At New York City Pride 2015

It took them a month to put this together, but here's a great recap of New York City Pride 2015.

Boy Culture Recaps NYC Pride

Click over to Matt Rettenmund's Boy Culture for a massive photo recap of NYC Pride. Politicians, movie stars, beefcake, and bears!

Viral Video Of The Day

Via Business Insider:

A YouTube video shared after Sunday's parade shows a parade marcher getting his groove on with what appears to be a member of the New York Police Department. We've reached out to the NYPD for comment but haven't heard back yet. The 12-second clip stars the unlikely duo dancing to along to Michael Jackson's "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough." The cop's dance partner was a man named Aaron, who was marching with the Big Apple Softball League during the parade, explains the user who posted the video, Paige Ponzeka. The moment doesn't last long before Aaron has to hurry back to the parade. Before he goes, Aaron affixes one of the league's "I'd Hit That" stickers to the officer's uniform and gives him a quick kiss on the cheek.

1.8M views at this writing. Breitbarters are ever so outraged.

(Tipped by JMG reader Ray)

Seen At New York City Pride

(Via JMG reader Michael)

NEW YORK CITY: Jewish Hate Group Hires Day Laborers To Protest Pride

Via the New York Times:

Some of the most curious costumes worn along the parade route belonged to protesters. Behind a barricade, a group of men wore the fringed Jewish prayer garment known as the tzitzit and held up anti-gay signs bearing the logo of a group calling itself the Jewish Political Action Committee. “Judaism prohibits homosexuality,” one sign read. But the men were not Jewish. They were Mexican laborers, protesting because they were paid to protest, said one of the men, who would not give his name. Heshie Freed, a member of the political action committee, an Orthodox Jewish group based in Brooklyn, said that the men were supplementary troops, filling in for the Jewish students who would normally be called upon to demonstrate. “The rabbis said that the yeshiva boys shouldn’t come out for this because of what they would see at the parade,” Mr. Freed said.

Last month the SPLC added JPAC to its list of anti-gay hate groups.

NYC Pride Debuts Promo Clip

"Shout for those who couldn't."

NEW YORK CITY: General Mills & Walmart Advertise In 2015 Pride Guide

NYC Pride released this year's magazine yesterday and among the advertisers are General Mills' Cheerios brand and Walmart, the latter of whom was integral to slapping down the license to discriminate bill in Arkansas. Walmart has been trying to years to open a New York City store, but has met stiff opposition from activists and elected officials. See the magazine.

NYC Pride Names 2015 Grand Marshals

Via press release:

Heritage of Pride, organizers of NYC Pride and the annual New York City Pride March, today announced the event’s Grand Marshals for 2015. This year’s marshals are: Sir Derek Jacobi and Sir Ian McKellen, both openly gay English actors currently co-starring in the PBS series “Vicious.” Sir Jacobi is primarily known for his stage work and in films like “The King’s Speech” and “Gladiator” while Sir McKellen is often recognized for his recurring roles as Magneto in the “X-Men” films and Gandalf in the “Lord of the Rings” and “Hobbit” films; J. Christopher Neal, New York-based artist and leader of FluidBiDesign, an advocacy group and a community for fluid men of African descent; and Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera, considered the mother of the Ugandan LGBT rights movement and co-founder of the first Uganda Pride celebration.

All of the grand marshals appear in the clip below in which McKellen and Jacobi dish quite amusingly.

At New York City Pride 2014

Courtesy of Mashable, the entire New York City Pride parade was live-streamed yesterday.

Demi Lovato - Really Don't Care

X-Factor judge and pop star Demi Lovato headlines this Sunday's NYC Pride Pier Dance. Today we get her new music video which was recorded during her performance at Los Angeles Pride earlier this month. The clip has 1.7M views already.

Walmart Supports New York Sex Parade

Somebody needs to tell the American Family Association to add Walmart to their sex parade boycott list as the retail giant has taken out a full-page ad in the NYC Pride guide. (Tipped by JMG reader Gloria)

Boy Scouts To Lead NYC Pride

Via press release from GLAAD:

In a historic first, New York-area Boy Scouts will be among the groups leading 14,000 people down Manhattan's 5th Avenue on Sunday at the 44th Annual NYC Pride March, where they will speak out against the Boy Scouts of America's discriminatory ban on gay adults. Three generations of Boy Scouts -- gay and straight -- will be on hand and in uniform at nation's oldest and largest LGBT Pride event, where they will present the American flag during the national anthem and subsequently serve as Color Guard during the march. It is unclear what repercussions (if any) will face the Scouts after participating in the march. The BSA has previously stated that wearing the Scouting uniform during a Pride event is a "violation of the Scout Oath and Scout Law." The Greater New York Councils, which serves nearly 150,000 Scouts in New York City, has previously emphasized its commitment to full inclusion of gay Scouts, however.

From the Brooklyn chapter of Scouts For Equality: "We are grateful for this invitation from NYC Pride, and we are honored and humbled to provide this patriotic service to the LGBT community of New York.

