Organizers of the NYC Satisfaction march introduced Friday the grand marshals for this yr’s occasion, one of many largest and oldest LGBTQ+ marches on the planet.
This yr’s lineup contains Karine Jean-Pierre, the trailblazing former White Home press secretary; Marti Gould Cummings, the primary overtly nonbinary candidate to run for workplace in New York Metropolis; and Lina Bradford, the queer nightlife superstar-turned fierce trans rights advocate, identified on dance flooring throughout the nation as DJ Lina.
“We’re honored to put a spotlight on this incredible group of doers and change-makers as we come together in solidarity, celebration and protest,” NYC Satisfaction Co-Chair Michele Irimia mentioned. The group of marshalls additionally contains Elisa Crespo, the chief director of the Stonewall Neighborhood Basis, and a collective of trans and queer lecturers targeted on trans pleasure and social justice often called Trans formative Faculties.
White Home press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre speaks throughout a information convention within the Brady Press Briefing Room on the White Home on January 15, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Picture by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Photographs)
“Their participation is a powerful example of the enduring spirit of our community,” Irimia added.
The work of the spectacular group of outspoken advocates reminds LGBTQ+ individuals in New York and past that the group’s power comes from unity, in keeping with NYC Satisfaction Co-Chair Kazz Alexander.
Jean-Pierre, a local New Yorker who broke obstacles because the nation’s first Black and overtly queer press secretary, celebrated the announcement, noting that being named as one of many yr’s grand marshals is “more than an honor — it’s a homecoming.”
“New York is where I found my voice, where I stepped into the light, and where I first discovered the strength of community as an openly queer person,” she mentioned. “Now, at a time when unity is more vital than ever, we march — hand in hand, arm in arm — not just in resistance, but in remembrance, in celebration, and in unshakable pride. We are here. We rise. We endure.”
Marti Cummings attends as Julianna Glasse launches her non-profit “This Is What Occurs When Girls Learn” on the NYC Public Library on March 10, 2025 in New York Metropolis. (Picture by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Photographs)
Fellow grand marshal Cummings echoed the sentiment, reflecting on Satisfaction’s authentic mission.
“Pride is a protest, it began as a riot, and we must hold onto that,” Cummings, who makes use of they/them pronouns, mentioned.
“Trans people are being vilified and eradicated. As grand marshal, I am honored and will use this platform in any way that I can to bring awareness to the grave issues impacting the most vulnerable within our community,” they mentioned.
The 2025 NYC Satisfaction March is about to kick off at midday on Sunday, June 29.
Embodying this yr’s theme — Rise Up: Satisfaction in Protest — tens of millions of marchers and spectators are anticipated to flood the streets of Manhattan in a defiant celebration of the motion’s roots, advocacy and solidarity, organizers mentioned.
Initially Printed: April 25, 2025 at 3:37 PM EDT
