Pride Marches On in Solidarity, Strength, and Song
By Lawrence Pfeil, Jr.
As Pride 2020 draws to a close, the work left to be done towards equality and justice for our Community, within our Community, and within our country could not be clearer. The passion and unwavering commitment to that work was abundantly clear, Sunday in front of the birthplace of Pride and our Community, Stonewall. While the 50th Anniversary of the Pride March had to be cancelled, I decided in the spirit of “Pride Marches On!” to make the March from Waverly Place up Sixth Ave to the Sheep Meadow in Central Park myself.
When I came up from the 1 train at Christopher St., I didn’t expect to see an impromptu Pride block party around Sheridan Square or the Queer Liberation March trying to make its way through.
Debating the wisdom of either happening is all but mute; but the vast majority of people were wearing masks and I myself will be getting a covid19 test out of an abundance of caution as Gov Cuomo has asked all outdoor protesters. If this Pride Party had an unofficial theme it had to be, “Resilience and Resistance.”
But I had marching to do so let’s get started!
Walking up a fairly deserted Sixth Ave. I reflected on what had and had not changed over fifty years; as well as, what had and had not changed in a just a few short months, like window displays frozen in time, a season out of step. I thought about the anger and outrage which has at once consumed and inspired our lives of late. The loss of tens of thousands of lives from covid19, countless Black lives ended by systemic racism and police brutality, trans people killed by hate, and a generation of gay men lost to AIDS all of whom would give anything to be walking where I was today.
Then I saw this and was reminded that love does and will always win.
Keep on walkin’
At the Sixth Ave entrance to Central Park, I paused to look back and saw the Pride Flag flying from a hotel on the very tony, Central Park South. It’ll be eight years before Gilbert Baker creates our flag, but suffice it to say, those first marches never could have imagined a gay symbol of Pride on CPS in 1970.
Arriving at the Sheep Meadow, I found “Gay-in 2020” was already in progress!
One of the last live performance I saw before the world unraveled was The Skivvies at Greenroom 42 and that post is the most popular of 2020. I’d like to close out this post with The Skivvies. First, a performance with Broadway and recording powerhouse Mykal Kilgore for inspiration.
This performance is to reminds us of our strength of diversity and joy of unity.
While live performances like The Skivvies have been canceled for the foreseeable future, Nick and Lauren continue to give their time and talents in support of Equality and Justice. From their Instagram.
Please follow Nick and Lauren
And on Twitter
Previous posts from Pride Marches On!
Randy Rainbow tells POTUS, “Cover Your Freakin Face!”
“Our First Pride March — a Revolutionary Act of Courage Fifty Years Ago “
“Pride in the Time of COVID-19”
“Transgender, What’s the Big Deal? I’ll Tell You”
“Podcast: ‘All Good Gay News’ Episode For Pride 2020”
“Celebrating XXX Broadway Bares, our Fundraising Video Tribute”
“WATCH: “My Gay Identity”, a 62-Year Old Gay Man”
“Juneteenth 2020: ‘Hear Me Now,’ My Message Continues”
Pride Month and Protest 2020, Pride Marches On
Be sure and check out our special “In their own Words” Pride series on Twitter. @TheOUTFront .
And our new #InstaPride series on Instagram @theoutfront
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