NYC Pride Wins Injunction Against Club Promoters For Using Their Trademark

Via press release from NYC Pride:

Judge Colleen McMahon of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York has issued a preliminary injunction against Matinee NYC, Voss NYC and their proprietors Brandon Voss and Jake Resnicow, barring them from using Heritage of Pride/NYC Pride’s “NYC Pride” trademarks, trade name and logo in connection with, among other things, concerts that are scheduled to take place during New York’s Pride Week, which takes place from June 22 to 29, 2014. Heritage of Pride, which owns the rights to several NYC PRIDE trademarks, had filed suit against the defendants on June 10, 2014, alleging that their use of “NYC Pride” in connection with concerts and events that they were promoting for Pride Week infringed its trademarks and related rights. “Although NYC Pride had hoped to resolve this matter without having to resort to legal action, we are grateful to the Court for its decision and pleased that we have been able to protect the NYC Pride trademarks during the key Pride Week period,” said Chris Frederick, Managing Director of NYC Pride. Since 1984, Heritage of Pride has organized New York City’s official slate of events commemorating the Stonewall Riots of 1969, which are often cited as the start of the modern gay rights movement. This year marks the 45th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots.

Good for NYC Pride. It has long been a pet peeve of mine when outside promoters glom onto successful non-profit events, draining away attendance and revenue by using terms like "main event" and "official" and even more maddeningly, the actual name of the founding organization. Many years ago such crass tactics destroyed the Hotlanta River Expo and very nearly sank the Winter Party. If promoters want a piece of the business and tourism traffic that the founding organization has worked (sometimes for decades) to create, the very least they can do is respect their actual name.

NYC Pride Sues Local Club Promoter

Michael Musto reports at Out Magazine:

Promoter Brandon Voss tells me he’s being sued by Heritage of Pride for promoting “NYC Pride” clubs events (the bashes are for Matinee and Supreme Festival) since HOP has trademarked that name. An emergency injunction was issued, and they’re suing for damages. (One of the side issues is apparently that Azealia Banks is performing at the Supreme event, and she’s been in a controversy involving alleged homophobia.) Voss says it’s absurd that any organization should “own” Pride, especially one which he feels is using this as a tactic to funnel revenue to itself. He adds, “We have written testament from HOP itself (Chris Frederick) that they only gave ‘10% of $30k net income to charity last year’.” Chris Frederick responds that they have no comment on the lawsuit at this time. Be proud, gays!

The ad certainly gives the impression that the event is a production of NYC Pride. Even without "City" in the header.

Demi Lovato To Headline NYC & LA Pride

Via Billboard:

Demi Lovato is about to go bi…coastal: The actress/singer will be performing at LGBT Pride events in both Los Angeles and New York during June's Pride month festivities. Lovato will first head to the west coast to lead the L.A. Pride Parade as Grand Marshal, in addition to performing, on June 8. The songstress will head to New York at the end of the month to headline NYC Pride's Dance on the Pier in Tribeca on June 29, one day after the 45th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots of 1969 that sparked the gay pride movement.

58M views on this clip.

NYC Pride Reveals 2014 Grand Marshals: Laverne Cox, Rea Carey, Jonathan Groff

Via press release:

Heritage of Pride, organizers of NYC Pride and the annual New York City Pride March, today announced the Grand Marshals for 2014. This year’s marshals are Rea Carey, Executive Director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force; Transgender Activist and “Orange is the New Black” actress Laverne Cox; and Broadway, film, and television actor Jonathan Groff, appearing this summer in “The Normal Heart.” “Our 2014 marshals are leaders in brilliant forms of activism through which LGBT people and their allies engage,” said March Director David Studinski. “Individually, they represent the diversity within the LGBT community and the various struggles our community members have and continue to face. Collectively, their stories reinforce that no voice is too small nor weak to make change in our world - and it starts with being yourself.”

NYC Pride Announces Pier Dance Details

NYC Pride today announced that its iconic Pier Dance will be returning to Pier 26 in lower Manhattan, where it moved last year. Via press release:

NYC Pride announced today that the 28th annual Dance on the Pier would be returning to Hudson River Park’s Pier 26. Pier 26 will also be home to NYC Pride’s annual women’s event, Teaze (formerly Rapture on the River), and the Rally, the opening event of Pride weekend. Past NYC Pride performers include Cher, Lady Gaga, Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Hudson and many more." Dance on the Pier is NYC Pride’s largest fundraising and community support initiative. The event’s production committee awards over $45,000 in grants to LGBT and LGBT-friendly nonprofits and community organizations each year. The event also supplies NYC Pride with critical operating revenue and pulls in countless visitors, driving attendance to NYC Pride’s other official events as well as various unofficial celebratory Pride events throughout the city. A huge draw for the event is the combination of heavy-hitting DJs and well-known performers. Spinning this year’s Dance on the Pier are DJ Pagano and DJ GRIND.

Can the Pier Dance top last year's performances by Cher and Deborah Cox? This year's entertainers won't be announced until May. Tickets go on sale tomorrow at 9AM and the event usually sells out.

