ACLU To Serve as a Grand Marshal in New York City LGBT Pride March

2016 New York City Pride Parade

NEW YORK — The American Civil Liberties Union will join the New York City LGBT Pride March on Sunday, June 25, as one of the march’s four grand marshals.

The first LGBT Pride March was held in 1970, two years after the Stonewall riots. The ACLU will be joined as grand marshal by transgender advocate and New York City firefighter Brooke Guinan, Gay Men’s Health Crisis activist Krishna Stone, and Chinese LGBT activist Geng Le.

“The election of Donald Trump has brought with it a new wave of targeted discrimination against the LGBT community, particularly the immigrants, people of color, and women among us. Now is a time for resistance and resilience,” said James Esseks, director of the ACLU’s LGBT & HIV Project. “We’re proud to march as a grand marshal alongside so many other brave advocates fighting for the rights and dignity of our vibrant community.”

Esseks will be joined by ACLU client Gavin Grimm in the ACLU’s grand marshal vehicle. Grimm is an 18-year-old transgender boy from Gloucester County, Virginia, whose lawsuit against his school board for refusing to grant him access to the boy’s restroom at school was briefly before the Supreme Court earlier this year.

“We know that these attempts to expel transgender people from restrooms are really a part of a larger effort to expel us from public life altogether,” said Grimm. “Now, more than ever, it’s important that we march together and remind the world that the LGBT community is here and we’re not retreating from this fight.”

Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union said, “The threat to LGBTQ rights under the Trump regime gives Pride an especially profound meaning this year. LGBTQ New Yorkers have a proud legacy of resistance stretching back even before the Stonewall riots, and the NYCLU stands firmly with the LGBTQ community against the threats we face today. We are honored to serve as Grand Marshal for today’s march and are committed to serving the cause as long as it takes.”

The march will begin at 12 p.m. on Sunday in midtown Manhattan.