HAVEN DALEY, Associated Press

3 months ago

A pink triangle is seen on top of Twin Peaks behind the Castro district rainbow flag in San Francisco, Tuesday, June 20, 2023. Hundreds of volunteers installed the giant pink triangle made out of cloth and canvas and with pink lights around its edges last week as part of the city’s Pride celebrations. It’s an annual tradition that started in 1995 but this year’s triangle is nearly an acre in size and can be seen up to 20 miles (32 kms.) away. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The giant canvas pink triangle that is one of the LGBTQ+ community’s Pride month symbols in San Francisco is bigger than ever this year. Volunteers said they are taking a stand for their rights amid a national pushback from conservative lawmakers.

Hundreds of volunteers installed the triangle made out of cloth and canvas on San Francisco’s Twin Peaks viewpoint, one of the city’s most popular tourist spots, as part of the city’s Pride celebrations.

At nearly an acre in size and visible from up to 20 miles (32 kilometers) away, this year’s triangle is the largest since the annual tradition started in 1995.

“We’ve had a lot of progress in the last decade: marriage equality and getting rid of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’” said Patrick Carney, co-founder of Friends of the Pink Triangle, the group which organizes the installation each year.

“Since we had so many victories, people are coming out of the woodwork to push us back,” he added.

The pink triangle was used by Nazis during the Holocaust to identify the thousands of gay prisoners who were thrown into concentration camps. Later, gay rights advocates adopted the emblem and turned it into a symbol of love and solidarity.

Organizers said recent legislation that has sought to limit their rights, including Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law banning classroom instruction about sexual orientation, make the pink triangle especially relevant this year.

“Our lives are very under threat right now, particularly Black and brown transgender people,” said volunteer Maureen Futtner. “And I just feel like I need to be active and out and proud.”

The pink triangle will be on display until July 1.

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San Francisco Pride President Nguyen Pham along with other board members, staff, volunteers, and supporters carried the banner officially opening the 53rd Annual SF LGBT Pride Parade on Sunday, June 25.

“Pride was founded as a riot and has since evolved into a celebration, which is a powerful mode of collective resistance,” said Pham. “We are thrilled to be celebrating these most honorable luminaries, all of whom reflect the evolution not only of the makeup of our community, but also of our broader movement and where we’re going. The inclusivity of this group is an uplifting representation of our queer POC community especially. Given the tidal wave of bigotry in red states, namely the record number of anti-queer and anti-trans legislative actions, this cohort of our honorees is at the leading edge of our fight against the hate.”

As in previous years, the Dykes on BikesÒ motorcycle contingent launched from their lineup position from the California & Drumm intersection on Market Street. They were accompanied by participants riding scooters, bicycles, and more. Kate Brown, Ph.D., who is the Dykes on Bikes President, and other officers led the way as the first to complete the route. Accompanying the contingent was their legendary service vehicle, the “K. Anne Rickertsen Memorial Helmet Truck,” fully staffed by its volunteer team.

• Photo by Rink
• Photo by Rink
• Photo by Rink
• Photo by Rink

Also appearing early in the Parade were the Resistance Contingent and contingents representing Congressional, California State Legislature, and City of San Francisco elected officials and department leaders; and vehicles transporting the 2023 SF Pride Parade Grand Marshals.

• Photo by Rink
• Photo by Rink
• Photo by Rink

Upon completing the Parade route, participants were welcomed to the turning point at 8th Street by Suzanne Ford, SF Pride Executive Director, and a core of dedicated Parade volunteers.

Click to Enlarge

http://www.sfprideorg

Published on July 13, 2023

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“I’m not trying not to be too political, but when it’s actually about my community, I’m very, very upset and very hurt,” said Ve Cinder, a 22-year-old transgender woman who traveled from Pennsylvania to celebrate the cause Attend the country’s largest Pride event.

“I’m just scared for my future and for my trans siblings. I’m afraid of how this country judges human rights, basic human rights,” she said. “It’s crazy.”

Parades in New York, Chicago and San Francisco are among the events being hosted by around 400 Pride organizations across the US this year, with many focusing specifically on transgender people’s rights.

One of the great marshals of the New York City parade is non-binary activist AC Dumlao, chief of staff for Athlete Ally, a group that advocates for LGBTQ+ athletes.

