“Gay, straight, trans, queer—it’s just connecting all energies, which is what I love. NYC Pride is enjoying yourself and enjoying the love that people give. It allows people to feel free.”

“It’s a beautiful day. It brings everybody together. It’s about equality, and you see a lot of smiles on people’s faces. There’s so much color and diversity. They march by Stonewall and it’s become this landmark, like a memorial. It brings people together and allows us to remember.

“NYC Pride is loud and colorful and crazy and everyone is so nice! I got a ton of glitter from people. But it’s about more than just fun. It’s about inclusion. It’s learning the history about Stonewall and what it meant, and how it made all of this possible.”

“NYC Pride is a place where people can come be themselves and be out and proud. It’s all love and it’s just amazing, over the top and grand. I wanted to be a beautiful gay angel and here I am.”

“NYC is where it’s all started. You haven’t been to Pride until you’ve been to Pride in New York. Everybody comes together. And we fought for this. Stonewall gave us the liberties to do what we do today. This is the reason we’re able to be out here and not worry about being attacked.”

“We have people from all over the world celebrating diversity, culture, trans and being gay as a community. Everyone is celebrating, everyone is marching. We’re making our voices heard, and we’re showing our visibility in this city. I don’t think you get that anywhere else.”

“You can be as free as you want here. Everything you ever imagined you wanted to be, you can be. Free is the only word I can think of. Everyone is so colorful and friendly. It’s just one big family. It’s all love.”

“There are so many multicultural groups. It’s amazing to be here with so many groups of color. Everyone’s waving and clapping…it’s super-positive. I marched in the parade with a South Asian group next to a Korean group and an Arab group. Everyone’s represented!”

“Pride to me is culture, fun, community and love. Stonewall is iconic. It did a lot of barrier breaking, and that’s important for people to know—especially for our younger generations who are just coming out. They’re able to be as free as they are today because of what happened at Stonewall.”

“It’s the one time when different tribes of the queer community celebrate and look after each other in a really unique way. There needs to be an anchor for that, and NYC Pride is that anchor. It’s like a huge party but rooted in this respect, honoring where we’ve come as a community.”

“Pride is a chance to see all of the people who make the LGBTQ+ community as vibrant as it is and be a part of that incredible rainbow. This is where it all started—Stonewall is where this all began. It was the point at which the world began to pay attention, where Pride was born.”

“Pride gives people who otherwise wouldn’t feel comfortable coming out and celebrating who they are—it gives them one day to be who they want. The vibe is electric. People are happy. It’s forgiving, joyous and refreshing. I’m happy to be an ally.” 

“The culture at NYC Pride is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Everyone here is all together. It doesn’t matter—black, white, yellow, orange, dog...anything—NYC Pride is the best.”

“NYC Pride is colossal. New York was the first place where people could come and express themselves, and gay pride is a product of that. Look where we’ve come today—we have legalized gay marriage! We have one of the biggest Pride celebrations in the world.”

“Pride is all about the energy. Look around! Everyone is supporting each other. It’s really beautiful to see. You can be yourself. It doesn’t matter who you are—just be yourself and embrace your happiness.”

“Stonewall is a gay rights movement. It’s the future of gay rights. It’s a church for the LGBTQ community. To see all these people out here is incredible. NYC Pride is the most entertaining, the most festive, the most colorful Pride. It’s the energy! You gotta be here to feel it!”

“It just feels like for one day that everyone is a collective. We celebrate ourselves and we feel like superheroes. And we feel like we can shine and be here and be present and everyone is supporting you. It’s magical. It’s free. You’re visible. Everyone is just cheering you on. It’s massive but it’s family.”

“NYC Pride is so cultural. This is the Pride to be at. It’s all-accepting; everyone here is just fun, nice and they want to know about you and want to know your stories. I’m pretty new to the gay scene but from stories I hear, Stonewall is the beginning of everything, and it’s the reason we’re here today.”

“It’s the diversity of all the people, all races, all genders, sexualities, and they get molded into one beautiful parade. I love being a part of it because I’m just one piece of this big gay puzzle. I love being here. I love hearing everyone shouting, ‘Yaaas! Werq!’ And next year is gonna be even bigger. It’s the 50th—it’s gonna be huge!”

For everything you need to know about Pride 2019, visit our guide.