New York City on Monday announced that
its annual LGBT Pride Parade and celebration scheduled for June14-28
has been canceled.
In a statement, Heritage of Pride,
which organizes New York City Pride, said that it was responding to
the coronavirus pandemic. New York has become the hottest coronavirus
hotspot on the globe with nearly 19,000 deaths – almost half of all
COVID-19 deaths in the United States – as of Monday.
“Heritage of Pride, in partnership
with the City of New York, announced today that the NYC Pride 2020
roster of events, originally scheduled for June 14-28, will not take
place as planned. Due to the collective concern for the overall
safety of the community, the organization has worked closely with the
City to arrive at this decision,” the group said.
Maryanne Roberto Fine, co-chair of New
York City Pride, said that New York Pride would need to be
“reimagined.”
With more than 5 million attendees, New
York City Pride, which consists of more than 50 events, is considered
one of the largest LGBT Pride events in the world.
The centerpiece this year was the 50th
anniversary of the NYC Pride March. The first march took place in
1970, a year after the Stonewall riots.
Los Angeles, San Francisco and many
other cities are also canceling their in-person events.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio
reiterated his support for Pride in a statement.
“New York City is the birthplace of
the modern LGBTQ rights movement,” he said. “We've come a long
way since the first Christopher Street Liberation Day March 50 years
ago, which is a testament to the bravery and resiliency of the
LGBTIA+ New Yorkers in the struggle for equality.”
“While this pandemic prevents us from
coming together to march, it will in no way stop us from celebrating
the indelible contributions that the LGBTIA+ community has made to
New York City or from recommitting ourselves to the fight for equal
rights.”