Latest news with #NYCPrideMarch
USA Today
06-07-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Pride reminded me capitalism can't save us from Trump. Only we can do that.
As Pride Month fades away and the summer heat blazes on, I'm left thinking about what queer resistance should look like during a second Donald Trump presidency. On the last weekend in June, I walked down Fifth Avenue alongside people dressed in their best rainbow regalia and parade floats blasting Beyoncé for New York City's annual Pride March. Commemorating the June 28 Stonewall uprisings, the march has taken place every year since 1970. But most of the LGBTQ+ people I am in community with were far away from the colorful, bank-friendly festivities. There's sort of an unspoken rule of pride in the city: The annual Dyke March and Queer Liberation March over pride weekend are for the politically active members of the community, while the city's official celebration is for corporations. But as Pride Month fades away and the summer heat blazes on, I'm left thinking about what queer resistance should look like during a second Donald Trump presidency. Will we miss corporations as they become more squeamish about supporting the LGBTQ+ community? