As of press time, more than 300 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced in state legislatures this year. It’s hard to wear those rose-tinted glasses in 2022. That day in 2011 - and indeed, my life, up until that point - felt like a march of progress, moving inexorably forward toward greater equality. We were exhausted, delirious, and in awe of the history happening around us and the sheer joy of Pride itself. My boyfriend and I walked hand in hand down the length of Manhattan until our arms hurt from waving and holding up celebratory signs, which read, “Thank You, Governor Cuomo!” (Happier times for us all, indeed.) Afterward, we danced the night away on the streets of the West Village. The New York governor had just signed the state’s marriage equality act into law, and NYC was quite literally exploding with rainbow flags and confetti. The first time I marched in a Pride parade, I was 25.
