2019 is a landmark year for NYC Pride.
The number of people flocking to the June celebration is expected to spike as celebrations also coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots and WorldPride 2019, which the city is hosting for the first time.
With about six weeks to go, we spoke with Chris Frederick, the executive director of NYC Pride, about the numbers behind putting on a successful celebration this year.
4.5 million
people are expected to descend upon the city for NYC Pride, which is double the usual amount because WorldPride 2019, NYC Pride and Stonewall50 are overlapping.
“We’re definitely taking into account the fact that we are expected to balloon in size, and we are working closely with the city to ensure that we’re communicating to various communities where our events are held and working to expand our event operations to ensure that we can have double the amount of people that we normally have,” Frederick said. “The good thing is that the number is reflecting visitors in the broader month — we’re expanding our programming throughout the entire month — it’s not just concentrated on that Sunday.”
250,000 dollars
is planned to be donated by NYC Pride to other LGBTQ non-profit organizations within the metro area; for example, the National Queer Theater’s Criminal Queerness Festival. The grants are from $500 to $3,500, depending on the commitment.
150,000
marchers (67,000 more than last year) will parade down Fifth and Sixth avenues for the June 30 march before going to Christopher Street to pass by the Stonewall National Monument and heading north on Seventh Avenue.
3,000
volunteers are working with NYC Pride to make the march and its many events possible. To sign up, go to nycpride.org/volunteer.
“Volunteers are an integral part of our operations,” Frederick said.
100
floats, from balloon rainbows to decorated cars and trucks and contingents of people with flags and banners, will flow down the streets during the march.
80
percent of the groups marching identify as non-profit organizations, including The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center and Immigration Equality.
75
partner events plus another 25 official celebrations have been scheduled before and during the month of June to mark NYC Pride and the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. There are so many rallies, lectures, parties, film screenings, conferences, panels and concerts, in fact, that NYC & Company, the city’s official marketing organization, declared 2019 as the “Year of Pride.”
11
staff members and 14 board members run NYC Pride, including this year’s, which will see a record number of participants.
“Seeing the numbers shows the scale of what a small group of volunteers and staff are able to pull off every year, especially in this historic year,” Frederick said. “We’re creating all of these various experiences that are expected to draw millions with a fairly small team.”
A few years ago, NYC Pride was run by Frederick and a director of operations. Now there are six full-time employees and four seasonal employees.
5
grand marshals will lead the march this year — the “Pose” cast, LGBTQ activist Phyll Opoku-Gyimah, transgender activist Monica Helms, The Gay Liberation Front and The Trevor Project.
2
concerts will open and close NYC Pride.
Cyndi Lauper is headlining WorldPride’s opening ceremony on June 26 alongside Ciara and Todrick Hall and Melissa Etheridge, Jake Shears, Deborah Cox, and MNEK will perform at the closing ceremony on June 30.
1
city is doing it all.
“I think it’s amazing that the entire city and its cultural institutions, corporations, schools and universities all want to come together to mark this important milestone, not just for the city but for the global LGBTQ community,” Stacy Lentz, the co-owner of Stonewall Inn, said in March. “It is incredible that this year we can watch all the world gather to celebrate where Pride began.”
