What began as a commemoration quickly became one of the first steps in the broader gay rights movement in the United States.Īctivists Kay Tobin and Diana Davies were there to capture the very first parade and photograph those who bravely stepped out of the closet and into the streets. To prevent the spread of COVID-19, many events have been canceled. This year, the parade will begin at 1pm on April 24th. If you’ve never celebrated Pride in Japan, here’s your annual opportunity. Only a year after the Stonewall Riots, in which patrons of the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City, fought back against a police raid, the march was organized by the Christopher Street Liberation Day Committee to commemorate the riots. And like any good Pride parade, participants march and ride on floats while dressed in outfits as diverse as the community itself. This spectacle marked the world’s very first Gay Pride March. Marchers reportedly took up 15 city blocks. We don’t overpopulate,” and later hosting a sit-in in Sheep Meadow. Holding colorful signs, thousands of people gathered in Sheridan Square before walking along the Avenue of the Americas.
On June 29, 1970, the headline of The New York Times’ front page read: “Thousands of Homosexuals Hold a Protest Rally in Central Park.”
