NYC cancels gay pride parade for the first time in 50 years to combat the spread of Covid-19
The Gay Pride parade was started 50 years ago.
New York has had to cancel its annual gay pride parade which was set to happen in June, in an effort to combat the spread of Covid-19.
The news was announced on Monday by city mayor, Bill de Blasio after he made the decision on Friday to either push back or cancel all non-essential events.
Addressing a press conference, De Blasio made it clear that all will be back to normal in no time.
“That joy and that pride that all of these events bring, that celebration will be back,” reported CNBC.
Patch New York reported that the mayor did not rule out the possibility of the event taking place later in the year, and made it clear that the postponement of the parade does not erase the contribution made by the LGBTQIA+ community.
“While this pandemic prevents us from getting together to march, it will in no way stop us from celebrating the incredible contributions that the LGBTQIA+ community has made to New York City.”
The gay parade, according to ABC News is commemorative of the 1970 resistance by the gay, lesbian and transgender community during a police raid at the Stonewall Inn bar which was known as a “gay bar”.
Maryanne Roberto Fine, NYC pride co-chair said the spread of coronavirus has caused the organisers of the event to reimagine other ways in which it can happen in future to avoid huge crowds.