BY: Adal Hussain, Chief Editor. 25th St 5th Ave NYC June 29th 2025
NYC Pride | Heritage of Pride, a longtime national leader in LGBTQIA+ Pride organizing and advocacy, announces its official theme for 2025.
“Rise Up: Pride in Protest.” As the LGBTQIA+ community faces increasing hostility and legislative attacks, this year’s theme is a reflection of the Pride movement’s origins in protest—and is a powerful call to action for our communities and allies to rally and march in defiant celebration, advocacy and solidarity.
“Rise Up: Pride in Protest” meets the moment before us and honors the legacy of the first Pride March in 1970, which commemorated the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Riots.
“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.
The NYC Pride 2025 calendar includes the annual NYC Pride March, among the largest LGBTQIA+ Pride marches worldwide, and PrideFest, the largest LGBTQIA+ street festival in New York, on Sunday, June 29.
NYC Pride also offers a diverse array of year-round opportunities to gather through our Pride365 programming, ensuring that our activism and community impact extends beyond the month of June.
NYC Pride had many events in 2025 and Grand Marshals, who embody the spirit of resilience and activism during Pride Month and beyond.
NYC Pride’s 2025 Pride Gives Back grant awards, which support local nonprofits and initiatives serving the LGBTQIA+ community, will also be announced soon.
NYC Pride is made possible through the support of community members and allies. To sustain our mission and continue advocating for LGBTQIA+ rights.
Many political leaders were in attendance, which included Governor Kathy Hochul, Attorney General Letitia James , Zohran Mamdani , NYC Democratic Mayoral Candidate, New York City Comptroller, Thomas P. DiNapoli, New York City Public Advocate, jumaane williams, Council Members, Senators and many more community leaders .
Jessica Tisch, New York City Police Commissioner, alongside Det. Brian Downey, Gay Officers Action League to protest NYC Pride March over uniform disagreement.
GOAL wants to participate in the March while wearing their full police uniforms, which means carrying concealed firearms.
Heritage of Pride, the nonprofit that organizes NYC Pride, says that goes against the weapon policy for the Pride March and offered a compromise – letting GOAL march in uniform but without carrying their service weapons.
“Members of our organization and our community feel that we need to be safe in the March and in the space that we are inhabiting together. That means no weapons,” Heritage of Pride co-chair Kazz Alexander said in a statement.
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BY: Adal Hussain, Chief Editor at 37th Ave Jackson Heights Queens NY June 1st 2025
The Queens Pride Parade formed in response to Julio Rivera’s murder and, more directly, to the 1992 homophobic outcry over the inclusion of gay and lesbian content in the Children of the Rainbow curriculum, which was designed to teach children tolerance of all of New York City’s diverse communities.
As a result, former New York City Council Finance Chair, Daniel Dromm, who was then a public school teacher in the borough’s Community School District 24 (where the controversy was centered), came out as openly gay and decided to counter the ensuing propaganda with a family-friendly celebratory parade that would promote LGBT visibility and pride, and be based in a neighborhood where many closeted gay people lived.
Daniel Dromm, Queens Lesbian & Gay Pride Committee co-chair, 1999. On November 22, 1992, the initial planning meeting was held in Dromm’s Flushing apartment, and the formation of the Queens Lesbian and Gay Pride Committee (QLGPC) followed soon after at a meeting of Queens Gays and Lesbians United (Q-GLU).
Co-chaired by Dromm and Cuban-born LGBT rights activist Maritza Martinez, QLGPC canvassed neighborhood gay bars for donations and support.
Dromm later recalled that some bar owners were resistant, “It was a very quiet lesbian and gay community — a large one but not a very visible one. [People were worried] that if they became visible, they would pay a price.”
The first Queens Pride Parade and Multicultural Festival took place on Sunday, June 6, 1993, and an estimated 10,000 people attended.
The parade route ran from 89th to 75th Streets along 37th Avenue, which was painted with a lavender line.
The accompanying stage show featured drag queen and transgender performers, who were also pivotal beforehand in helping to raise money and promote the parade at the gay bars where they regularly entertained. Martinez gave a bilingual speech, with the following spoken in Spanish.
2025 NEW QUEENS PRIDE PARADE GRAND MARSHALSThe New Queens Pride Parade is proud to celebrate three remarkable Grand Marshals whose lives and work reflect the strength, diversity, and resilience of our community. This year, we honor Andry José Hernández Romero, a courageous gay asylum seeker and artist whose unjust detention and deportation have sparked a national movement for justice;
Assembly Member Catalina Cruz, a trailblazing immigrant leader and champion for LGBTQ+ rights, workers, and families; and Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas, a fierce advocate for queer liberation, reproductive justice, and intersectional equity.
