New York City Pride's 2025 Theme Will Be 'Rise Up: Pride In Protest'
Two people embrace in the fountain at Washington Square Park after the New York City Pride March on ... [+] June 30, 2024, in New York City.
New York City's 2025 Pride celebrations will have a topical theme this year.
On Wednesday, March 19, Heritage of Pride, which organizes the NYC Pride March (colloquially referred to as the Pride parade) and surrounding events, announced the 2025 theme, 'Rise Up: Pride in Protest.' This follows the 2024 Pride theme of 'Reflect. Empower. Unite' and 2023's theme 'Strength in Solidarity.'
This year's theme encompasses to origins of NYC Pride, dating back to the pivotal Stonewall Uprising in June 1969, followed by the first ever Pride March in June 1970. The evnets tie directly to today's political climate, which is becoming increasingly hostile to the LGBTQ+ community via legislation targeting transgender people and efforts to remove same-sex marriage rights, among other challenges.
A National Park Service ranger places rainbow flags on the fence at the Stonewall National Monument ... [+] in the West Village neighborhood of Greenwich Village in Lower Manhattan, New York City on June 19, 2019.
The Stonewall Inn, a functioning bar and the site of the eponymous six day uprising in 1969, was designated as a national monument in 2016 by then-President Barack Obama. In 2024, the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center opened next door, welcoming guests to immerse themselves in LGBTQ+ history via an interactive exhibit. This past February, the National Park Service removed any references to transgender and queer people from the Stonewall National Monument website as per directives by President Trump.
'This year, more than ever, we acknowledge that Pride can be celebrated in many ways, but at the heart of our mission, we recognize that we must also remain steadfast in protest,' said Kazz Alexander, NYC Pride Co-Chair. 'The challenges we face today, particularly in this political climate, require us to stand together in solidarity. We must support one another, because when the most marginalized among us are granted their rights, all of us benefit. Pride is not merely a celebration of identity—it is a powerful statement of resistance, affirming that justice and equity will ultimately prevail for those who live and love on the margins.'
Ben Eisenstadt from New York and Paul Staisiunas from New York kiss for photographers in front of ... [+] the Stonewall Inn at New York City Pride on June 26, 2022.
This year's annual NYC Pride March, among the largest LGBTQIA+ Pride marches worldwide, and PrideFest, the largest LGBTQIA+ street festival in New York, will take place on Sunday, June 29.
The full roster of 2025 Pride events and Grand Marshals will be announced soon. NYC Pride is also actively looking for volunteers to help with the Pride March, PrideFest, and Youth Pride, one of few Pride events in the country aimed at serving the younger LGBTQ+ community. Last year, over 2.5 million people attended NYC Pride.
'In the face of increasing discrimination, we must continue to push forward,' said Michele Irimia, NYC Pride Co-Chair. 'As New Yorkers, we know: Pride is resistance, Pride is activism and, most importantly, Pride is for everyone. 'Rise Up: Pride in Protest' reminds us that the fight for equality is far from over.'
People protest the removal of the word 'transgender' from the Stonewall National Monument website ... [+] during a rally outside of The Stonewall Inn on February 14, 2025 in New York City.
Recent years have seen a variety of Pride events across New York City unaffiliated with the nonprofit Heritage of Pride organization, which some find controversially corporate due to major brand sponsorships.
Since 2019, the Reclaim Pride Coalition has organized the Queer Liberation March, an activist-run event the same day as NYC Pride, offering an alternative event with a strong ethos of. "No corps, no cops, no bs!' Thousands of people attend the annual event.
In 2024, the Queer Liberation March's theme was 'Fight For Queer Youth', inspired by the then-looming Project 2025. The 2025 theme has yet to be announced, but the coalition is seeking organizers and volunteer marshals to help with the event.
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