From pole dancing to twerking, bizarre visuals dominate Pride Parade as marchers take to NYC streets: Key highlights

Thousands of marchers took to the New York City streets as club music played in the background and confetti showered down on Sunday, June 25, at the Pride Parade. Revellers from Toronto to San Francisco were also seen cheering on. They walked down Fifth Avenue to Greenwich Village with rainbow flags to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall uprising.

The Stonewall Inn,a gay bar in New York's Greenwich Village, was raided by police on June 28, 1969. While the New York Police department expected the usual compliance, people decided to protest and fight back. As many as five days of rioting ensues after the raid.

Roughly 400 Pride organisations across the US are holding parades this year. Many are focussed specifically on the rights of transgender people. Among the participants are entertainers and activists, drag performers and transgender advocates.

Billy Porter, Yasmin Benoit, AC Dumlao, Hope Giselle and Randolfe ‘Randy’ Wicker are heading this year’s celebration. Angelica Ross has returned as co-host for a third year.

Amid the celebrations, here are some key highlights:

1) This year's march is the 53rd in the city's history. Several stars were spotted at the parade, including Eric Adams, Kathy Hochul, and Chuck Schumer. Others who were spotted were Reverend Al Sharpton and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

2) The city's police force and meteorologists warned that dark clouds were cast over the grand celebrations. A storm is likely to hit Manhattan around 4 pm.

3) Revellers at the parade have prompted outrage after some of them resorted to a controversial chant – “We’re here! We’re queer! We’re coming for your children!” The chant was yelled last week at the annual Drag March in the East Village.

“I don’t think it was the right group or the right time to make a joke (about that),” said Angela Ghiozzo, a mom from Cold Spring, said, according to New York Post. Angela went to the parade with her son Matthew Pocarillo, who came out several years ago.

4) Bizarre visuals dominated the crowd, including that of a half-naked woman walking down the street confidently as the crowd cheered on. Some pridegoers were seen jumping on random cars and twerking. Members of the Chinese Rainbow Network were seen pole dancing.

5) In a horrifying video, a woman was seen being violently assaulted by members of the LGBTQIA+ community. The woman, a former trans rights activist, was holding a sign saying ‘Defend Female Sex Based Rights’.

6) Furries added colours to the Pride Parade, with several videos showing them already viral. Sweet photos that are viral on social media show adorable pooches Kulfi, Mochi, Millie, and Lily participating in the parade.

7) Parents have felt relieved for years automatically assuming their children are straight. This year, however, many parents brought their kids to the parade. A viral video shows a child wrapped in a trans flag.

8) A viral image posted by Twitter user Jill Tatara shows renowned NYC street photographer Louis Mendes posing with a smile. Jill narrated an interesting story about how the two met. “The only picture I took today at the Pride Parade. This guy was standing there looking so freakin cool & I asked if I could take his picture. He wanted me to send it to him & said, "Google my name." It was iconic NYC street photographer Louis Mendes!” Jill wrote.

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