Thousands celebrate diversity at the NYC Pride parade 2018

Thousands showed up in lower Manhattan on Sunday to celebrate NYC’s Annual Pride parade. This year’s theme was “Defiantly Different.”

“This year’s theme is about showing our power, squaring our shoulders in the face of adversity, and continuing to sculpt that magnetic bond within the LGBTQ+ community and our allies,” said David Studinski, NYC Pride Co-Chair.

“The corresponding creative showcases a wide selection of defiantly different community members – from performance artists to mental health advocates. We are standing defiantly – defiantly different and defiantly as one.”

This year’s NYC Pride parade’s elected grand marshals were former tennis pro Billie Jean King, transgender advocate Tyler Ford and the civil rights organization Lambda Legal. Also in attendance as elected officials, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who appeared happy and excited to take part in the march.

Marchers and supporters took to the streets dressed in rainbow themed attire to show their support for the LBGTQ community making there way from a new starting point, 16th St. and 7th Ave. From there they traveled south along 7th Ave. before ending the march at 29th St.

Heads up: Instead of starting in #Midtown as it did in previous years, today’s @NYCPride March will start at 16th St. and 7th Ave. pic.twitter.com/FMnwtQfImr

— Spectrum News NY1 (@NY1) June 24, 2018

Among the colorful floats and bright colored people, signs supporting and protesting health care, immigration and remembering those that died at Pulse Nightclub were seen.