Pride celebrations kick off in major cities around the country

NYC's Pride parade comes on the heels of the 50th anniversary of Stonewall.

June 30, 2019, 12:27 PM

New York City's Pride parade has kicked off in a colorful celebration in lower Manhattan.

Millions of spectators are expected to take to the streets of New York in rainbow and glittery garb to show support for the LGBTQ community.

(MORE: This mom stands in at LGBTQ weddings when families refuse to attend. Now, her story is being made into a movie.)

The Big Apple's pride celebration was made even more poignant this year on the heels of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots.

People gather outside the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village during the 2019 World Pride NYC and Stonewall 50th LGBTQ Pride day in New York, June 30, 2019.
Lucas Jackson/Reuters

Activists lie on Sixth Avenue during the Queer Liberation March on June 30, 2019 in New York. The march marks the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots on June 28, 1969, widely considered a watershed moment in the modern gay-rights movement.
Kena Betancur/Getty Images

Marchers participate in the Queer Liberation March in New York, June 30, 2019.
Seth Wenig/AP

Other major U.S. cities like Chicago and San Francisco are also set to celebrate Pride on Sunday.

(MORE: ‘State of Pride’ maker Raymond Braun wants LGBTQ youth to know there are people ‘who love you’ and ‘you are not alone’)

Some cities around the country and around the world hosted their first Pride events ever.

In Oklahoma City, Mayor David Holt declared the city's first-ever Pride celebration week this year. Holt said he wanted to demonstrate that all people are welcome in Oklahoma City, which hosted its parade on Saturday.

Annapolis, Maryland, also hosted its first Pride parade ever on Saturday.

The North Macedonian capital of Skopje even hosted its first pride parade, which went off without a hitch -- and no violence, The Associated Press reported.

Elsewhere around the world, Pride events were held in Mexico City, Paraguay and the Ukraine on Saturday.