All the month of June is devoted to celebrating the LGBTQ+ group and its many accomplishments and contributions to society. It’s also necessary to take a second to mirror on the struggles confronted by this group and the work nonetheless left to be performed in opposition to intolerance.
Since Pleasure can straight hint its origins again to New York Metropolis, it’s only becoming that the Massive Apple maintain a giant parade. This yr’s march takes place in the present day (Sunday, June 29, 2025) at 11 a.m. ET
Though some corporations have scaled back their fanfare attributable to an anti-DEI (range, fairness, and inclusion) local weather, one might argue that makes this yr all of the extra necessary. Let’s check out the beginnings of delight, this yr’s focus, and catch the parade each in individual and on tv.
A quick historical past of the NYC Pleasure March
Whereas many name the festivities a parade, Heritage of Pride, the nonprofit behind Pleasure occasions in New York Metropolis, prefers the moniker march.
That’s due to the activist roots of the occasion. The march particularly honors the anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising of 1969. Through the Sixties, same-sex public shows of affection akin to kissing, holding fingers, and even dancing have been unlawful, so bars owned by organized crime teams turned locations of refuge for the group the place they might categorical themselves freely with out concern.
When police raided the Stonewall Inn on the morning of June 28, it angered bar patrons and those that witnessed the police harassment. A weeklong protest helped invigorate the trendy homosexual rights motion.
The next yr, a march from the Stonewall Inn to Central Park was held to commemorate the occasion. In 1999, President Invoice Clinton made the first official presidential proclamation declaring June Pleasure Month. In 2016, President Barack Obama made the Stonewall Inn a nationwide monument.
The anti-DEI motion and Pleasure’s response
President Donald Trump’s second administration has rolled again many DEI initiatives, inflicting a ripple impact.
In consequence, many firms haven’t been as enthusiastic of their allyship the yr. A Gravity Research survey of greater than 200 company executives discovered 39% are scaling again in 2025, with zero people reporting a rise. Sixty-one % cited the Trump administration, conservative forces, and Republican policymakers as the explanation for this shift.
“Stand up: Pleasure in Protest,” this yr’s theme, seems to be a defiant response to the present political local weather. If these in energy gained’t acknowledge the group, the folks should step up.
“We should assist each other, as a result of when probably the most marginalized amongst us are granted their rights, all of us profit,” Kazz Alexander, NYC Pleasure co-chair, said in a statement. “Pleasure is just not merely a celebration of id—it’s a highly effective assertion of resistance, affirming that justice and fairness will finally prevail for many who reside and love on the margins.”
What’s the route for the NYC Pleasure march?
The march will start at twenty sixth Avenue and fifth Avenue and conclude at fifteenth Avenue and seventh Avenue in Manhattan.
How a lot does it price to attend the Pleasure march?
The occasion is free to attend.
How can I watch or stream the NYC Pleasure march?
Should you can’t attend in individual, be part of this yr’s grand marshals Karine Jean-Pierre, Marti Gould Cummings, DJ Lina, Elisa Crespo and Trans formative Colleges on tv.
These watching from their houses can tune into WABC-TV, aka ABC-7, or wherever you live-stream abc7NY at 12 p.m. ET.
