Cyndi Lauper is a grand marshal of
Sunday's New York City Gay Pride Parade celebrating the state's first
year of legal gay marriage.
Lauper is joined in leading the parade
by Chris Salgardo, president of cosmetics brand Kiehl's, and Phyllis
Siegel and Connie Kopelov, the first gay couple to marry in New York
City.
Parade organizers hope their “Share
the Love” theme will encourage the spread of marriage equality to
states that currently ban such unions.
Last year's parade took place just days
after the legislation cleared its final – and highest – hurdle in
the state Senate.
(Related: Andrew
Cuomo: Gay marriage more meaningful than I imagined.)
“This year, we're celebrating being
married,” Siegel told NY1. “The first lesbian couple to be
married in New York City. And that's just great. I'm waiting for
everybody else to follow me … or us.”
“I love pride because it's about
celebration,” an emotional Lauper told reporters. “And we have a
lot to celebrate, because it is finally a reality that everybody
could get married in New York.”
In an op-ed published in The
Huffington Post, Salgardo said Gay Pride was important
because it “shows people that you are not alone, that there are
millions of people just like you, it's okay to be who you are and be
proud of it.”
“This year, Pride is even more
special for me. My week of reflection also helped me realize that,
as Grand Marshal, I hope that people, young and old, particularly
those who haven't come out yet, see me and are encouraged to be
themselves and embrace it. I am proof that once you do that, you can
have every opportunity in life to not be afraid to be yourself,” he
added.