By Karen Rempel
Proud marchers fill Seventh Avenue during New York’s World Pride Parade 2019, led by the Research Foundation to Cure AIDS’s founder, Kambiz Shekdar. Photo by Ismael Ramirez.
Last year’s NYC Pride March was truly epic, with over 5 million spectators and participants. You may recall WestView News’s spectacular 4-page pull-out coverage, released a lightning-quick-for-a-monthly 2 days after the event. New York Pride doesn’t stop for a pandemic, and this year’s 50th anniversary celebration of New York’s first Pride Parade promises to be outrageously over-the-top in a new virtual format.
This year, WABC-7 will air a two-hour prerecorded video special, featuring performances by LGBTQ icons including our beloved Emmy-award-winning “Pose” star Billy Porter, Grammy-nominated “Tightrope” singer Janelle Monáe, “Absolutely Not” singer Deborah Cox, “Star Trek: Discovery” actor Wilson Cruz, comedian Margaret Cho, Brazilian musician Luísa Sonza, and drag queen Miss Richfield 1981. It will air from 12 noon to 2 pm on Sunday, June 28, and will also be available live on abc7ny.com, the station’s free news and connected TV apps, as well as on the ABC News Live channel.
ABC TV personality Carson Kressly will co-host the special, and “Schitt’s Creek” creator and star Dan Levy will be among four grand marshals for the virtual pride celebration. The other grand marshals are human rights activist Yanzi Peng, executive director of LGBT Rights Advocacy China; LGBTQ rights powerhouse Victoria Cruz; and the Ali Forney Center, America’s largest organization dedicated to caring for homeless LGBTQ youth.
Keep your eye on nycpride.org for details about other festivities occurring throughout June, Pride Month 2020, leading up to World Pride Day on June 28.
Karen Rempel has been contributing to WestView News since 2017. She is a photojournalist, technical writer, model, and artist. She has published words and pictures in BC Woman, Intercom, Room, TV Week Magazine, Vancouver Sun, and many others. Her artwork is currently on exhibit at the Revelation Gallery in the West Village. Visit her blog at loveaffair.nyc and her YouTube channel.
