Thousands of effusive marchers danced to club music in New York City streets Sunday as bubbles and confetti rained down, and fellow revelers from Toronto to San Francisco cheered through Pride Month's grand crescendo.
New York's boisterous throng strolled and danced down Fifth Avenue to Greenwich Village, cheering and waving rainbow flags to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall uprising, where a police raid on a gay bar triggered days of protests and launched the modern movement for LGBTQ2S+ rights.
While some people whooped it up in celebration, many were mindful of the growing conservative countermovement, including new laws banning gender-affirming care for transgender children.
"I'm trying not to be very heavily political, but when it does target my community, I get very, very annoyed and very hurt," said Ve Cinder, a 22-year-old transgender woman who traveled from Pennsylvania to take part in the country's largest Pride event.
"I'm just, like, scared for my future and for my trans siblings. I'm frightened of how this country has looked at human rights, basic human rights," she said. "It's crazy."
Parades in New York, Chicago and San Francisco are among events that roughly 400 Pride organizations across the U.S. are holding this year, with many focused specifically on the rights of transgender people.
One of the grand marshals of New York City's parade is nonbinary activist AC Dumlao, chief of staff for Athlete Ally, a group that advocates on behalf of LGBTQ2S+ athletes.
"Uplifting the trans community has always been at the core of our events and programming," said Dan Dimant, a spokesperson for NYC Pride.
San Francisco Pride, another of the largest and best known LGBTQ2S+ celebrations in the United States, drew tens of thousands of spectators to the city Sunday.
The event, kicked off by the group Dykes on Bikes, featured dozens of colorful floats, some carrying strong messages against the wave of anti-transgender legislation in statehouses across the country.
Organizers told the San Francisco Chronicle that this year's theme emphasized activism. The parade included the nation's first drag laureate, D'Arcy Drollinger.
"When we walk through the world more authentic and more fabulous, we inspire everyone," Drollinger said at a breakfast before the parade.
Along Market Street, House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Adam Schiff of Burbank were spotted riding together.
In Chicago, a brief downpour at the beginning of the parade didn't deter parade goers, who took shelter under awnings, trees and umbrellas.
"A little rain can't stop us!" tweeted Brandon Johnson, the city's newly elected mayor.
Chicago's 52nd annual celebration on Sunday featured drag performers Marilyn Doll Traid and Selena Peres, as well as the Bud Billiken dancers, who received loud praise from the crowd as they represented the celebration of Black roots in Chicago's South Side.
Thousands of people also flooded the streets Saturday night in Houston to celebrate pride parades and embrace the LGBTQ2S+ community.
"Houston is one big diverse family. Today is about celebrating people who are themselves, their authentic selves and letting everyone know that this is a city full of love, not division, not hate," said Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner.
San Antonio also celebrated its Pride parade Saturday night, with hundreds of people lining downtown streets.
"This year's theme is `Just Say Gay.' We feel so strongly about the legislation that's occurring, not only here in Texas, but in other states throughout the United States that are trying to put us back in the closet," Phillip Barcena, Pride San Antonio president, told KSAT.
Also Saturday, first lady Jill Biden made an appearance at the Pride parade in Nashville, Tennessee, where she told the crowd "loud and clear that you belong, that you are beautiful, that you are loved."
Many other cities held their marquee events earlier this month, including Boston, which hosted its first parade after a three-year hiatus that began with COVID-19 but extended through 2022 because the organization that used to run it dissolved under criticism that it excluded racial minorities and transgender people.
A key message this year has been for LGBTQ2S+ communities to unite against dozens, if not hundreds, of legislative bills now under consideration in statehouses across the country.
Lawmakers in 20 states have moved to ban gender-affirming care for children, and at least seven more are considering doing the same, adding increased urgency for the transgender community, its advocates say.
"We are under threat," Pride event organizers in New York, San Francisco and San Diego said in a statement joined by about 50 other Pride organizations nationwide. "The diverse dangers we are facing as an LGBTQ community and Pride organizers, while differing in nature and intensity, share a common trait: they seek to undermine our love, our identity, our freedom, our safety, and our lives."