Each of these leaders brings a unique story and vision to our celebration—reminding us that Pride is not just a moment, but a movement rooted in courage, solidarity, and the fight for liberation for all.
Close to 140 groups marched in unity to honor pride month at 33rd anniversary of Queens Pride Parade Jackson Heights Queens NY-2025.
Political leaders in attendance included: Representatives from Governor’s office, Mayor’s office, in person political leaders included: Letitia James is the 67th Attorney General of the state of New York, New York State Comptroller, Thomas P. DiNapoli , Queens DA Melinda Katz, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, New York City Comptroller, Brad Landers, New York City Council Speaker adrienne adams, NY State Senator Jessica Ramos, Justin Brannan NYC Council member and so many more.
See More in our World Liberty TV, LGBTQ + Channels, Blogs and Who is who of LGBTQ+ Communities, by clicking here.
BY: Adal Hussain, Chief Editor, 4th Annual Japanese Day Parade NYC , May 10th 2025.
Beginning on Central Park West at West 81st Street and traveling south to West 67th Street, the Japan Parade featured: the music and taiko groups Soh Daiko, COBU and Taiko Masala Dojo, the choir group HARLEM JAPANESE GOSPEL CHOIR, the traditional dance troupes.
The Japanese Folk Dance Institute of NY, and Yosakoi Dance Project – 10tecomai / KAZANAMI, martial arts groups International Karate Organization KYOKUSHINKAIKAN and kendo dojo New York Kenshinkai. Marchers from Anime NYC joined the parade in Japan-themed costumes.
There are Japanese language schools and organizations participating in the Parade, and they include: THE JAPANESE SCHOOL OF NEW YORK (The Greenwich Japanese School), Japanese Children’s Society, Inc., Keio Academy of New York, and The New Jersey Japanese School, and many more.
Chef Masaharu Morimoto served as the parade’s Grand Marshall, and Sandra Endo, news correspondent on KTVV Los Angeles, Fox 11 News and feature reporter for Good Day LA, served as Emcee of the parade.
Participating groups showed Japan’s various attractions, such as culture, tradition, sports, music, cosplay, etc. for everyone’s enjoyment.
Following the great success of the last three years, the 4th annual Japan Parade in New York City was held on Saturday, May 10, beginning at 1pm. Starting on Central Park West at West 81st Street and traveling south to West 67th Street, the purpose of the parade is to celebrate, express, and bring awareness to the friendship between NYC and Japan with a thank you from the Japanese community. Chef Masaharu Morimoto is this year’s Grand Marshall and Koji Soto is this year’s Japan Parade Community Leader.
Sandra Endo, news correspondent on KTVV Los Angeles, Fox 11 News, and a feature reporter for Good Day LA, will serve as Emcee of the parade.
The Japan Street Fair will feature tents offering fun and educational cultural activities including calligraphy, water balloon yo-yo fishing, origami, photo opportunities, and a giveaway. In collaboration with JAPAN Fes, one of the largest organizers of Japanese food festivals in the world that hosts over 20 Japanese food fair events a year in New York City, the Street Fair will also feature about 20 tents serving authentic Japanese food.
The latest information on Japan’s many tourist destinations will be made available at several other tents, and as with last year, there will also be a tent where visitors may donate to a charitable cause. The Japan Street Fair is your chance to experience a Japanese festival, or matsuri, unlike any other.
It was our 3rd annual appearance at the Japanese day parade, thousands of people lined up on the streets on 81st and Central park West, and thousands more at The Japan Street Fair trying many different Japanese foods, desserts and beverages.
Honored guests included: Iron Chef Restauranteur and Author Masaharu Morimoto, who was also the Grand Marshall of the 2025 Parade. Koji Sato, president of the Japanese American Association of New York & 2025 Japan Parade Community leader. Mikio MORI Ambassador, Consul-General of Consulate General of Japan, New York, were the force behind putting on a parade on this magnitude.
Other political guests in attendance included: Mayor Eric Adams, New York State Comptroller, Thomas P. DiNapoli, Council member Gale Brewer, representatives from NY Governor’s office, Assembly members and many more in attendance. Emcee for the 4th year in a row was classy Sandra Endo, news correspondent on KTVV Los Angeles, Fox 11 News, and a feature reporter for Good Day LA and Mayor of Toyama Hirohisa Fuji , who traveled from japan to be part of the parade.
See much more about 4th Annual Japan Day Parade in New York city 2025, in our World Liberty TV, Political channels by clicking here.
