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U.S. NEWS Monday 1 July 2019

Continued from Front others who oppose same- to go, but let's celebrate
"I think that we should be sex marriage and transgen- how far we've come," he
able to say we've been der rights. said.
here for so long, and so Earlier in the day, a crowd of The police presence at the
many people are gay that about 2,000 people gath- march was heavy, with
everybody should be able ered outside the Stonewall several officers posted at
to have the chance to en- Inn. At the Queer Liberation every corner. Metal barri-
joy their lives and be who March near the bar, some cades were erected along
they are," Clay said. "I have participants said the larger the entire parade route.
a family. I raised kids. I'm Pride parade had become In San Francisco, a similar
just like everybody else." too commercialized and police presence sparked
Alyssa Christianson, 29, of heavily policed. a mid-parade protest that
New York City, was top- "What's important to re- halted the march.
less, wearing just sparkly member is that this is a pro- About 40 people inter-
pasties and boy shorts un- test against the monetiza- rupted the parade for just
derwear. A Pride flag was tion of the Pride parade, under an hour and two
tied around her neck like a against the police brutality people were arrested while New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, lower front center, joins
people participating in the LBGTQ Pride march Sunday, June 30,
cape. of our community, against protesting police and cor- 2019, in New York.
"I've been to the Pride pa- the poor treatment of sec- poration presence, the San Associated Press
rade before, but this is the tions of our community, of Francisco Chronicle report-
first year I kind of wanted black and brown folk, of im- ed . bottles at officers as they er fought with police and
to dress up and get into it," migrants," said Jake Seller, Protesters broke down bar- rushed onto the parade one officer was injured, po-
she said. a 24-year-old Indiana na- ricades and threw water route. At least one protest- lice said.q
Christianson said she was tive who now lives in Brook-
concerned that the move- lyn and worked as one of
ment could suffer setbacks the march's volunteers.
during the Trump adminis- Protesters carried anti-
tration, which has moved Trump and queer liberation
to revoke newly won health signs, chanting, "Whose
care protections for trans- streets? Our streets!"
gender people, restrict "We march for the libera-
their presence in the mili- tion of our community so
tary and withdraw federal they can live and cele-
guidance that trans stu- brate their identity. So they
dents should be able to use can reclaim it. This will al-
bathrooms of their choice. ways remain a protest, not
"I'm definitely a little scared an advertisement," Seller
of how things are going, said.
just the anger and violence Other attendees focused
that comes out of it and on the progress that's been
just the tone of conversa- made within the LGBTQ
tion about it. We've come community over the last
so far, especially in the last few decades.
few decades, that I don't "We've come so far in the
want to see that repressed past 20 years," said 55-year-
in any way." old Gary Piper, who came
In May, Trump tweeted from Kansas to celebrate
about Pride Month and Pride with his partner. "I re-
praised the "outstanding member friends who would
contributions" of LGBT peo- be snatched off the streets
ple. But his administration in Texas for dressing in drag.
has also aligned with some They'd have to worry about
religious conservatives in being persecuted for their
arguing that nondiscrimi- identity."
nation protections for those "But now we're so much
same people can infringe more accepted. I'm not
on the religious beliefs of saying we don't have ways