Thousands gather in Huntington for Long Island Pride Celebration
Thousands of people gathered in Huntington Village for the 36th Annual Long Island Pride Celebration, honoring this year's "Unstoppable Pride" theme with a parade, festival, and message of unity and resilience.
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Rainbow flags lined the streets of Huntington Village on Sunday as thousands gathered for the 36th Annual Long Island Pride Celebration, one of the region's largest LGBTQ+ events.
The day began with a parade down Main Street and culminated at Heckscher Park, where attendees enjoyed live entertainment, food vendors, community organizations, a family zone and a beer and wine garden.
This year's theme, "Unstoppable Pride," focused on resilience, unity and the continued fight for equality amid concerns about challenges facing the LGBTQ+ community nationwide.
"We bring tens of thousands of people here together, LGBTQ allies, and no matter what happens in Washington, D.C., we are unstoppable in our force," said David Kilmnick, president and founder of the New York LGBT Network. "We show up and we show out. We come together and celebrate pride."
For many attendees, the event was an opportunity to celebrate identity while finding support and connection within the community.
"Today is a day that we get to be together and feel proud and experience joy altogether," said Stacy Valentino, of Farmingdale.
Others emphasized the importance of visibility and acceptance.
"It's important to show people who are gay, lesbian, transgender that they are loved and they are supported," said Chris Gannon, of West Babylon.
The celebration comes as advocates continue to raise concerns about discrimination and violence targeting LGBTQ+ individuals. According to the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, more than 500 anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes were reported statewide between 2020 and 2024.
Some attendees said that reality makes Pride events even more meaningful.
"I'm a little concerned now about the environment. It's going backwards in terms of LGBTQ acceptance," said Mike Weiss. "It reinforces our presence. It reinforces us in the community. Here we are. We are out and proud."
For others, Pride represented a deeply personal milestone. Randy Traster, of Greenlawn, reflected on attending his first Pride parade as a teenager in California decades ago.
"When I was 17, I went to my first gay pride parade in Hollywood, California. I love freedom and being an American," Traster said. "I like being me."
As the parade gave way to an afternoon of celebration in Heckscher Park, organizers and attendees alike said the event served as both a celebration of progress and a reminder of the work that remains. The message throughout the day was clear - the LGBTQ+ community and its allies remain visible, united, and proud.
