June 30 (UPI) — Pride month celebrations culminated today with parades across the world, including San Francisco and New York, where people supporting LGBTQ+ identities and rights, some dressed in multi-colored, elaborate clothing and costumes, marched in the streets.
“We’re at a time where there’s a ton of legislation, anti-LGBTQ+ legislation,” Zach Overton, 47, said at the New York parade. “It feels like we’re taking a step backwards in the fight for equality and so it’s a great moment to come out and be with our community and see all the different colors of the spectrum of our community and remind ourselves what we’re all fighting for.”
In New York, thousands of Pride revelers rallied along Fifth Avenue. Rainbow flags waved in the air as did signs of support for Puerto Rico, Ukraine and Gaza. There were multi-colored, motorized floats traversing the streets as Diana Ross’ “I’m Coming Out” played from loudspeakers.
Politics seeped into this year’s Pride march. Rifts were present between supporters of Israel and those of Gaza in the ongoing conflict between the two countries which has erupted into an ugly war that has killed thousands of Israelis and tens of thousands of Gazans.
Protesters blocked the start of the parade in New York, chanting: “Free, free, free Palestine!” Police eventually took some of the protestors away. But the Pride event itself did not start out quietly.
“It is certainly a more active presence this year in terms of protest at Pride events,” said Sandra Pérez, the executive director of NYC Pride. “But we were born out of a protest.”
There were also large Pride marches in San Francisco, Seattle, Minneapolis, Chicago, and across the globe. The Chicago march typically draws one million people and organizers reduced the number of floats participating in this year’s festivities from 199 to 150, citing logical and safety concerns.
The number of marchers numbered in the hundred of thousands, down from previous years, city officials said.
