Organizers behind New York City Pride events commemorate their 40th anniversary
WILLIAMSBURG, Brooklyn (WABC) -- A big celebration was held in Brooklyn Wednesday night as Pride Month gets underway.
Williamsburg lit up with joy as folks vogued their way into Pride Month and raised a glass to celebrate the LGBTQ community.
Heritage of Pride kicked off festivities with the annual event to honor its partners and volunteers and commemorate its 40th anniversary as an organization.
The backdrop was the iconic Brooklyn Brewery.
"They are one of the first brewing companies to come out with their Stonewall IPA which is a beer specifically for the LGBT community," said NYC Pride co-chair Sue Doster.
The theme for the events this year is "Reflect Empower Unite."
"It's the 55th anniversary of Stonewall. We wanted to remind people of the struggles and sacrifices people have made," said NYC Pride Executive Director Sandra Pérez.
Thousands of people look forward to events like Youth Pride, Pride Fest, and of course the march, which organizers say draws nearly 2 million people to Fifth Avenue each year.
None of it could happen without some 1,200 volunteers.
"We have volunteers that come back year after year, and they really are the lifeline of the organization," Doster said.
Samantha Marie Johnson came all the way from Washington, D.C. to kick off Pride in New York City.
She just launched a Black, woman and LGBT-owned tequila company called Vascano Tequila.
"Pride every single year means visibility for us and also with the tequila brand, even more visibility in the spirits industry," Johnson said.
As members the LGBTQ community continue to face challenges to their rights, advocates had a message.
"We need not only our community members, but our allies to come out, show their support and really say no to hate," Pérez said.
Organizers say there's no rally or Pride Island this year as they work to evolve those events, but they are looking forward to observing a milestone year of Pride.
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