NYC Pride: Identity, Community, Celebration, Activism

Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera were pivotal figures in jump-starting what became known as the Gay Liberation Movement. Although its origins can be traced back decades earlier to groups like the Mattachine Society and the Daughters of Bilitis, the movement gained international attention following the Stonewall uprising. In the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a bar on Christopher Street in Greenwich Village, New York City, known as a haven for LGBTQ+ patrons. Tired of systemic harassment and oppression, patrons and activists fought back, sparking six days of riots that marked a turning point in the struggle for LGBTQ+ rights.

The following year, on June 28, 1970, the first Pride march took place to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall uprising. Initially called the Christopher Street Liberation Day March, it celebrated resistance, community, and the fight for equality.

By the 1980s and 1990s, the LGBTQ+ community faced a new crisis: the AIDS epidemic. HIV infection rates and AIDS-related deaths soared during this period, devastating communities and exposing widespread neglect from the government and medical establishment. Political activism became central to Pride marches, as participants demanded funding for medical research, access to legal, housing, and healthcare services, and an end to the stigmatization fueled by the conservative establishment and the rising influence of the religious right. The marches also served to reinforce community solidarity and defend the hard-won rights of the previous decade.

I began photographing NYC Pride marches in 1985, documenting this critical era of activism. These images capture not only the vibrancy and resilience of the LGBTQ+ community but also its response to the profound challenges posed by the AIDS crisis. The marches highlighted the community’s demand for action, accountability, and justice in the face of widespread indifference and hostility.

During the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020, I revisited my archive of hundreds of rolls of film taken between 1985 and 1995. Spending 6-8 hours a day, 5-6 days a week in the darkroom, I edited and printed over 140 photographs, many of which had never been printed before. This process became a journey of reflection, as the parallels between the AIDS crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic grew increasingly clear. Both crises exposed government incompetence, systemic inequities, and the devastating impact of neglect on marginalized communities. At the same time, the murder of George Floyd and rising police violence against Black Americans underscored enduring issues of systemic racism and state violence, further connecting past and present struggles for justice.

Looking through these photographs, I realized how many of the same battles persist—hatred, discrimination, and inadequate government responses remain hauntingly familiar. Yet, the images also serve as a testament to the power of activism, resilience, and hope.