Your Guide To NYC's Pride Marches 2019

NYC Pride 2018.

New York City's Pride Month celebrations come to a close after this weekend, with huge festivities that celebrate the queer community, mark the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, honor those whose lives were lost to AIDS, and look toward the continued fight for equality. Here's an abridged guide to the parades and rallies happening throughout the city this week, from the official Pride March to the Dyke March and beyond.

Stonewall 50th Commemoration Rally

A month after the uprising at the Stonewall Inn in 1969—a watershed event in the gay liberation movement—New Yorkers held an early iteration of Pride in the form of a demonstration in Washington Square Park, coupled with a vigil in Sheridan Square. To kick off the weekend's Pride festivities, community activists, organizers, politicians, and more will gather in the Greenwich Village for a rally that honors Stonewall's memory. Barbara Poma, the owner of Pulse Nightclub, and activist Harnaam Kaur have been announced as speakers so far.

Friday, June 28th, at Christopher Street and Waverly Place. 6 - 9pm. Free.

NYC Drag March

Since 1994, NYC's Drag March has been a space for drag queens to march during the beginning of Pride weekend. Brian Griffin, an activist who's worked with the advocacy group ACT UP, and Gilbert Baker, the designer of the iconic rainbow flag, made the Drag March a reality following their frustrations with Stonewall's 25th anniversary plans, according to HuffPost. The march, which starts in the East Village and also nods towards the Tompkins Square Riots, will gather at Tompkins Square Park at 7 p.m. From there, marchers will be making their way towards Sheridan Square, and the Stonewall Inn, at 8 p.m.

Friday, June 28th. Tompkins Square Park. Starts at 8 p.m. Free.

Dyke March

The Dyke March, now in its 27th year, is a sponsorless protest march that runs down 5th Avenue, from Bryant Park down to Washington Square Park. Organizers describe the march as "a celebration of our beautiful and diverse Dyke lives, to highlight the presence of Dykes within our community, and in protest of the discrimination, harassment, and violence we face in schools, on the job, and in our communities." An afterparty will follow the march, though those details haven't been released yet.

Saturday, June 29th, at Bryant Park. Starts at 5 p.m. Free.

Queer Liberation March

The Queer Liberation March, which is happening the same day as the official Pride March, stemmed from LGBTQ organizers' disappointment with the increased police presence and corporate sponsorships at the annual Pride March. "We March in our communities’ tradition of resistance against police, state, and societal oppression, a tradition that is epitomized and symbolized by the 1969 Stonewall Rebellion, organizers write. "We March against the exploitation of our communities for profit and against corporate and state pinkwashing, as displayed in Pride celebrations worldwide, including the NYC Pride Parade." Helmed by the Reclaim Pride Coalition, the political march will start off in the Greenwich Village in the morning, then up 6th Avenue, culminating at a rally on Central Park's Grand Lawn at 1 p.m.

Sunday, June 30th. The march starts on 7th Avenue south, at Christopher Street, at 9:30 a.m. Free.

NYC Pride March

This year's NYC Pride March is primed to be one of the biggest gay pride celebrations in the world, with an estimated 3 million people expected. This year's grand marshals include The Trevor Project, Phyll Opoku-Gyimah (who leads UK Black Pride), and cast members of the series POSE. The march, set to have 160 floats and many more performers and marchers, will start at 26th Street and 5th Avenue. It'll snake down 5th Avenue, where it'll go past key points, including the Stonewall Inn, and back up 7th Avenue until reaching 23rd Street. A moment of silence at 11:58 a.m., which honors those in the queer community who have lost their lives, will precede the march, which begins at noon.

Sunday, June 30th. 26th Street and 5th Avenue. Starts at 12 p.m. Free.