“Promoting the trans community has always been at the core of our events and programs,” said Dan Dimant, a spokesperson for NYC Pride.

San Francisco Pride, another of the largest and most well-known LGBTQ+ celebrations in the United States, drew tens of thousands of spectators to the city on Sunday.

The event, created by group Dykes on Bikes, featured dozens of colorful floats, some carrying powerful messages against the wave of anti-transgender laws in state houses across the country.

Organizers told the San Francisco Chronicle that this year’s theme places an emphasis on activism. The parade was also attended by the country’s first drag award winner, D’Arcy Drollinger.

“When we go through the world in a more authentic and fabulous way, we inspire everyone,” said Drollinger at a breakfast before the parade.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Adam Schiff (Democrat of California) were spotted driving together along Market Street.

Jennifer Kanenaga (left) and AnMarie Rodgers prepare to kick off the Pride Parade in San Francisco as part of the Dykes on Bikes contingent on June 25, 2023. | AP Photo/Noah Berger

In Chicago, 16-year-old Maisy McDonough painted rainbow colors over her eyes and face for her first ever Pride march.

She told the Chicago Tribune she’s excited to be “united” after a tough year for the community.

“We really need the love for this parade,” she said.

On Saturday, First Lady Jill Biden appeared at the Pride March 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 major events earlier this month, including Boston, which hosted the first parade after a three-year hiatus that began with Covid-19 but stretched into 2022 because the organization that used to run it disbanded, because she criticized that she excluded racism minorities and transgender people.

A key message this year was that LGBTQ+ communities are uniting against dozens, if not hundreds, of bills currently under consideration in state houses across the country.

Lawmakers in 20 states have decided to ban gender-based childcare and at least seven others are considering doing the same, adding urgency to the transgender community, their advocates say.

“We are under threat,” organizers of Pride events in New York, San Francisco and San Diego said in a statement, which was joined by about 50 other Pride organizations across the country. “The multiple dangers we face as the LGBTQ community and Pride organizers, while varying in nature and intensity, share a common trait: they are aimed at protecting our love, our identity, our freedom, our security and our undermining life.”

Earlier Sunday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law a bill that would make the state a “safe haven” for transgender youth and prohibit law enforcement from providing information regarding a child’s ability to receive gender-biased care receive, could undermine.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams took a similar step this week, issuing an executive order preventing city resources from being used to collaborate with out-of-state agencies on the incarceration of those providing gender-based care in the city receive.

The Anti-Defamation League and GLAAD, a national LGBTQ+ organization, reported 101 anti-LGBTQ+ incidents in the first three weeks of this month, about twice the number for the entire 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.

Still, Roz Gould Keith, who has a transgender son, is heartened by the increasing 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 transgender community,” said Keith, founder and executive director of Stand with Trans, a group created to serve young transgender people and to support and strengthen their families.

This year, she said, the event was “packed” with transgender people.

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An Indigo Girls concert on a foggy day in San Francisco at the Stern Grove Festival during Pride weekend. It seems almost too stereotypical to have the pioneering LGBTQ folk group perform just hours after the parade, but the sold-out crowd didn’t mind being part of an obvious Bay Area cliché.

“I will always love Amy (Ray) and Emily (Saliers) and they are like lesbian royalty at this point,” said Oakland’s Allison Goldberg, who is seeing the Indigo Girls for the seventh time.

“Today represents the best that San Francisco has to offer: breathtaking natural beauty and a culture where you don’t compromise on being yourself,” said Rachel Prensky-Pomeranz, fellow Indigo Girls fan, of Stern Grove Festival. The Indigo Girls were the second group to perform at the concert series that year. Big names like Patti Smith and the Flaming Lips are slated for later this summer. Too $hort and Phil Lesh of the Grateful Dead headlined the festival last year.

Singer-songwriter Neko Case opened the afternoon with her mix of folk and pop-inspired music. Case seemed in awe of the opportunity to open for the Indigo Girls.

“I’m going to cry a lot today,” Case told the crowd.

The atmosphere didn’t collapse between the start and the headliners. Festival resident DJ LadyRyan kept the energy high with tracks ranging from AC/DC to Prince to Shania Twain.

Fans enjoy the Indigo Girls concert at the Stern Grove Festival on Sunday, June 25 in San Francisco.

