Peppermint Announced As Second Grand Marshal Of NYC Pride
The activist and “Lip Sync Assassin” has been named a grand marshal for NYC’s 2026 Pride March, honoring LGBTQ+ unity and resilience.
Featured Image: Courtesy of GLAAD and NYC Pride
It’s one of the largest LGBTQIA+ rights demonstrations in the world: the NYC Pride March. And plans for the celebration got even more festive with news that a second Grand Marshal honor has been bestowed on performer, advocate, GLAAD Media Award-nominated music artist and board member Peppermint.
GLAAD struck a joyous chord in its announcement: “Peppermint’s selection stands as a profound recognition of her work in expanding trans visibility, and as a leader who has consistently used her platform to champion equity and justice.”
Many know Peppermint as the first out trans woman to appear on Season 9 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, clearing the finish line as runner-up and “Lip Sync Assassin” in 2017. She also became Broadway’s first out trans woman in a principal role with her debut in the musical Head Over Heels. Her screen creds include Netflix’s Survival of the Thickest and Fire Island, and she’s appeared on Pose and Saturday Night Live.
GLAAD describes Peppermint as “a trailblazer for authentic trans storytelling within reality television, a genre that reaches millions of households globally… From stage to screen, her career serves as a testament to the fact that trans stories are essential to the fabric of mainstream entertainment.”
Related: NYC Pride Announces 2026 Theme: “For All of Us” — Honors Marsha P. Johnson
A New York transplant and originally from Hershey, PA, Peppermint has put transgender issues in the spotlight in many spaces, including CNN where she spoke with anchor Abby Phillip about trans people being left out of decisions that affect their well-being. “Major decisions that impact our bodies, our lives, our families, our health are being made without us being considered at all,” she said.
This year’s Pride theme is “For All of Us” – words thoughtfully chosen by community members that reference a quote widely attributed to LGBTQIA+ activist and Stonewall veteran Marsha P. Johnson: “There is no pride for some of us without liberation for all of us.”
And with the LGBTQ+ Pride events on the horizon, Peppermint shared thoughts on what’s at stake at this juncture:
“Pride has always been about visibility, resistance, and community, but this year, it feels especially urgent. It’s about actively choosing joy while withstanding and challenging the anti-trans forces shaping our lives. To lead in this moment, in the birthplace of Pride, is both an honor and a responsibility I carry with purpose.”
Peppermint is the second Grand Marshal to be named for the march to be held on Sunday, June 28. She joins Dominique Jackson, who was named the first Grand Marshal earlier this month. Jackson had fled Trinidad and Tobago for the United States in 1990 to escape persecution as a trans woman. She went on to become a model, actress and activist, gaining recognition for her role as Electra Abundance on Pose.
