Celebration of Pride 2019

The OCNY Pride festival hosted by the Warwick Valley Community Center and Safe Space America welcomed over 500 individuals proud to support the LGBTQ community. The crowd came from all over the Hudson Valley and was made up of a diverse population from families with young kids to teens and their allies, and seniors. Grand Marshall Tom Roberts, a veteran of the Stonewall riots in New York city 50 years ago, recalled when being gay was illegal. 
Marchers joined together to make buttons and flags, dress up, paint their faces, munch on rainbow bagels and get in the spirit of the parade. They were joined by representatives from  the Warwick Prevention Coalition, Safe Space America, Kingston LGBTQ Community Center, the Warwick and New Milford high school Gay Straight Alliance, Safe Homes of Orange County, Family Central, League of Women Voters of Orange County/O.C. Get Out the Vote, Planned Parenthood Mid-Hudson Valley PPMHV,
Legal Services of the Hudson Valley, and Warwick Democratic Committee.
Following the parade, Acting Out Playhouse entertained the crowd with show tunes, and was followed by the Pride Drag Show.

 
Photos by Olivia O'Connor