Paige K. Parsons / Stern Grove Festival

The crowd was just as enthusiastic as at other Pride weekend events, but perhaps a little less rowdy. A group of concert-goers were seen shooting LaCroix cans before the Indigo Girls moved on – full of hangover-free thrills.

The Indigo Girls set lasted just over an hour. During the performance, they mixed their biggest hits, many of which have become campfire hits, like “Least Complicated” and “Power of Two,” with newer tracks from their latest album and a superb cover of Dire Meerenge’s “Romeo and Juliet.” .

A huge crowd at @sterngrovefest was able to watch the Indigo Girls on Sunday afternoon. pic.twitter.com/mYlVcpvXh4

— Gabe Lehman (@lehmanga) June 26, 2023

“It’s great to be in San Francisco, especially during Pride Month,” Emily Saliers said toward the end of the show. “It’s an incredible experience, something to remember fondly.”

The performance, like the rest of the day, was mostly cheerful, but the band also used their platform to comment on current political issues.

“Send this to all the school librarians where they ban books,” Amy Ray said, most likely a reference to numerous “Don’t Say Gay” efforts across the country.

Amy Ray and Emily Saliers of the Indigo Girls perform at the Stern Grove Festival in San Francisco on Sunday, June 25th.

Paige K. Parsons / Stern Grove Festival

The Indigo Girls closed with three of their most famous songs: “Galileo”, “Go” and finally “Closer to Fine” to which the amphitheater audience sang along, many with tears in their eyes.

“Stern Grove Festival is a true Bay Area gem. Growing up, I used to go there as a kid and [I] “They took for granted both the beauty of the park and the sense of community it fostered,” said Prensky-Pomeranz, who grew up within walking distance of the amphitheater. “Coming back as an adult for the first time, I now know that this type of experience doesn’t happen in every city.”

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NEW YORK — Celebrations mixed with demonstrations of resistance on Sunday, as LGBTQ+ pride parades filled the streets in some of the country’s largest cities and hosted annual events that were part party, part protest.

In New York, thousands marched cheering and waving rainbow flags down Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue to Greenwich Village to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall riot, when a police raid on a gay bar sparked days of protests and started a movement for LGBTQ+ rights shouted.

While some cheered jubilantly, many were aware of the growing conservative backlash to restricting rights, including by banning gender-specific childcare for transgender children.

“I’m not trying not to be too political, but when it’s actually about my community, I’m very, very upset and very hurt,” said Ve Cinder, a 22-year-old transgender woman who traveled from Pennsylvania to celebrate the cause Attend the country’s largest Pride event.

“I’m just scared for my future and for my trans siblings. I’m afraid of how this country judges human rights, basic human rights,” she said. “It’s crazy.”

Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law into law to protect and empower the LGBTQ+ community in advance of her participation in the Pride March in New York on Sunday. Hochul signed what her office called groundbreaking new legislation that will make New York a “safe haven” for the trans community by ensuring New York protects trans youth, their parents and their doctors, as well as a another law protecting their right to addiction treatment and rehabilitation.

The governor also signed three new laws updating New York’s legal documents to remove outdated and stigmatizing terminology.

“As the birthplace of the modern movement for LGBTQ+ rights, New York prides itself on protecting, defending and empowering our LGBTQ+ community,” said Hochul. “From Stonewall to Marriage Equality to GENDA, New Yorkers have been at the forefront of the fight for equality. Now that other states are targeting LGBTQ+ people with bigotry and scaremongering, New York is fighting back.”

Parades in New York, Chicago and San Francisco were among the events hosted by some 400 Pride organizations across the US this year, with many focusing specifically on transgender people’s rights.

In Chicago, 16-year-old Maisy McDonough painted rainbow colors over her eyes and on her face at her first ever Pride march.

She told the Chicago Tribune she’s excited to be “united” after a tough year for the community.

“We really need the love for this parade,” she said.

Entertainers and activists, drag performers and transgender advocates are among the parade grand marshals declaring a message of unity as several US states enact new laws targeting the LGBTQ+ community.

“The platform will be raised and we will see communities across the country show their unity and solidarity through these events,” said Ron deHarte, co-president of the US Association of Prides.

