So it has been a few weeks since I attended the New York City Gay Pride Parade and Festival. and yes, I will admit that this blog post has been long overdue by this point. The truth is, I have spent so much time talking about the New York Gay Pride Parade and all of the excitement surrounding it that I forgot to save my words for a lifestyle blog. When it comes to great experiences in New York, sometimes it can be hard to put into words exactly how you’re feeling. Well here it is, for your enjoyment to live bi-curiously though, snark at or thrive on.
I have been to the New York City Gay Pride Parade before. In High School, I skipped school with my best friend, my sister and her best friend. It was one of the best moments that I can remember from high school. It was the first time that I was in New York City without my parents and the first time that I had ever seen a huge crowd that was so unexplainably happy. Since then, I’ve seen that same crowd of happy city people around in a multitude of places. And about a week before I attended the New York Pride Parade, I attended the local Pride festival in my local hub of Philadelphia. Philadelphia Pride Parade and Festival is both happy and exciting. However, it does not draw the masses quite like the expectations of New York City. And who can resist the call of the Big Apple?
This year’s parade definitely felt like a calling. In the previous years, it had been fun to celebrate everyone’s pride and acceptance for one another. But it was always followed by the difficult remembrance that this was a feeling that was only being experienced in spaces like Pride parades and being lost in many areas across the country. But this year, was different.
It only took a few short months and decades of hardship for people of the LGBTQ+ community but things were finally starting to flip the pages of history. President Obama had become the first United States President to openly add Gay Rights to his political agenda for his upcoming term and the Supreme Court had ruled that Gay Marriage across all 5o states was to be deemed legal.
This year was special and important. A celebration that would no doubt be unique and memorable. And not because this Pride Parade was any more important than the Pride parades that had come before but because it finally felt like a worldwide celebration. I wasn’t going to skip out on the opportunity to feel that love and happiness and help pass that pride on to everyone else.
I took the train from Philadelphia to New York City. I was surprised by how quickly the atmosphere turning bright and prominent. All of New York City was in celebration and I mean the entire city. I walked the streets of New York and saw wall to wall windows with rainbow flags, people sporting Gay Pride apparel, and brands handing out rainbow food & drinks.
some stores, for example, Google, even turned their headquarter letters rainbow. It was so moving to see all of the physical evidence that suggested something very big had just changed for the better. Even the NYPD and NYFD marched in the Gay Pride Parade in support. It felt like all of New York City was celebrating. I am sure there were people in New York who were not very happy but they couldn’t be heard over the sound of a celebration that had only just begun.
There was a sense of presence about this day, New York City and everybody’s mood that felt very humbling and inspiring. There was an amazing turnout in the city, CNN said it expected 1 million people and it sure felt like it. There was no lack of happiness and excitement throughout the huge crowds and it really was a party. You could walk in any direction and hear a happy pop song being blasted. People waved rainbow flags in every direction, brands tossed giveaways at you and performers danced in crazy costumes. All of the vibrance was paired with a sense of relief and accomplishment. I thought I had experienced unexplainable happiness when I had stepped into this event a few years ago. But if that was unexplainable, this was unimaginable.
I am aware, like many people have already pointed out, that this is not the end of the fight. The LGBTQ+ community has a lot that they are still striving for. But that doesn’t take away from the idea that this was a magnificent event to be a part of. I am positive that it will be in history books and I am proud to have played a role in the movement for equality that leads up to this Parade. I am proud to have been a part of something that was so much bigger than you or me. This is history in the making and it is truly inspiring.
XO,
TheAmeliaBurns
Check out more photos from events that I’ve attended on my Instagram!
17 Comments
Sweet blog! I found it while searching on Yahoo News.
Do you have any suggestions on how to get listed
in Yahoo News? I’ve been trying for a while but I never seem to get there!
Thanks
February 8, 2017 at 3:27 pmThanks very nice blog!
September 25, 2016 at 9:21 amPretty nice post. I just found your blog and wanted to mention that I’ve
September 12, 2016 at 1:00 pmreally enjoyed browsing your blog posts. Whatever the case I am going to be subscribing in your feed and I really hope you write again very soon!
Amazing blog! Do you have any helpful hints for aspiring writers?
August 4, 2016 at 10:42 pmI’m hoping to begin my blog soon but I’m a bit lost on everything.
Would you advise beginning from a free platform like WordPress
or choose a paid option? There are many choices around that I’m completely overwhelmed ..
Any suggestions? Many thanks!
I seriously love your blog.. Pleasant colors & theme.
July 25, 2016 at 12:23 pmDid you develop this web site yourself? Please reply back as I’m seeking to create my very own site and want to learn in which you got this from or precisely
what the theme is called. Thanks!
Outstanding post however , I was wanting to know if
January 5, 2016 at 11:12 pmyou could write a litte more on this topic? I’d be very thankful if you could elaborate a little bit more.
Appreciate it!
Excellent blog you have here.. It’s hard to find high-quality writing like
yours nowadays. I seriously appreciate people like you!
Take care!!
December 11, 2015 at 1:20 pmGreat post.
November 24, 2015 at 7:48 pmHello There. I found your blog using msn. This is a
November 21, 2015 at 12:55 pmreally well written article. I will be sure to bookmark it
and return to read more of your useful information. Thanks for the post.
I will definitely return.
Hmm it seems like your site ate my first comment (it was super long)
so I guess I’ll just sum it up what I submitted and say, I’m
thoroughly enjoying your blog. I as well am an aspiring
blog writer but I’m still new to the whole thing.
Do you have any points for newbie blog writers?
I’d genuinely appreciate it.
November 21, 2015 at 11:05 amDefinitely imagine that that you said. Your favourite reason appeared to be at the internet the easiest
November 13, 2015 at 10:11 amthing to take into accout of. I say to you, I definitely get irked even as other folks think
about concerns that they just do not understand about. You
managed to hit the nail upon the top as smartly as outlined out the entire
thing with no need side-effects , people can take a signal.
Will probably be back to get more. Thanks
I am really grateful to the holder of this
November 12, 2015 at 4:36 pmweb site who has shared this fantastic piece of writing at here.
Greetings! Very helpful advice within this post! It’s the little changes that will make the
November 12, 2015 at 9:30 ammost important changes. Thanks a lot for sharing!
Fantastic post however I was wanting to know if you could write a litte more on this topic?
November 7, 2015 at 9:38 amI’d be very thankful if you could elaborate
a little bit more. Many thanks!
Hey there! Someone in my Myspace group shared this website with us so I came to look it over.
November 3, 2015 at 7:18 amI’m definitely loving the information. I’m book-marking and will
be tweeting this to my followers! Great blog and
outstanding style and design.
Helpful info. Lucky me I found your web site accidentally, and
October 17, 2015 at 10:28 pmI am surprised why this twist of fate didn’t happened in advance!
I bookmarked it.
Great post. I was checking constantly this blog and I’m inspired!
Very useful information specially the last phase 🙂 I take care of such info a lot.
October 17, 2015 at 1:43 pmI was seeking this certain information for a very lengthy time.
Thanks and best of luck.