He and his partner came to the events because they wanted to show that “They can’t scare us back into the closet.” Manny Gomez said seeing so many police officers at Pride was a welcome sight. Several Pride participants yelled, “Thank you!” to officers patrolling the street. San Francisco Police boosted their presence, patrolling the streets amid rainbow flags, tie-dye and tutu skirts. For the first time in the parade’s 46-year history, attendees had to pass through security checkpoints and metal detectors to get into the Civic Center. The parade featured heavy security as hundreds of volunteers and security personnel dotted the route. And because gun control got shut down, it’s more emotional. “I pretty much cried the whole parade,” he said. Juan “Chico” Manriquez of Oakland carried one of the photos. In downtown San Francisco, a group dressed in “We are Orlando” T-shirts marched in silence holding pictures of the 49 Pulse victims. In Seattle, marchers honored the Orlando victims with white roses held aloft, KING-TV reported, while in Chicago the parade began with a moment of silence, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. This year’s celebrations were dampened by not only Orlando but by reports of a possible attempt to attack the LA Pride event several weeks ago. Following closely behind was a marching contingent with a banner emblazoned with #WeAreOrlando and the Spanish-language #SomosOrlando. The Scouts for Equality escorted them while carrying 49 orange-and-rainbow-striped flags to remember the victims. Pulse owner Barbara Poma and Neema Bahrami, the club’s entertainment manager, were honored with spots on the lead parade float.
The names of all 49 were read, followed by a moment of silence. The two-mile trek began at 36th Street and Fifth Avenue, but not before organizers paid tribute to the 49 people killed at Pulse, a gay Orlando nightclub, in the worst mass shooting in U.S. As a presidential candidate in 2008, Clinton opposed same-sex marriage, supporting the civil unions instead, CNN noted. Flanked by Secret Secret agents, Clinton stepped out of her motorcade near Stonewall and walked for four blocks, shaking hands along the way and waving to supporters.Ĭlinton is running as a champion for LGBT rights, but as with other Democrats, her position on same-sex marriage has evolved. Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton marched in the New York parade, CNN reported. Andrew Cuomo and grand marshals included Syrian refugee and LGBTQ activist Subhi Nahas, transgender activist Cecilia Chung and teen transgender activist Jazz Jennings, at 15 the youngest marshal ever. Record-breaking crowds in New York watched more than 400 organizations and thousands of individuals participate in the 46th annual NYC Pride March. The site was raided by police in 1969, which resulted in an uprising that led to protests fighting discrimination against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. Orlando was not far from the thoughts of celebrants, with many marchers and spectators chanting, “We are Orlando” and “Disarm hate.” In New York, the chants were especially strong in front of the Stonewall Inn, which President Obama on Friday declared as the first national monument dedicated “to tell the story of the struggle for LGBT rights.” SAN FRANCISCO - LGBT Pride events here and in several other cities took a more somber tone Sunday as parades in those cities paused to remember the victims of the June 12 Orlando nightclub attack. Watch Video: Watch: Scenes from the NYC Pride March 2016