Jun 27, 2020 - Politics & Policy

50th anniversary of first gay rights march in the U.S. marked with Black Lives Matter protest

Orion Rummler

A statue wears a face mask with rainbow flags behind it — Rainbow flags at New York City's Rockefeller Center on June 26. Photo: Gotham/Getty Images

After in-person celebrations for the 50th anniversary of New York City's annual pride parade were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, a march focused on the Black Lives Matter movement will take its place on Sunday.

Why it matters: New York's annual parade honors the first gay rights march in U.S. history, which started in 1970 to commemorate the Stonewall riots.

Catch up quick: NYCPride will livestream events to celebrate the parade Sunday at noon, as the Queer Liberation March for Black Lives — which says it has eschewed corporate funding and police participation — will also be held Sunday.

Participants in the march are encouraged to wear face masks and social distance.
The Queer Liberation march had originally cancelled its Sunday event, but organizers reversed the decision after George Floyd's killing, the New Yorker's Michael Schulman reports.

The big picture: Many Black Lives Matter protests have made it a point to call for justice for Black transgender people, who are on the receiving end of an inordinate amount of violence and discrimination.

Go deeper: A Radical Challenger to New York City’s Pride March (The New Yorker)

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50th anniversary of first gay rights march in the U.S. marked with Black Lives Matter protest

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