Chicago, Minneapolis, Denver and Seattle are scheduled to hold Pride parades on Sunday. More than 100 groups are expected to attend the parade in Toronto, Canada. In New York City, seven-time Grammy winner Christina Aguilera will headline a post-March concert in Brooklyn.

The annual observations have spread to other cities and are now also accessible to bisexual, transgender and queer people and other groups.

About a decade ago, when her 13-year-old child first wanted to be called a boy, Roz Gould sought Keith’s help. She found little to help her family navigate the transition. They attended a Pride march in the Detroit area, but saw few transgender representatives.

This year, she is heartened by the increased visibility of transgender people at marches and celebrations across the country this month.

“Ten years ago, when my son asked to go to Motor City Pride, there was nothing for the transgender community,” said Keith, founder and executive director of Stand with Trans, a group created to serve young transgender people and to support and strengthen their families.

This year, she said, the event was “packed” with transgender people.

One of the great marshals of the New York City parade is non-binary activist AC Dumlao, chief of staff for Athlete Ally, a group that advocates for LGBTQ+ athletes.

“Promoting the trans community has always been at the core of our events and programs,” said Dan Dimant, a spokesperson for NYC Pride.

Many of this year’s parades called on LGBTQ+ communities to unite against dozens, if not hundreds, of bills currently under deliberation in state houses across the country.

Lawmakers in 20 states have decided to ban gender-based childcare and at least seven others are considering doing the same, adding urgency to the transgender community, their advocates say.

“We are under threat,” organizers of Pride events in New York, San Francisco and San Diego said in a statement, which was joined by about 50 other Pride organizations across the country. “The multiple dangers we face as the LGBTQ community and Pride organizers, while varying in nature and intensity, share a common trait: they are aimed at protecting our love, our identity, our freedom, our security and our undermining life.”

Some parades, including the Chicago event, were scheduled for heightened security in light of the unrest.

The Anti-Defamation League and GLAAD, a national LGBTQ+ organization, identified 101 anti-LGBTQ+ incidents in the first three weeks of this month, about double the number for the entire month of June last year.

Sarah Moore, who analyzes extremism for the two civil rights groups, said many of the June incidents coincided with Pride events.

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San Francisco celebrated its 53rd annual Pride Parade with nearly a million people on Sunday.

The theme of this year’s parade was “Looking Back and Looking Forward”. The San Francisco Pride Parade marched down Market Street from the Embarcadero to the celebration at the Civic Center.

In addition to San Francisco, events in New York and Chicago are among the events being hosted by around 400 Pride organizations across the US this year, with many focusing specifically on transgender people’s rights.

One of the largest and most well-known LGBTQ+ celebrations in the United States, San Francisco’s Pride Parade drew tens of thousands of spectators to the city on Sunday.

The event, created by group Dykes on Bikes, featured dozens of colorful floats, some carrying powerful messages against the wave of anti-transgender laws in state houses across the country.

Organizers told the San Francisco Chronicle that this year’s theme places an emphasis on activism. The parade was also attended by the country’s first drag award winner, D’Arcy Drollinger.

“When we go through the world in a more authentic and fabulous way, we inspire everyone,” said Drollinger at a breakfast before the parade.

Along Market Street, Speaker Emeritus of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Adam Schiff of Burbank were spotted driving together. San Francisco Mayor London Breed and California Attorney General Rob Bonta also attended the parade on Sunday.

A couple made the extra trip from Orlando, Fla., to attend Sunday’s parade.

“They said it felt safe and joyful to celebrate pride in San Francisco at a time when gay and trans rights are under attack in Florida and other states,” said John Seigel of Orlando. “Why would you hate someone who loves someone?” he said.

Other parade participants said this year’s Pride march is meaningful because there are fewer safe places to be outside and proud these days.

“The way things are right now, people who attack drag queens and transgender people are supposed to be drag queens drag queens,” said Alexandra Hampton of Los Angeles. “Quite literally, it’s just nice to see them at the parade as authentically as they are without having to worry about someone beating them up. We’re all one community here.”

The Associated Press contributed to the report.

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NEW YORK — Celebrations mixed with demonstrations of resistance on Sunday, as LGBTQ+ pride parades filled the streets in some of the country’s largest cities and hosted annual events that were part party, part protest.

