New York City's massive Pride celebrations have a deep and important history in the city.
The first march was held in 1970 one year after the Stonewall Uprising, and the event has grown into an annual civil rights demonstration.
While many colloquially call the event the Pride Parade, organizers refer to it as The March as a nod to the event’s heritage.
After all, the first march was an unpermitted political protest of anti-LGBT policies and attitudes.
"Our commitment at Heritage of Pride is to continue recognizing our Pride event as a March until complete and full equality has been achieved for all LGBT people," the organizers said online.
This year, rainbow-clad activists and allies will take to the streets (and later NYC’s gay bars) in support of global LGBTQ rights at the NYC Pride March on Sunday, June 25.
In recent years, The March has grown to include more than 700 groups with millions of spectators.