Earlier Sunday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a bill that would make the state a "safe haven" for transgender youth and forbid law enforcement agencies from providing information that could undermine the ability for a child to get gender-affirming care.
NYC Mayor Adams made a similar move this week, issuing an executive order preventing city resources from being used to cooperate with out-of-state authorities in detaining anyone receiving gender-affirming care in the city.
The Anti-Defamation League and GLAAD, a national LGBTQ2S+ organization, reported 101 anti-LGBTQ2S+ incidents in the first three weeks of this month, about twice as many as in the full month of June last year.
Sarah Moore, who analyzes extremism for the two civil rights groups, said many of the incidents coincided with Pride events.
Nevertheless, Roz Gould Keith, who has a transgender son, is heartened by the increased visibility of transgender people at marches and celebrations across the country.
"Ten years ago, when my son asked to go to Motor City Pride, there was nothing for the trans community," said Keith, founder and executive director of Stand with Trans, a group formed to support and empower young transgender people and their families.
This year, she said, the event was "jam-packed" with transgender people.
------
AP writers Juan Lozano in Houston; Erin Hooley in Chicago; Tran Nguyễn in Sacramento, California; James Pollard in Columbia, South Carolina; Geoff Mulvihill in Cherry Hill, New Jersey; Trisha Ahmed in St. Paul, Minnesota, and Susan Haigh in Hartford, Connecticut, contributed to this report.
Second Cup Café has closed one of its franchise locations in Montreal following allegations of hateful remarks and gestures made by the franchisee in a video that was widely circulated online during a pro-Palestinian protest on Thursday.
A Winnipeg Police Service officer is recovering after he was stabbed in the throat Sunday evening.
A London, Ont., judge is set to hear legal arguments today in the sexual assault case of five members of Canada's 2018 world junior hockey team.
A large cargo ship remains stuck in the St. Lawrence River after running aground on Saturday afternoon.
While buying a home is often touted as a way to save on your cost of living, the true cost of ownership goes beyond your monthly mortgage. Personal finance contributor Christopher LIew breaks down some of the less obvious financial obligations of home ownership.
A judge will decide Monday whether new evidence warrants a re-examination of the convictions of Erik and Lyle Menendez in the shotgun murders of their parents in their Beverly Hills home more than 30 years ago.
The Chess World Championship begins in Singapore on Monday with China's Ding Liren seeking to defend his title against India's Gukesh Dommaraju, better known as Gukesh D, who is still just 18 years old and could become the youngest ever person to be crowned world champion.
Hundreds of homeowners in England and Wales were battling floodwaters Monday morning after the second major storm of the winter brought widespread disruption to the U.K.
A DHL cargo plane crashed on approach to an airport in Lithuania's capital and skidded into a house Monday morning, killing a Spanish crew member but not harming anyone on the ground. The cause of the accident is under investigation.
A Winnipeg Police Service officer is recovering after he was stabbed in the throat Sunday evening.
Second Cup Café has closed one of its franchise locations in Montreal following allegations of hateful remarks and gestures made by the franchisee in a video that was widely circulated online during a pro-Palestinian protest on Thursday.
A family in Riverview, N.B., is making plans for Christmas and the future after escaping a fire in their home on Nov. 14.
A B.C. man has been awarded nearly $800,000 in damages as compensation for injuries he sustained from a defective bear banger, according to a recent court decision.
A large cargo ship remains stuck in the St. Lawrence River after running aground on Saturday afternoon.
A member of the Vancouver Police Board was asked to resign after social media posts surfaced that made her continued service on the oversight body “untenable,” according to the chair.
A mammoth rape trial in France moved into a new phase Monday as prosecutors began to lay out the verdicts and punishments they want for dozens of men accused of raping Gisele Pelicot while she was drugged and rendered unconscious by her husband.
The United Arab Emirates said Monday police arrested three Uzbek nationals for the killing of an Israeli-Moldovan rabbi.
A judge will decide Monday whether new evidence warrants a re-examination of the convictions of Erik and Lyle Menendez in the shotgun murders of their parents in their Beverly Hills home more than 30 years ago.
Foreign ministers from the world's leading industrialized nations met Monday, with the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine entering decisive phases and a certain pressure to advance diplomatic efforts ahead of the new U.S. administration taking over.
