NYC Pride unveils grand marshals for 2025 march
This year's lineup includes Karine Jean-Pierre, the trailblazing former White House press secretary; Marti Gould Cummings, the first openly nonbinary candidate to run for office in New York City; and Lina Bradford, the queer nightlife superstar-turned fierce trans rights advocate, known on dance floors across the nation as DJ Lina.
'We're honored to put a spotlight on this incredible group of doers and change-makers as we come together in solidarity, celebration and protest,' NYC Pride Co-Chair Michele Irimia said. The group of marshalls also includes Elisa Crespo, the executive director of the Stonewall Community Foundation, and a collective of trans and queer teachers focused on trans joy and social justice known as Trans formative Schools.
'Their participation is a powerful example of the enduring spirit of our community,' Irimia added.
The work of the impressive group of outspoken advocates reminds LGBTQ+ people in New York and beyond that the community's strength comes from unity, according to NYC Pride Co-Chair Kazz Alexander.
'[They] remind us that we are stronger when we are united in our fight for equality and liberation,' Alexander told the Daily News in an email. 'They reflect the understanding that LGBTQIA+ rights are human rights.'
Jean-Pierre, a native New Yorker who broke barriers as the nation's first Black and openly queer press secretary, celebrated the announcement, noting that being named as one of the year's grand marshals is 'more than an honor — it's a homecoming.'
'New York is where I found my voice, where I stepped into the light, and where I first discovered the strength of community as an openly queer person,' she said. 'Now, at a time when unity is more vital than ever, we march — hand in hand, arm in arm — not just in resistance, but in remembrance, in celebration, and in unshakable pride. We are here. We rise. We endure.'
Fellow grand marshal Cummings echoed the sentiment, reflecting on Pride's original mission.
'Pride is a protest, it began as a riot, and we must hold onto that,' Cummings, who uses they/them pronouns, said.
'Trans people are being vilified and eradicated. As grand marshal, I am honored and will use this platform in any way that I can to bring awareness to the grave issues impacting the most vulnerable within our community,' they said.
The 2025 NYC Pride March is set to kick off at noon on Sunday, June 29.
Embodying this year's theme — Rise Up: Pride in Protest — millions of marchers and spectators are expected to flood the streets of Manhattan in a defiant celebration of the movement's roots, advocacy and solidarity, organizers said.
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