A joyous crowd thousands big kicked off the first weekend of Pride Month in Queens with the return of one of the largest parades.
Tens of thousands of revelers came out Sunday to line 37th Street for the 30th Annual Queens Pride Parade, back in the borough after a two-year pandemic hiatus.
Among those marching in the parade this year was the New York City Council, accompanied by Speaker Adrienne Adams who served as the Grand Marshal. Also joining the crowd was Mayor Eric Adams.
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More than 100 groups were said to have marched in the celebration of LGBTQ+ pride, including the New York City Police Department. Uniformed officers have noticeably been banned from New York City's Pride parade -- scheduled the last weekend in June -- over safety concerns following police violence at past parades.
"We have made so much progress as a community in the last 3 decades and pride events play a large role for this sea change. The visibility, the diversity, and the beauty of our community on display for all to see and hear is powerful and meaningful," LGBT Network President David Kilmnick said.
Parade organizers scheduled a moment of silence commemorating the 30th anniversary of the pride event, accompanied by a special NYPD flyover.
The origins of the parade date back to 1992 in honor of Julio Rivera, a 29-year-old gay man living in Jackson Heights, who died after a brutal attack at the hands of three skinheads in 1990.
