The main thing you need to know is that Pride is about being who you are, living and loving freely, and expressing yourself. In between all that’s going on, you’ll find plenty to explore in New York and the streets are often the very best theatre! Seeing the Empire State Building lit up in rainbow colours is deeply moving and you feel a real sense of community on the streets. Some things, like the official parties, the Island and the films, are ticketed while the March, the Rally and art projects are free. And this is only the official stuff – gay bars, restaurants and centres all over the city will have their own things going on.
FIRST GAY PRIDE PARADE NEW YORK MOVIE
OutCinema is a celebration of LGBT film, the Human Rights Conference has thought-provoking discussions and talks, PrideIsland is two days of music on Park’s Pier and there’s even a Youth Pride and Family Movie Night.
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In the month lead-up to the Parade New York is buzzing with things going on. Floats and marchers representing political groups, non-profits, activists and other organisations fly the rainbow flag proudly and the wonderful Grand Marshalls lead the charge. It’s a glorious cacophony of music, colour, dancing, determination and joy that will make your heart soar. The route takes about 90 minutes to walk, going through Lower Manhattan, Greenwich Village and past the Stonewall National Monument. Average attendance at the march is 2 to 3 million with approximately 150,000 participants.
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The schedule is packed full, from the opening ceremony to the closing ceremony after the March, both of which have inspiring speakers and incredible performers. You can be on a podium dancing with your shirt off and glitter make-up or you can be snug in an independent cinema watching the best of LGBT film (or anything in between!). So, what exactly can you expect from your NYC Pride experience? As you can imagine, it’s pretty hard to summarise a month’s worth of diverse and queer-tastic events into a few short paragraphs! Additionally, Pride can really be whatever you want it to be.