Uruguay's leftist opposition candidate, Yamandú Orsi, claimed victory in a tight presidential runoff Sunday, ousting the conservative governing coalition and making the South American nation the latest to rebuke the incumbent party in a year of landmark elections.
A DHL cargo plane crashed on approach to an airport in Lithuania's capital and skidded into a house Monday morning, killing a Spanish crew member but not harming anyone on the ground. The cause of the accident is under investigation.
Montreal's police chief says he expects more arrests stemming from a Friday anti-NATO protest that turned violent, with smashed windows and burned cars in downtown Montreal.
The chair of the United States House intelligence committee says Canada needs to accelerate its defence spending targets, especially with its military in 'desperate' need of investment.
Women and Gender Equality and Youth Minister Marci Ien is calling the federal government's proposed GST holiday and $250 rebate cheques a 'targeted approach' to address affordability concerns.
A disease often thought to only affect 18th century sailors is reemerging in Canada.
Ontario failed to meet its own legislated target this past year for the average number of hands-on hours of care that long-term care residents receive, a newly updated document shows.
Joshua Orson sits on the edge of a bed in a bright, clean room, thinking about his journey from addict to health-care worker.
Canadian neurosurgeons in partnership with Elon Musk's Neuralink have regulatory approval to recruit six patients with paralysis willing to have a thousand electrode contacts in their brains.
Astronomers have spotted orbiting around a young star a newborn planet that took only three million years to form, quite swift in cosmic terms.
OnlyFans says it empowers content creators, particularly women, to monetize sexually explicit images and videos in a safe online environment. But a Reuters investigation found women who said they had been deceived, drugged, terrorized and sexually enslaved to make money from the site.
The criminal cases of actors Jussie Smollett and Bill Cosby, both found guilty before their convictions were overturned, differ in details but share some parallels.
Barbara Taylor Bradford, a British journalist who became a publishing sensation in her 40s with the saga 'A Woman of Substance' and wrote more than a dozen other novels that sold tens of millions of copies, has died. She was 91.
Chuck Woolery, host of 'Wheel of Fortune,' 'Love Connection' and 'Scrabble' who accused the U.S. government of lying about COVID-19, has died. He was 83.
Swiss watchmaker Swatch has won a suit against the Malaysian government after a court ordered the return of 172 Swatch watches seized last year due to designs that authorities said bore 2SLGBT+ elements.
The richest person in the world got even richer Friday, with Musk’s net worth hitting a record US$347.8 billion, Bloomberg reported.
A U.S. court has closed the door on "hostile work environment" and wage discrimination claims made by a former BlackBerry Ltd. executive who accused the company's CEO of sexually harassing her and then retaliating against her when she reported the behaviour.
The Chess World Championship begins in Singapore on Monday with China's Ding Liren seeking to defend his title against India's Gukesh Dommaraju, better known as Gukesh D, who is still just 18 years old and could become the youngest ever person to be crowned world champion.
The Australian government introduced what it's called 'world-leading' legislation in parliament this week to wipe social media accounts – including Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Reddit and X – from the devices of children under 16.
They are tiny insects that are often overlooked or stepped on, but ants are marching not only into people’s backyards, but also their homes, as the popularity of ant-keeping rises in Canada.
Sidney Crosby became the 21sth player to score 600 NHL goals during the second period of the Pittsburgh Penguins' 6-1 loss to the Utah Hockey Club on Saturday night.
A London, Ont., judge is set to hear legal arguments today in the sexual assault case of five members of Canada's 2018 world junior hockey team.
Jannik Sinner clinched Italy’s second consecutive Davis Cup title and capped his breakthrough season by beating Netherlands' Tallon Griekspoor.
Nearly 46,000 electric vehicles from Kia, Hyundai and Genesis are being recalled in Canada over a potential power loss issue that can increase the risk of a crash.
Northvolt AB has filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States, but said the move will not jeopardize the manufacturer's planned electric vehicle battery plant in Quebec — though hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars invested in the parent company could be lost.
