Queens Pride Parade highlights LGBTQ+ rights and unity

QUEENS, N.Y. (PIX11) -- The beginning of Pride Month kicked off with the 33rd annual Queens Pride Parade, the second-oldest pride parade in the city.  

This year’s celebration also included direct messages to the Trump administration.

37th Avenue in Jackson Heights, Queens, was filled with colors, music, and Pride Sunday afternoon.  

“Love everyone, love everybody,” shouted one of the attendees.

A message of love along with this year’s theme, defiant Joy and Unity.

“It is probably the most important pride of our lifetime because of the hate and attacks and trying to erase our community,” said David Kilmnick, President of the LGBT Network.

Assemblymembers Catalina Cruz and Jessica González-Rojas were two of the three Grand Marshals for this year’s Queens Pride Parade. The third one was Andry José Hernández Romero,  who is now detained in the maximum-security Prison, CECOT, in El Salvador after being deported by the Trump Administration in March.  

Romero is a gay man who was seeking asylum in the United States after fleeing Venezuela in May of last year due to alleged threats because of his sexual orientation. He was deported because the government claims his tattoos link him to the Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua.

“Andry represents everything that is Queens. He is queer, he is an artist, and he is an immigrant. That is who we are,” said Rojas.

“This is not normal. We can’t normalize the disappearance of people under a constitution that is supposed to protect us all, no matter who the president is,” added Cruz.

The first Queens Pride Parade was held on June 6, 1993. Decades later, attendees are saying that today is more important than ever to show up because of the current political climate under the Trump administration.

“I really wish they would rethink a lot of these positions; people of the LGBTQ community just want to be able to live and love and have the life that everybody else wants.” Said Aubrey Nelson.

“Syddiq and his wife, Sabar, brought their son, Syris. They say they want him to learn about equality from a very young age.

“You just have to accept everyone, hatred is straight up for losers,” said Syddiq

With thousands of spectators, over 140 diverse groups marched down from 89th to 75th Street, promoting the visibility and accomplishments of the LGBTQ+ community and fostering acceptance.

“Transgender people are human, transgender people are right, transgender people are not invisible,” SOT Yanitza Lara.

 Others are also sending a message to younger generations.

 “Come out, don’t be afraid, be yourselves! Stand up for yourself no matter what!”