In New York, thousands marched cheering and waving rainbow flags down Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue to Greenwich Village to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall riot, when a police raid on a gay bar sparked days of protests and started a movement for LGBTQ+ rights shouted.

While some cheered jubilantly, many were aware of the growing conservative backlash to restricting rights, including by banning gender-affirming care for transgender children.

“I’m not trying not to be too political, but when it’s actually about my community, I’m very, very upset and very hurt,” said Ve Cinder, a 22-year-old transgender woman who traveled from Pennsylvania to celebrate the cause Attend the country’s largest Pride event.

“I’m just scared for my future and for my trans siblings. I’m afraid of how this country judges human rights, basic human rights,” she said. “It’s crazy.”

Parades in New York, Chicago and San Francisco are among the events being hosted by around 400 Pride organizations across the US this year, with many focusing specifically on transgender people’s rights.

On Sunday, people watch the Pride parade in New York.Eduardo Munoz Alvarez / AP

Entertainers and activists, drag performers and transgender advocates are among the parade grand marshals declaring a message of unity as several US states enact new laws targeting the LGBTQ+ community.

“The platform will be raised and we will see communities across the country show their unity and solidarity through these events,” said Ron deHarte, co-president of the US Association of Prides.

Chicago, Minneapolis, Denver and Seattle are scheduled to hold Pride parades on Sunday. More than 100 groups are expected to attend the parade in Toronto, Canada. In New York City, seven-time Grammy winner Christina Aguilera will headline a post-March concert in Brooklyn.

The annual observations have spread to other cities and are now also accessible to bisexual, transgender and queer people and other groups.

About a decade ago, when her 13-year-old child first wanted to be called a boy, Roz Gould sought Keith’s help. She found little to help her family navigate the transition. They attended a Pride march in the Detroit area, but saw few transgender representatives.

This year, she is heartened by the increased visibility of transgender people at marches and celebrations across the country this month.

“Ten years ago, when my son asked to go to Motor City Pride, there was nothing for the transgender community,” said Keith, founder and executive director of Stand with Trans, a group created to serve young transgender people and to support and strengthen their families.

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This year, she said, the event was “packed” with transgender people.

One of the great marshals of the New York City parade is non-binary activist AC Dumlao, chief of staff for Athlete Ally, a group that advocates for LGBTQ+ athletes.

“Promoting the trans community has always been at the core of our events and programs,” said Dan Dimant, a spokesperson for NYC Pride.

Many of this year’s parades called on LGBTQ+ communities to unite against dozens, if not hundreds, of bills currently under deliberation in state houses across the country.

Lawmakers in 20 states have decided to ban gender-based childcare and at least seven others are considering doing the same, adding urgency to the transgender community, their advocates say.

“We are under threat,” organizers of Pride events in New York, San Francisco and San Diego said in a statement, which was joined by about 50 other Pride organizations across the country. “The multiple dangers we face as the LGBTQ community and Pride organizers, while varying in nature and intensity, share a common trait: they are aimed at protecting our love, our identity, our freedom, our security and our undermining life.”

Some parades, including the Chicago event, were scheduled for heightened security in light of the unrest.

The Anti-Defamation League and GLAAD, a national LGBTQ+ organization, identified 101 anti-LGBTQ+ incidents in the first three weeks of this month, about double the number for the entire month of June last year.

Sarah Moore, who analyzes extremism for the two civil rights groups, said many of the June incidents coincided with Pride events.

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NEW YORK – Some of the world’s biggest celebrations of LGBTQ+ pride will begin on Sunday. Thousands are expected to march in New York, San Francisco and other North American cities in parades that will be part party, part protest.

Entertainers and activists, drag performers and transgender advocates are among the grand marshals at parades delivering a unity message this year as several US states enact new laws targeting the LGBTQ+ community.

The parades and marches are among a series of events being hosted by the approximately 400 Pride organizations across the US this year, with many programs specifically targeting transgender rights.

“The platform will be raised and we will see communities across the country show their unity and solidarity through these events,” said Ron deHarte, co-president of the US Association of Prides.

Chicago, Minneapolis, Denver and Seattle are all expected to hold their annual Pride parades on Sunday. More than 100 groups are expected to attend the parade in Toronto, Canada. In New York City, seven-time Grammy winner Christina Aguilera will headline a post-March concert in Brooklyn.

