Our movement started with a moment. The roots of our movement began with the Stonewall Uprising of 1969. One year later, the first NYC Pride March was organized by the Christopher Street Liberation Day Committee, and marches have continued every year since. In the 1980’s, we saw the beginning of some of our community’s darkest days with the onset of the HIV and AIDS pandemic. While much progress has been made to secure our human rights over the years, violence in our community endures with the proliferation of guns in America. And hate crimes against all members of our community endure, particularly against our Black Queer and Trans communities.
Learn more about our history by viewing our timeline →
Volunteers are the foundation of our organization. Our events could not take place without the thousands of volunteers who devote their time performing a multitude of tasks across a wide range of disciplines including talent, marketing, and operations. Heritage of Pride is a volunteer membership-based organization. All of HOP’s members are volunteers. Our members sit on various committees, including the March Committee, the Community Relations Committee, the Media Committee, etc. Committee meetings are open to the public and anyone is welcome to attend. Volunteers are encouraged to attend committee meetings which take place throughout the entire calendar year.
Learn more about Volunteering and Membership →
Heritage of Pride’s Executive Board, the organization’s leadership body, is comprised of volunteer members nominated and elected to their positions by HOP’s general membership. The Executive Board oversees the hiring of our 8 full-time and 4 seasonal staff members. Each Executive Board member also serves as Director of their respective committee, including the March Committee, the PrideFest Committee, the Community Relations Committee, the Media Committee, etc. Each committee is comprised of volunteers, as well as members of HOP general membership.
Learn more about our Executive Board and Staff →
Our events are essential, but we need your help in order to make them happen! Heritage of Pride, Inc is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that is funded entirely on the contributions of our community. Every donation big or small makes a difference, and helps us get one step closer to fulfilling our mission and securing our commitment to the community. Our merchandise offerings are also a great way to support the work we do by also showing your Pride with stylish apparel, accessories, and keepsakes.
Learn more about supporting Pride →
We couldn’t do this without our partners. Partnerships support the production of 20+ events each year, including FREE events such as Youth Pride and PrideFest. Heritage of Pride goes to great pains to ensure that partnerships meet strict criteria and that all partners are working to further the mission of the organization. From receiving in-kind donations in food and beverage for our volunteers to giving us the ability to donate funds to local LGBTQIA+ non profits, there are many reasons why a partnership with corporations leads to the overall benefit and increased visibility of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Learn more about our Partnerships →
We measure our success in the impact we make on the community. Our programming and fundraising is felt directly by members of our community in a variety of ways. Our ability to create events that are free and open to the public allow members of our community to gather in Pride to learn and grow in ways they otherwise could not. The Pride Gives Back grant program has given numerous organizations the opportunity to create meaningful programming for marginalized members of our community. Our Community Grants allow members of our community to participate in our events and play a role in Pride while securing crucial funding to give scholarships to those most in need. Our membership has performed countless hours of community service in partnership with charitable organizations in the New York area.
Learn more about our Community Impact →
Our events offer a diverse array of opportunities to gather in activism, in protest, in celebration, and in advocacy. The variety of offerings across all of our events represents the diversity of ways our community acknowledges and celebrates Pride. The legendary NYC Pride March has been a symbol of our presence in the community for more than a half-century. Youth Pride has become a central hub for youth to gather in a safe space, unite with their friends, and make new ones. PrideFest has offered opportunities for small businesses and organizations to connect with our community in a free and open street fair, while Pride Island has been a symbol of our ability to dance and celebrate publicly.
Learn more about our Events →
NYC Pride acknowledges and accounts for public safety measures that have inflicted harm to transgender, womxn, black, indigenous and peoples of color that have engaged in NYC Pride events. Beginning in 2021, NYC Pride publicly banned corrections and law enforcement exhibitors from marching in their uniforms and participating in recruitment activities at NYC Pride events until at least 2025. This action was a step in the path of transformative justice affirming our commitment to eliminating violence, harm and abuse at NYC Pride events. Continuing on this path requires transparency for how community members can be safe as we care for ourselves, our communities and our environment. NYC Pride is committed to safe events that encompass the intersectionalities of safety, wellness, accessibility and sustainability.
NYC Pride is committed to creating safer spaces for LGBTQIA+, BIPOC and BIPOC LGBTQIA+ communities. Many of our community members have been affected by police raids, escalations in violence against marginalized groups and laws that set to criminalize people from living their truth. Our safety policy seeks to clarify how our community engages with public safety at NYC Pride events. Learn more about Safety →
NYC Pride seeks to contribute to the well-being of the community through our events and programming. We take active steps to be readily prepared with EMS and First Aid, as well as hydration stations, mental health services, content trigger warnings and more. We also carefully consider the roles that alcohol and/or drugs may play at Pride events and take steps to encourage moderation and self-care. Learn more about Wellness →
NYC Pride will build upon existing accessibility practices to place a renewed emphasis on making our events accessible to the full community. Our events include ASL interpreters, ADA entry/exit and dedicated areas for wheelchairs and mobility devices. Restrooms will be ADA accessible and gender-neutral with appropriate signage, and a selection of our events will be available for streaming. Learn more about Accessibility →
As a major event in one of the world’s largest cities, NYC Pride is pivotal in creating a sustainable future. We are an agent of change to make a difference in the lives of the LGBTQIA+ community. The health of our planet and the well-being of our community is always first. We have a long-standing commitment to responsible sourcing and outreach. Our sustainability policy recognizes the unique opportunity we have to implement environmental best practices that will minimize our footprint and serve as a model for large scale events throughout the city and nationwide. Learn more about Sustainability →
Diversity, accessibility and inclusion are essential to Heritage of Pride's (HOP) mission of working toward equality for all. We respect, value, and celebrate the unique attributes, characteristics, and perspectives that make each person who they are. We believe that by bringing a diverse spectrum of individuals together, we collectively and more effectively may address the issues that face our communities. Our aim is for our leaders, volunteers, staff, participants, attendees, organizational strategies, public communications, marketing efforts, sponsors, partners, and events/programs all reflect these core values.
Our highly visible platforms including our entertainer selection, our March Grand Marshals, VIPs, line-up, and speakers at educational events feature an increasingly diverse community of leaders and representatives. We have emphasized diversity in our staff hiring guidelines and tolerate no discrimination in the workplace for paid staff or volunteers. We also endeavor to increase the accessibility of our events, whether that means providing accommodations for people with disabilities, translation services for people with different language skills, or free and reduced-cost options for individuals of various socio-economic resources. Lastly, we have begun to prioritize diversity in our supplier and service provider contracts.
Heritage of Pride acknowledges that it is located on ancestral Lenape land. We recognize the longstanding significance of these lands for Lenape nations past and present.
We believe that historical awareness of Indigenous exclusion and erasure is critically important and are committed to working to overcome their effects with education and awareness.
To support The Lenape Center donate here.
