
NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) — The biggest celebration of the LGBTQ+ community of the year kicked off at 11 a.m. on Sunday as thousands gathered along the parade route in lower Manhattan.
On the one-year anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, when members of the LGBTQ+ stood up against police harassment, the first LGBTQ+ Pride March was held in New York City. Fifty-four years later, the Pride March tradition persists as members of the queer community and allies come together in solidarity.


Doug, who was a teenager at the time of the Stonewall riots, told 1010 WINS/WCBS 880 that the history is not lost on him. “Seeing them come out to stand up for their rights started the whole thing,” he said.
Tyler shared in Doug’s sentiment, noting the significance of celebrating Pride in the place where it all began.
“We are working on the shoulders of giants who came before us. And to be here in New York City, the heart of where the modern-day LGBTQ rights movement started, is so powerful,” he said.
Well-known public officials like Gov. Kathy Hochul, Mayor Eric Adams and Attorney General Letitia James attended the event and marched with community members and allies alike.
“For 55 years, New Yorkers have proudly carried the banner that says this is the birthplace of the LGBTQ+ movement,” Hochul said.
A core sentiment was clear among marchers and attendees on Sunday: Having pride in oneself and building space for others to truly be themselves is what is important.
“It means that I could comfortably be who I am, the fact that I have a husband that I’ve been with for 31 years, means the world to me,” Gary told 1010 WINS/WCBS 880.

MARCH DETAILS
The march’s 2024 Grand Marshals include DaShawn Usher, Miss Major, Raquel Willis and Michelle Visage, as well as three young people. Baddie Brooks, Eshe Ukweli and Robin Drake round out the Youth Activist category.
“The youth of today are the ones who are really poised to take leadership and rather than just referring to them in the future tense, we really want to emphasize the fact that there are youth advocates who are working in their communities to advance the civil rights of themselves and future generations,” Sandra Perez, executive director of NYC Pride, told 1010 WINS.


The theme of the 2024 Pride March is “Reflect. Empower. Unite.” Organizers said that the theme is to highlight “the importance of the NYC Pride March as the intersection for Queer liberation and joy.”
While security in the city is heightened due to the scale and political nature of the Pride March, NYC Pride announced in 2021 that all corrections and law enforcement officers were banned from events until 2025, noting that the sense of security law enforcement intends to bring can instead feel threatening.
“For us, it is important that people feel safe,” Perez said. “We want people to understand that this is a safe space, it’s not a militarized space necessarily. And we’re here to really include as many people as possible in as safe a manner as possible.”

In addition to the Pride March, NYC Pride will be hosting PrideFest in Greenwich Village beginning at 12 p.m., and Bliss Days (formerly Femme Fatale) at DL, a lounge venue in the Lower East Side.
PrideFest is the largest LGBTQ+ street festival in NYC, while Bliss Days, a ticketed event, celebrates LGBTQ+ women.
Thunderstorms are expected to hit the NYC area on Sunday, and a severe thunderstorm watch is in effect until 7 p.m., according to AccuWeather.
ROUTE
The 2024 Pride March begins near Madison Square Park at 25th Street and Fifth Avenue.
Marchers will travel down Fifth Avenue, turn onto 8th Street toward Christopher Street, where it will pass the historic Stonewall Inn and Stonewall National Monument.
The march then turns north onto Seventh Avenue where it passes by the NYC AIDS Memorial, before concluding at 16th Street.

ROAD CLOSURES
Formation:
• Fifth Avenue between 33rd Street and 25th Street
• West/East 33rd Street between Sixth Avenue and Madison Avenue
• West/East 32nd Street between Sixth Avenue and Madison Avenue
• West/East 31st Street between Sixth Avenue and Madison Avenue
• West/East 30th Street between Sixth Avenue and Madison Avenue
• West/East 29th Street between Sixth Avenue and Madison Avenue
• West/East 28th Street between Sixth Avenue and Madison Avenue
• West/East 27th Street between Sixth Avenue and Madison Avenue
• West/East 26th Street between Sixth Avenue and Madison Avenue
• West 25th Street between Sixth Avenue and Fifth Avenue
Route:
• Fifth Avenue between 25th Street and 8th Street
• West 8th Street between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue
• Greenwich Avenue between Sixth Avenue and Christopher Street
• Christopher Street between Greenwich Avenue and Seventh Avenue South
• Seventh Avenue between Christopher Street and 16th Street
Dispersal:
• Seventh Avenue between 15th Street and 19th Street
• 16th Street between Eighth Avenue and Sixth Avenue
• 17th Street between Ninth Avenue and Sixth Avenue
• 18th Street between Eighth Avenue and Sixth Avenue
• 19th Street between Ninth Avenue and Sixth Avenue
Other:
• Christopher Street between West Street and Seventh Avenue South
• Greenwich Avenue between 6th Avenue and Eighth Avenue
Audacy is an official media partner of NYC Pride.