2023 New York City Pride Parade

Mariette Pathy Allen, photographer, and Ness Star, co-founders of the Give Love A Chance Foundation (G.L.A.C) invited me to ride on the foundation’s float in the NYC Pride Parade in 2023. We got such a warm and enthusiastic reception from the spectators along the route, mainly since this was following the Trump administration’s scathing anti-Trans rhetoric and legislation. It was also after the Covid pandemic ravaged NYC and the rest of America.

People were happy to be out of isolation, reclaim their voices, and engaged in celebration and support of the LGBTQ+ community. Needless to say, it was uplifting and gratifying. Having had the unique opportunity to photograph from a moving float, I was focused on the crowds as a whole but managed meaningful eye-to-eye exchanges with a wide swathe of individuals as we passed by. I’m proud to say that the photographs reflect much of the spirit and love in the air that day. They are a treasure in that they allow me to re-live that day over and over and to be reminded that there are people who care about the health and well-being of others, whether or not they’re different.