The New York march takes place on the last Sunday in June to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York City, when a police raid on a gay bar sparked days of protests.

Over the years, the annual observations have expanded to other cities and now include bisexual, transgender, queer and other groups.

About a decade ago, when her 13-year-old child first wanted to be called a boy, Roz Gould Keith sought help but could find little to help her family navigate their child’s transition. They attended a Pride march in the Detroit area, but saw few transgender representatives.

This year, she is heartened by the increased visibility of transgender people at marches and celebrations that have taken place across the country this month.

“Ten years ago, when my son asked to go to Motor City Pride, there was nothing for the transgender community,” said Keith, the founder and executive director of Stand with Trans, a group formed to empower young transgender people. Support people and their loved ones and strengthen families.

This year, she said, the event was “packed” with the portrayal of transgender people.

One of the big marshals of New York’s parade this year is non-binary activist AC Dumlao, chief of staff for Athlete Ally, a group that advocates for LGBTQ+ athletes.

“Promoting the trans community has always been at the core of our events and programs,” said Dan Dimant, a spokesperson for NYC Pride.

Many of this year’s parades served as a call to action for LGBTQ+ communities to unite against dozens, if not hundreds, of bills currently under consideration in state houses across the country.

Lawmakers in 20 states have decided to ban gender-based childcare and at least seven others are considering doing the same, making uniting in the transgender community even more urgent, advocates say.

“We are threatened. Prides are under threat,” said Pride organizers in New York, San Francisco and San Diego in a statement, joined by about 50 other Pride organizations across the country. “The multiple dangers we face as LGBTQ community and Pride organizers, while varying in nature and intensity, have one common trait: they are designed to undermine our love, our identity, our freedom, our security and our lives .”

Some parades, including the Chicago event, plan to increase security amid the unrest.

The Anti-Defamation League and GLAAD, a national LGBTQ+ organization, have identified 101 anti-LGBTQ+ incidents in the first three weeks of this month alone, about twice the number for the entire month of June last year.

Sarah Moore, who analyzes extremism for the two civil rights groups, said many of the June incidents coincided with Pride events.

___

AP contributors Geoff Mulvihill in Cherry Hill, New Jersey and Susan Haigh in Hartford, Connecticut contributed to this report.

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NEW YORK (AP) – Some of the world’s biggest celebrations of LGBTQ+ pride will begin on Sunday. Thousands are expected to march in New York, San Francisco and other North American cities in parades that will be part party, part protest.

Entertainers and activists, drag performers and transgender advocates are among the grand marshals at parades delivering a unity message this year as several US states enact new laws targeting the LGBTQ+ community.

The parades and marches are among a series of events being hosted by the approximately 400 Pride organizations across the US this year, with many programs specifically targeting transgender rights.

“The platform will be raised and we will see communities across the country show their unity and solidarity through these events,” said Ron deHarte, co-president of the US Association of Prides.

Chicago, Minneapolis, Denver and Seattle are all expected to hold their annual Pride parades on Sunday. More than 100 groups are expected to attend the parade in Toronto, Canada. In New York City, seven-time Grammy winner Christina Aguilera will headline a post-March concert in Brooklyn.

The New York march takes place on the last Sunday in June to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York City, when a police raid on a gay bar sparked days of protests.

Over the years, the annual observations have expanded to other cities and now include bisexual, transgender, queer and other groups.

About a decade ago, when her 13-year-old child first wanted to be called a boy, Roz Gould Keith sought help but could find little to help her family navigate their child’s transition. They attended a Pride march in the Detroit area, but saw few transgender representatives.

This year, she is heartened by the increased visibility of transgender people at marches and celebrations that have taken place across the country this month.

“Ten years ago, when my son asked to go to Motor City Pride, there was nothing for the transgender community,” said Keith, the founder and executive director of Stand with Trans, a group formed to empower young transgender people. Support people and their loved ones and strengthen families.

This year, she said, the event was “packed” with the portrayal of transgender people.

One of the big marshals of New York’s parade this year is non-binary activist AC Dumlao, chief of staff for Athlete Ally, a group that advocates for LGBTQ+ athletes.

“Promoting the trans community has always been at the core of our events and programs,” said Dan Dimant, a spokesperson for NYC Pride.