Canadian drivers are regularly in a hurry to get to their destination and a majority are willing to take unnecessary risks on the road, according to the results of a new survey.
The holidays may be a time for family, joy and togetherness, but they can also be hard on the wallet.
Humans weren’t the only ones who struggled through the bomb cyclone that formed off the B.C. coast this week, bringing intense winds and choppy seas.
After driving near the water that winter day, Brian Lavery thought he saw a dog splashing in the waves – then realized it was way too cold for that.
Toronto radio and podcast host Jax Irwin has recently gone viral for videos of her cute -- and at times confusing -- phone conversations.
The Lotto Max jackpot has climbed to $80 million for just the second time in Canadian lottery history.
Two young women from New Brunswick have won one of the most prestigious and sought-after academic honours in the world.
Stretching 3,000 kilometres from the tip of New Zealand to its southernmost point, with just a bicycle for transport and a tent to call home, bikepacking event Tour Aotearoa is not for the faint of heart.
When he first moved to his urban neighbourhood, Barry Devonald was surprised to be welcomed by a whole flock of new neighbours.
When George Arcioni began renovating his kitchen last summer, he didn’t expect to find a stack of letters hidden in the wall behind his oven.
Abbotsford police are requesting dash cam video and witness information after a frightening car journey with an unknown male left a woman “extremely shaken up,” police say.
A boater is grateful for the services of local rescue groups after being left stranded in the cold waters of Cowichan Bay after his vessel capsized.
Four people have been arrested in connection to the stabbing of a 63-year-old man who attempted to stop a shoplifter in Olympic Village over the weekend, according to authorities.
Ontario failed to meet its own legislated target this past year for the average number of hands-on hours of care that long-term care residents receive, a newly updated document shows.
A London, Ont., judge is set to hear legal arguments today in the sexual assault case of five members of Canada's 2018 world junior hockey team.
Joshua Orson sits on the edge of a bed in a bright, clean room, thinking about his journey from addict to health-care worker.
A London, Ont., judge is set to hear legal arguments today in the sexual assault case of five members of Canada's 2018 world junior hockey team.
For a while there, Lions Festival of Lights chair Otto Silzer was worried there wouldn’t be any snow to decorate the light show.
At least one man in the Calgary area is overjoyed at the sight of all this snow.
Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for Ottawa with freezing rain expected to move into the area starting tonight.
A large cargo ship remains stuck in the St. Lawrence River after running aground on Saturday afternoon.
Three people were arrested during pro-Palestinian demonstrations in Ottawa this weekend.
A 'mixed bag' of precipitation is in store for the Greater Montreal area, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Second Cup Café has closed one of its franchise locations in Montreal following allegations of hateful remarks and gestures made by the franchisee in a video that was widely circulated online during a pro-Palestinian protest on Thursday.
One man is in hospital after shots were fired inside an apartment building in Montreal’s Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough.
With Black Friday sales already in play and with Christmas a month away, the holiday shopping season is underway as Statistics Canada revealed last week the country's inflation rate climbed back up to two per cent in October. But even though the two-per-cent increase is in line with Bank of Canada targets, one Alberta-based economist says Canadians are "going to be very cautious," because while inflation has slowed down, prices haven't gone down.
Electric vehicles are off Alberta car lots, despite what experts say are some ongoing misconceptions about the technology.
An Edmonton-area teen has returned home from the trip of a lifetime.
A family in Riverview, N.B., is making plans for Christmas and the future after escaping a fire in their home on Nov. 14.
Monday is the final day of campaigning before Nova Scotians head to the polls.
The beginning of the commercial lobster season in southwestern Nova Scotia has been delayed due to weather.
A Winnipeg Police Service officer is recovering after he was stabbed in the throat Sunday evening.
The family of a soldier who fought during the Second World War has been reunited with letters written to him 80 years ago.
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) has issued a snowfall warning for parts of Manitoba, with snowfall totals between 15 and 25 cm expected.
Regina is digging itself out yet again – mere days after it was slammed with the first major snowfall of the season.
Researchers from McGill University have discovered a first of its kind fossil specimen for Saskatchewan.
The Regina Police Service (RPS) is searching for information after a man was injured in a firearm- related incident early Saturday morning.
