Pride Weekend is around the corner — and multiple events are scheduled to run throughout the city, from the Drag March to the Queer Liberation March.
On Friday, June 23, the Drag March will run from roughly 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., starting from Tompkins Square Park and continuing to the Stonewall Inn. It will be the 29th anniversary of the first Drag March.
This event, of course, marks a spark of resistance against legislation and rhetoric targeting transgender individuals and the broader LGBTQ community.
The following day, Saturday, June 24, will be filled with various events across the city. Harlem Pride — scheduled to begin at noon and end at 6 p.m. — will be located at 12th Avenue and West 133rd Street. The festival will feature food, health awareness, entertainment, and more.
The Dyke March, the renowned protest that is now in its 31st year, is also scheduled for that Saturday, beginning at 5 p.m. at Bryant Park. This year’s theme is “Not Your Fucking Body, Not Your Fucking Business,” amounting to a callout against anti-LGBTQ legislation and hate across the country.
“This year, the NYC Dyke March will be highlighting our collective, intersectional fight for bodily autonomy: The overturning of Roe v Wade, the relentless violence against Black and Brown bodies, the attacks and bans on gender-affirming care, and our fight to get the health care we need,” Dyke March organizers said. “We have the right to be who we are, without reservations. We deserve to live fully and freely in our bodies.”
On Pride Sunday, June 25, several Pride events will take place. Hosted by the Reclaim Pride Coalition, the fifth Annual Queer Liberation March will begin with a rally at 2 p.m. at Foley Square before the march itself steps off at 3:30 p.m. The Queer Liberation March will end at Washington Square Park.
The theme for this year’s Queer Liberation March is: “TRANS AND QUEER, FOREVER HERE!” According to the Reclaim Pride Coalition, the theme for this year serves as a response to the harmful legislation, language, and actions that have been impacting the LGBTQ community — particularly transgender and non-binary individuals.
“It is with this in mind that we march this year with our siblings and comrades to proclaim that there is no liberation for just a few, until we are all liberated!” Reclaim Pride said in a press release.
On the same day, the main NYC Pride March will start at noon from 25th Street and Fifth Avenue. The grand marshals announced for this year’s celebration include Billy Porter, Yasmin Benoit, AC Dumlao, Hope Giselle and Randolfe “Randy” Wicker, while Angelica Ross will be returning as a featured performer and co-host for the broadcast on ABC7.
Those interested can also make their way to PrideFest, which is scheduled to start that Sunday morning at 11 a.m. at Greenwich Village, or head to Pride Island — headlined by Christina Aguilera — at the Brooklyn Army Terminal at 2 p.m. “Bliss Days”, formerly known as “Femme Fatale,” — a celebration of LGBTQ womxn — at the DL (Delancey at Ludlow) at 2 p.m.
