Pride season! This year it looks like it’s going to be another one for the record books, as it coincides with the 50th anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, which will be remembered with a commemoration during the festivities.
The Grand Marshals for the event were announced today, and they represent a wide cross-section of important figures in the LGBTQ community. Here’s who you can expect to see heading up the parade and commemoration as Grand Marshals this year:
POSE
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Everyone’s favorite queer AF 1980s dance musical show is getting the recognition it deserves for educating us on the ball culture world and celebrating an important era in queer history. The show will be represented by cast members Dominique Jackson, who plays Elektra, Indya Moore, who plays Angel, and MJ Rodriguez, who plays Blanca.
Phyll Opoku-Gyimah
Phyll Opoku-Gyimah a.k.a Lady Phyll is the Co-Founder & Director of the magnificent celebration and resistance movement UK Black Pride, which fights for “unity and co-operation among all Black people of African, Asian, Caribbean, Middle Eastern and Latin American descent, as well as their friends and families, who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgender.”
Gay Liberation Front
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The Gay Liberation Front was one of the first LGBTQ activist organizations that banded together to resist oppression after Stonewall, and it ended up forming the basis for much of LGBTQ activism as we know it. It’s inclusion as a Grand Marshal gives us the chance to recognize and celebrate the origins of modern LGBTQ rights.
The Trevor Project
Despite gains in public acceptance, LGBTQ kids still face a heightened risk of suicide. The Trevor Project is the only accredited national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to struggling LGBTQ young people.
Monica Helms
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Monica Helms, who is best known as the creator as the Transgender Pride Flag in 1999, is also a transgender activist, author, and veteran of the United States Navy.
Together, the Grand Marshals will represent NYC Pride at this year’s celebration on June 30th.
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