New York City’s 48th annual LGBT Pride March took place on June 25, marching downtown along Fifth Avenue and over to Christopher Street and Stonewall Inn, site of the historic 1969 rebellion that marked the inception of the Gay Liberation Movement in New York.
It was a huge march, encompassing political, artistic, religious, and regional groups, from SAGE and AmFAR and PFLAG, to the Lesbian & Gay Big Apple Corps Marching Band to Asian, Caribbean, Middle Eastern, and Irish groups to Catholics, Quakers, and pagans, as well as numerous businesses’ floats.
It was my 47th march and my 15th with spouse Joe Saporito. For the first time ever, I did not literally march, but rode on the Eagle NYC truck, with other East Coast Leather titleholders, present and past, behind the 20-by-40-foot Leather Pride flag, made by Mr. South Africa Leather 2013 Johann Jooste, lent by Philadelphia Leather Pride Night Producer Cowboi Jen, and carried by titleholders, Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, puppies and handlers, and others.
Current Fire Island titleholders Mr. Fire Island Leather Sir Joseph and Mr. Fire Island Bear Danny Jimenez were present, as well as Mr. Fire Island Leather 2007 Diego Vargas, and en route we saw Marriage Equality icon Edie Windsor with wife Judith Kasten-Windsor, at the reviewing stand near Washington Square Park, and Cherry Grove icon China, aboard the TD Bank float. Our friend Jane Testa joined Dykes on Bikes for the first time, the group that begins the line of march. We began our long day with a Pride Breakfast at the home of Paul Kimball and Barry Sorkin, a tradition in our circle that began more than 40 years ago.