NYC Pride Grand Marshals

The Grand Marshals for Pride 2015 have been announced

Heritage of Pride has officially announced the Grand Marshals for this year's New York City Pride. The 2015 Grand Marshals are:

Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera She co-founded the first Uganda Pride celebration and is considered by many to be the mother of the Ugandan LGBT rights movement. She began publicly campaigning for an end to homophobia in Uganda at just 19-years-old. 

Sir Ian Mckellen An openly gay English actor, Sir Ian is most famous for his recurring roles as Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films and Magneto in the X-Men films. He came out to the general public in 1988 and was knighted in 1991. 

Sir Derek Jacobi Also an openly gay English actor and also knighted, Sir Derek is best known for his stage work and film roles in The King's Speech and Gladiator.

J. Christopher Neal He is a New York-based artist and leader of FuidBiDesign, a community and advocacy group for fluid men of African descent.

The New York City Pride March is the largest in the United States and commemorates the 1969 Stonewall Riots, widely considered the birthplace of the LGBT equality movement. The marshals will ride in vehicles along the two-mile route, beginning in Midtown Manhattan at 36th St and Fifth Avenue and ending just past the Stonewall Inn at Greenwich St. 

“This year NYC Pride will attract more than 2 million people for a week of celebration and fun, but in Uganda, people are literally risking their lives to attend a Pride event,” commented Managing Director Chris Frederick. “The symbolism of having a hometown leader, a daring international pioneer, and two beloved and successful movie stars standing side-by-side represents everything we have accomplished and hope to accomplish around the globe.” 

The 2015 NYC Pride theme is "Complete the Dream," fitting words as this year's Pride is set to mark the Supreme Court decision on marriage equality. 

The March starts at noon on Sunday, June 28. Visit nycpride.org for more information. 


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