Thousands of New Yorkers rally for queer liberation

New York, NY – On June 29, upwards of 2500 New Yorkers gathered at the AIDS Memorial for the 7th annual Queer Liberation march which was organized by the Reclaim Pride Coalition. The Queer Liberation March is organized to reclaim pride and honor its militant history. It is organized to counter the annual Pride March which takes place on the same day but has become a stage for corporations, cops and liberal politicians to whitewash the legacy of the struggle for queer rights.

To start the rally, several speakers from the Reclaim Pride Coalition talked about the militant history of Pride, giving the Stonewall riots as an example. They also spoke on Trump’s attacks on healthcare, especially gender affirming care for transgender children. Other speakers highlighted how the struggle for queer liberation needs to unite with other struggles such as the Palestinian struggle, the struggle for immigrant rights, the struggle for Black liberation and many other struggles that are taking place. The speaking section of the rally ended with a recital of the queer liberation national anthem.

People then marched down 7th Avenue for 40 city blocks in scorching hot weather. Marshals wearing pink vests were handed out water to keep people hydrated. Queer flags, Palestinian flags and other oppressed nationality flags proudly waved. Marchers held signs denouncing Trump’s attacks on trans rights, the genocide in Gaza, and the whitewashing of queer history.

Several organizations led contingents with banners with slogans such as “Stonewall was a riot!” or “Resist! Reclaim! Rejoice!” or “No pride in genocide!” Chants such as “When trans rights are under attack! What do we do? Stand up fight back!” or “We will not be fucking quiet! Stonewall was a fucking riot!” were being loudly yelled by the people marching. In addition, there were several other activities taking place throughout the march, such as people dancing on cop cars, a large marching band performing songs, and a collective flipping off of the New York Times building.

The march ended at Lenape Circle. The city calls the area Columbus Circle after Christopher Columbus, who the organizers rightfully refuse to acknowledge because of his history of enslaving, raping and killing indigenous Americans. The circle is named Lenape Circle to honor the Lenape people who are indigenous to Manhattan but were ethnically cleansed from the land.

When people arrived at the circle, many gathered to listen to the final speakers of the action while others scattered throughout the park to cool down and rest.

#NewYorkNY #NY #LGBTQ #Pride #Queer