A Saturday evening vigil brought together community members to honour the victims of the Holodomor and reflect on 1,000 days since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
An auto repair shop based in Kitchener held a special fundraiser Saturday to help children and youth with physical disabilities, with former Maple Leafs captain Wendel Clark in attendance.
Groups representing post-secondary institutions say this may just be the tip of the iceberg, as dramatic drops in international student enrolment exacerbate some schools' existing budget shortfalls.
Saskatoon Public Schools (SPS) has announced that all schools will be closed on Monday due to heavy snowfall and hazardous road conditions.
Saskatoon residents are digging out from another major snowfall that blanketed the city overnight.
Some local businesses say the federal government’s recent plan to pull back GST on several items is a positive initiative, but it should have been rolled out earlier in the holiday season.
Ontario failed to meet its own legislated target this past year for the average number of hands-on hours of care that long-term care residents receive, a newly updated document shows.
Taykwa Tagamou Nation, a Cree First Nation located within Treaty 9, has filed a statement of claim against the Province of Ontario and Newmont, a mining company that owns properties in Timmins.
A London, Ont., judge is set to hear legal arguments today in the sexual assault case of five members of Canada's 2018 world junior hockey team.
The London Fire Department was on scene of a house fire in the city on Sunday.
The St. Thomas police have arrested someone after an incident at the Santa Claus parade on Saturday.
An overnight crash in Tiny Township is under investigation, where a car allegedly crashed into a tree and both occupants were taken to hospital.
Simcoe Muskoka saw its first signs of snow of the season Sunday morning, with a mix of flurries and rain leading to worsening road conditions and police reporting multiple collisions.
The Maple Ridge Ravens girls’ basketball team won a gold medal at the Girls AAA OFSAA Championships this weekend in Brampton, defeating the Mother Teresa Spartans 46-42 in comeback fashion.
Windsor police are on the scene of what's being called an, "active investigation." "Expect a sustained police presence in the area," read a post on social media.
OPP posted to social media around 4:30 p.m., that people in the area of Ryegate Drive and Lemire Street would see some activity.
The Essex OPP has confirmed two vehicle collisions in Essex County on County Road 42.
A B.C. man has been awarded nearly $800,000 in damages as compensation for injuries he sustained from a defective bear banger, according to a recent court decision.
British Columbia's electric utility says it has restored power to almost all customers who suffered outages during the bomb cyclone earlier this week, but strong wind from a new storm has made repairs difficult in some areas.
There won't be a sitting of the British Columbia legislature this fall as originally planned.
Police are appealing for information on a targeted shooting that resulted in the hospitalization of a man in Kamloops.
British Columbia's independent police watchdog has cleared officers of wrongdoing in a crash where three people were killed south of Kamloops in July of last year.
A B.C. woman who stole more than $14,000 in volunteer-raised funds that were supposed to be spent on school supplies and programs – including hot meals for vulnerable kids – won't spend any time in jail.
Snow routes were declared active in Lethbridge, the city posted on its website. Starting at 9 a.m. Monday, parking restrictions will be in effect for streets declared to be snow routes.
The Hurricanes dropped their third straight game on Friday night, losing 6-3 to the Winterhawks in Portland.
City crews are working to repair an emergency water main break on 5 Avenue North between 28 Street North and 29 Street North Saturday morning.
Practice this week for the Sault College Men’s Hockey Team was taken to another level, as the Cougars face off against cross-border rival Lake Superior State University this weekend.
Sault-based charity Save Our Young Adults, or SOYA, will soon move to a new home -- for good reason.
The City of Elliot Lake said Thursday it has received a $3-million donation from Edward and Suzanne Rogers for the Centennial Arena restoration.
A Newfoundland energy company's embrace of data centres is raising doubts about eastern Canadian hopes of harnessing the region's howling winds to supply Germany with power from green hydrogen.
An international group led by a Canadian is in Rome this week to push the Catholic Church to adopt a zero-tolerance policy on abuse by clergy.
A company hoping to build a multi-billion-dollar wind-to-hydrogen project in western Newfoundland is eyeing other options as Canada's plans to supply Europe with green energy have not yet materialized.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
