The march isn't over!

Marching yesterday (June 29, 2014) with Empire State Pride Agenda

June 30, 2014
            Day 61

Yesterday, my partner Andy and I had the great honor of marching in the New York City Pride Parade with Empire State Pride Agenda.

I'd marched in this parade before--the biggest of its kind anywhere in the world--but Andy never had, and he really wanted to see what it was like, so after dragging my feet a bit, I agreed to go with him.

What I didn't count on though, was that by the end of the march, I'd be dragging my feet all over again...wow, that was a hard walk!  On the map, it's really not that far (we started on 39th and Park and marched down and past Christopher Street), but when you add in all the time waiting for the parade to start, plus all the moments we had to pause in place for traffic to pass, it's around seven hours' worth of walking and standing.  And yet I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat!

Empire State Pride Agenda's mission is to win equality and justice for LGBT New Yorkers and our families. We recognize that while significant cultural, legal and governmental advances have led to greater equality for LGBT New Yorkers, we and our families remain highly vulnerable without the vast majority of rights and protections that most New Yorkers take for granted.

Marching yesterday (June 29, 2014) with Empire State Pride Agenda

I have to say, yesterday was filled with life moments I'll never forget.  I saw friends along the parade route who I hadn't seen in years, I watched my partner Andy run over to happily accept the FREE HUGS from supporters on the sidelines, and above us, we saw spectators watching the parade from the rooftops of their buildings, waving pride flags high above Fifth Avenue.

Most importantly though, we looked into the faces of a million people, standing on their own tired feet, and saw in them a profound joy in what they were seeing from all of us, an assurance that good people are still working tirelessly to achieve and preserve their equal rights. 

Like our march yesterday, which was long and tiring, the march we've all been on for so long now has completely exhausted us...but we march on anyway!  We march on until every last one of us has the same rights as everyone else.  We march on until equality is realized fully and honestly for all people everywhere.  And we march on, because though the journey is long and our feet are aching, we know there are people who desperately depend on the actions we take, who are inspired onward by the signs we keep holding high above us in the air.

Today, my feet have stopped aching, but my soul is still charged with the fire and passion of yesterday's parade.  Though the parade itself is over now until next year, the march itself never stops, and the fire we've lit will never go out!