Many of this year’s parades served as a call to action for LGBTQ+ communities to unite against dozens, if not hundreds, of bills currently under consideration in state houses across the country.

Lawmakers in 20 states have decided to ban gender-based childcare and at least seven others are considering doing the same, making uniting in the transgender community even more urgent, advocates say.

“We are threatened. Prides are in jeopardy,” said Pride organizers in New York, San Francisco and San Diego in a statement, joined by about 50 other Pride organizations across the country. “The multiple dangers we face as the LGBTQ community and Pride organizers, while varying in nature and intensity, share a common trait: they are aimed at protecting our love, our identity, our freedom, our security and our undermining life.”

Some parades, including the Chicago event, plan to increase security amid the unrest.

The Anti-Defamation League and GLAAD, a national LGBTQ+ organization, have identified 101 anti-LGBTQ+ incidents in the first three weeks of this month alone, about twice the number for the entire month of June last year.

Sarah Moore, who analyzes extremism for the two civil rights groups, said many of the June incidents coincided with Pride events.

___

AP contributors Geoff Mulvihill in Cherry Hill, New Jersey and Susan Haigh in Hartford, Connecticut contributed to this report.

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NEW YORK (AP) – Some of the world’s biggest celebrations of LGBTQ+ pride will begin on Sunday. Thousands are expected to march in New York, San Francisco and other North American cities in parades that will be part party, part protest.

Entertainers and activists, drag performers and transgender advocates are among the grand marshals at parades delivering a unity message this year as several US states enact new laws targeting the LGBTQ+ community.

The parades and marches are among a series of events being hosted by the approximately 400 Pride organizations across the US this year, with many programs specifically targeting transgender rights.

“The platform will be raised and we will see communities across the country show their unity and solidarity through these events,” said Ron deHarte, co-president of the US Association of Prides.

Chicago, Minneapolis, Denver and Seattle are all expected to hold their annual Pride parades on Sunday. More than 100 groups are expected to attend the parade in Toronto, Canada. In New York City, seven-time Grammy winner Christina Aguilera will headline a post-March concert in Brooklyn.

The New York march takes place on the last Sunday in June to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York City, when a police raid on a gay bar sparked days of protests.

Over the years, the annual observations have expanded to other cities and now include bisexual, transgender, queer and other groups.

About a decade ago, when her 13-year-old child first wanted to be called a boy, Roz Gould Keith sought help but could find little to help her family navigate their child’s transition. They attended a Pride march in the Detroit area, but saw few transgender representatives.

This year, she is heartened by the increased visibility of transgender people at marches and celebrations that have taken place across the country this month.

“Ten years ago, when my son asked to go to Motor City Pride, there was nothing for the transgender community,” said Keith, the founder and executive director of Stand with Trans, a group formed to empower young transgender people. Support people and their loved ones and strengthen families.

This year, she said, the event was “packed” with the portrayal of transgender people.

One of the big marshals of New York’s parade this year is non-binary activist AC Dumlao, chief of staff for Athlete Ally, a group that advocates for LGBTQ+ athletes.

“Promoting the trans community has always been at the core of our events and programs,” said Dan Dimant, a spokesperson for NYC Pride.

Many of this year’s parades served as a call to action for LGBTQ+ communities to unite against dozens, if not hundreds, of bills currently under consideration in state houses across the country.

Lawmakers in 20 states have decided to ban gender-based childcare and at least seven others are considering doing the same, making uniting in the transgender community even more urgent, advocates say.

“We are threatened. Prides are in jeopardy,” said Pride organizers in New York, San Francisco and San Diego in a statement, joined by about 50 other Pride organizations across the country. “The multiple dangers we face as the LGBTQ community and Pride organizers, while varying in nature and intensity, share a common trait: they are aimed at protecting our love, our identity, our freedom, our security and our undermining life.”

Some parades, including the Chicago event, plan to increase security amid the unrest.

The Anti-Defamation League and GLAAD, a national LGBTQ+ organization, have identified 101 anti-LGBTQ+ incidents in the first three weeks of this month alone, about twice the number for the entire month of June last year.

Sarah Moore, who analyzes extremism for the two civil rights groups, said many of the June incidents coincided with Pride events.

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AP contributors Geoff Mulvihill in Cherry Hill, New Jersey and Susan Haigh in Hartford, Connecticut contributed to this report.

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