Walking the Lavender Line

Every year, on the last Sunday in June, New York City throws a giant party — Gay Pride Day, or, more properly, LGBTQ Pride. It’s a celebration that attracts an amazingly diverse crowd from the New York area, from across the country, and from around the world.

The focus of New York’s celebration is the annual Pride March. In recent years, Heritage of Pride, the event’s sponsor, has arranged to have a lavender line painted down the center of Fifth Avenue and across Eighth and Christopher Streets to mark the route of the March.

So far, I’ve walked that line (whether painted or not) in every March for the last 39 years. I carried a camera for many of the events, and since 2005, I’ve been documenting what the day looks like to me, as a participant, from inside the line of march.

I’ve seen fellow marchers. I’ve seen spectators. I’ve seen the police.

I’ve seen volunteers from churches along the route. (They hand out water to dehydrated marchers on what is typically a hot and sunny day.)

I’ve seen people of every race, ethnic group, religion, and cultural affiliation. And I’ve seen people who proudly claim every sexual orientation or preference and every gender or gender identity.

I’ve seen hundreds of thousands — perhaps millions — of people of good will who come together each year to celebrate themselves and their communities.

Pride & Joy: Photos from inside the line of march presents portraits of just a few of those proud and joyful people. Each of them has shared an intimate moment of communication with me. In those moments, I think they’ve offered just a little hint of their personalities and their character. I’m happy — and proud — to share some of the moments with you.