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This year, New York was also the host city for WorldPride, an international celebration of LGBTQ progress.
Philadelphia played its part in the march with its own float, "The Road to Stonewall," sponsored by Visit Philly and hosting pioneers like John James, who worked in the early days of the LGBTQ rights movements. He took part in one of the first Philadelphia gay rights demonstrations in 1965, four years before Stonewall.
Gay rights pioneer Randolph Wicker, 81, reflected on the past, pre-Stonewall, and how far LGBTQ rights have come.
"My message is that they are very lucky. When I came out ... in 1958, we were criminals in every state but Illinois. We couldn't legally buy a drink. There were no legal gay bars," he said. "You could be fired from your job."
In fact, in many states, people can still be fired from their job for being LGBT. Hence, the message of NYC Pride this year was "progress and persistence."
"If we can mobilize and everybody can come together under this umbrella, I'm hopnig that we can all support more freedoms for more people and the liberation of all people," said Justin Omar. "Because until all of us are free, none of are free, as Dr. King said."