NEW YORK — The New York City Pride March will once again be presented virtually to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
"Pride is how I celebrate just how much I've loved myself, to be exactly who I am and how I help others do that as well," said actor and 2021 Pride March Grand Marshal Wilson Cruz.
"I remember the kid I was when I was a little kid in Brooklyn and who I am now, and I hope that being a grand marshal this year sends a message to all of those young people of color out there who are questioning their sexuality and discovering their gender identity," Cruz told me in an interview on Monday. “They can achieve everything and anything that they dream of.”
What You Need To Know
- Grand marshals for NYC Pride March were announced Monday
- Wilson Cruz, Ceyenne Doroshow, Menaka Guruswamy & Arundhati Katju, Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, and Aaron Philip will head this year’s celebration
- NYC Pride March will once again be virtual
- NYPD excluded from participating in this year's festivities
Cruz will be joined by five other grand marshals for this year’s march, including:
- Trans performer and activist Ceyenne Doroshow
- Trans model Aaron Rose Philip
- Medical trailblazer Dr. Demetre Daskalakis
- Lawyers Menaka Guruswamy and Arundhati Katju who are leading the charge in India for LGBTQIA+ equality and inclusion.
This year’s theme is “The Fight Continues.”
"The fight can mean so many things. It can mean the fight for equity. It can mean the fight for equality. It can mean the fight for visibility. It could mean the fight for Latinx rights. We want folks to be able to take that and run with it,” David Correa, the interim executive director of NYC Pride, explained. “And especially after the year that we faced in 2020 — it's not over, if anything — we have to stand up together and stronger."
Most recently, NYC Pride made headlines when they announced the exclusion of the NYPD in this year’s festivities.
When asked if LGBTQIA+ members of the NYPD can participate in the virtual march, Correa said yes, as long as they’re not in uniform.
"I think what we're trying to do is to make everyone feel safe and comfortable. Trauma and triggers are real. There are studies that have come out that LGBTQ people are six times more likely to be stopped by police. One fifth of transgender individuals who have had experience with police have reported violence or harassment,” Correa said. “And we want those folks to be able to come and participate and feel safe. We’re asking for a compromise to prioritize lives over past precedent and a uniform."
The march is set for Sunday, June 27. For more information on this year’s event and other Pride festivities, head to nycpride.org.
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