In a vibrant celebration spanning numerous cities, LGBTQ+ Pride month reached its colorful climax this Sunday, as massive crowds engaged in daylong street events stretching from New York to San Francisco.
Pride festivities often blend political activism with lively pageantry, and this year’s celebrations embraced a more assertive direction amidst Republican-led efforts to limit LGBTQ+ supportive measures. With President Donald Trump at the helm, such actions have amplified community resistance.
New York’s celebration adopted the theme “Rise Up: Pride in Protest,” while San Francisco declared “Queer Joy is Resistance,” and Seattle stood with “Louder.” Thousands gathered to make their voices heard. Lance Brammer, an Ohio teacher experiencing his first New York Pride parade, found himself moved by the scope of support in the nation’s oldest and largest gathering. “In light of today’s political climate,” Brammer remarked, dressed in a vivid multicolored shirt, “it’s evident that the LGBTQ community, especially the trans community, faces significant challenges. The sheer number of attendees portrays the resolve and unity against any opposition.”
In San Francisco, Xander Briere highlighted the ongoing fight for LGBTQ+ survival against increasing public disdain, especially targeting transgender people. “We’re witnessing a regressive shift,” Briere stated, advocating at the San Francisco Community Health Center. “Despite feeling society’s hostility, this event illustrates the beauty of community resilience and historic defiance, asserting our enduring presence.”
New York’s iconic parade journeyed through Fifth Avenue, with over 700 groups participating, all greeted by enthusiastic crowds. The parade made notable stops, including the Stonewall Inn—a historic gay bar in Greenwich Village known for sparking the LGBTQ+ rights movement through 1969 protests. Celebrating this legacy, the first Pride march in 1970 commemorated the Stonewall uprising’s anniversary, with the site now recognized as a national monument.
Simultaneously, San Francisco held its celebration, featuring marchers along Market Street towards Civic Center Plaza’s concert stages. Additional parades graced cities like Denver, Chicago, Seattle, Minneapolis, and Toronto. Globally, cities such as Tokyo, Paris, and Sao Paulo hosted events earlier, with others set for later in the year, including London in July and Rio de Janeiro in November.
Since assuming office in January, Trump has notably targeted transgender policies, restricting their military service, preventing federal insurance coverage for necessary gender-affirming surgeries for youth, and opposing transgender participation in female sports. “Our visibility, unity, and resistance are vital against attempts to erase our existence,” urged Jahnel Butler, a community grand marshal in San Francisco.
Peter McLaughlin, a long-time New York resident, felt a strong urge to attend his first Pride parade this year as a trans man. “Many fail to see that allowing others their rights doesn’t detract from their own life,” he commented. “It’s crucial now to stand as fellow humans.”
Marking a significant occasion, Gabrielle Meighan from New Jersey emphasized the importance of attending the festivities coinciding with the tenth anniversary of the landmark 2015 Supreme Court decision recognizing same-sex marriage nationwide.
New York’s Queer Liberation March on Sunday offered an alternative platform focused on activism, expressing concerns over the main parade’s commercial focus. Marchers carried messages like “Gender affirming care saves lives” and “No Pride in apartheid” from the AIDS Memorial to Central Park’s Columbus Circle.
This year, LGBTQ rights advocates encountered additional challenges, particularly the loss of corporate sponsorships. American businesses have scaled back Pride support, mirroring broader diversity-retraction trends driven by evolving public views.
NYC Pride announced a reduction of around 20% in corporate sponsorships, including support withdrawals from PepsiCo and Nissan. San Francisco’s organizers similarly faced sponsor losses, naming major departures such as Comcast and Anheuser-Busch.