Bill Donohue: I Beat NYC Pride

"I want to be very honest with you. This was a ploy, and they took the sucker's bait. I wanted to push them to tell me when I didn't agree with your rules that you weren't going to go along with it. I won on it. I had no intention of marching in the parade. Let's just say that [parade training sessions] are totally legitimate. Again, that's their call. It's none of my business to tell them what their rules ought to be. My larger point was, 'You have rules. So does the St. Patrick's Day Parade'." - Catholic League blowhard Bill Donohue, speaking yesterday on a right wing internet television show.

Earlier this month Donohue was granted permission to march in this year's NYC Pride behind a banner that was to read "Straight Is Great." Donohue then weaseled out of marching, claiming that the parade's mandatory logistics meeting was a "gay training session." Donohue also yesterday claimed that he has photos of nude men masturbating and performing "Satanic dances" in front of St. Patrick's Cathedral during a 1994 "unauthorized" gay pride parade that was separate from the parade organized by NYC Pride. Hit to link to watch video of yesterday's interview.

Bill Donohue: My "Straight Is Great" Group Would Have Overwhelmed NYC Pride

Brian Tashman writes at Right Wing Watch:

The day before Catholic League head and anti-gay activist Bill Donohue announced that he wouldn’t participate in the NYC Pride Parade even though organizers accepted his application to lead a “Straight Is Great” parade contingent, Donohue told conservative talk show host Steve Malzberg that the parade organizers are maneuvering to keep him out of the parade because they are afraid his “Straight Is Great” message will catch on and flood the parade: “They know what they’re opening the door to: what if instead of getting 100 people, what if I get 3,000 people? What if we begin to overwhelm their parade and vetoes their message?” Donohue said that he withdrew from the parade because he didn’t want to attend required training sessions for all group leaders. “Quite frankly, as a straight guy, I don’t go to gay training sessions,” Donohue said. “I think I’m pretty much an untrainable guy when it comes to this thing.”

As I pointed out several days ago, a representative from each group in the parade must attend that "gay training session," where they are given homofascist instructions about what time to arrive and how loud your music can be. They are also given gay agenda-driven suggestions to wear sunscreen and comfortable shoes.

Bill Donohue Weasels Out Of NYC Pride: I Refuse To Take Their Forced Gay Training

Catholic League blowhard Bill Donohue has really outdone himself with today's laughable lie. As you probably know, in response to Guinness pulling its support from the St. Patrick's Day Parade, Donohue demanded permission to march in the NYC Pride parade. Much to his horror, they graciously welcomed him to participate. Take it away, Donohue:

I asked to join the parade under a banner that would read, “Straight is Great.” The purpose of my request was to see just how far they would go without forcing me to abide by their rules. It didn’t take long before they did. Today, I informed Heritage of Pride officials that I objected to their rule requiring me to attend gay training sessions, or what they call “information” sessions. “I don’t agree with your rule,” I said. They responded by saying that attendance was “mandatory.” The St. Patrick’s Day parade has mandatory rules, too. It bars groups representing their own cause from marching, which is why pro-life Catholics—not just gays—are barred from participating under their own banner. But only gays complain: they refuse to abide by the rules. Indeed, they went into federal court seeking to force a rule change. They lost. In 1995, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 9-0 that private parades have a First Amendment right to determine their own rules. It is hypocritical for gay activists to complain about having to abide by the mandatory rules of the St. Patrick’s Day parade, and then inform me that I cannot march in their parade unless I respect their mandatory rules, rules that I reject. Good luck to the Heritage of Pride participants. I may be watching it from afar, but I sure won’t be downing a Guinness afterwards.

As ANYBODY who was ever participated in NYC Pride knows, ALL groups must send a representative to a training session in advance of the parade. At these meetings those representatives are given instructions about the logistics of the parade, where and when to line up, rules about sound systems, safety procedures, police instructions - all the very basic details that are given out prior to ANY major public parade. The folks that attend these training sessions are even given special "group marshal" t-shirts to wear during the parade so that parade monitors can find them should there be any problem. THAT is what Bill Donohue calls "forced gay training." We all knew he would find some way to weasel out of the parade, but this is too fucking funny for words.

RELATED: Several years ago a group of NYC-based bloggers and journalists formed a group to march in the parade. Calling ourselves the Digital Activists, we sent Father Tony and Chris, his husband of 30 years (pictured here in his parade marshal shirt), to attend the training session. Tony just related to me by phone how amusing he found it that the training session that year was held at St. Vincent's, where a baleful Jesus gazed down upon all those evil homofascists from a massive crucifix at the end of the room. I bet even Bill Donohue would have liked that.

UPDATE: Recent NYC Pride training director Maurice Owen-Michanne has graciously provided me with the PowerPoint presentation which Bill Donohue calls "forced gay training." As you'll see, the words "gay" and "LGBT" appear exactly once each in the entire document. And that's in the name of the event. Maps! Directions! Sunscreen! Comfortable shoes! All that forced gay training is OVERWHELMING.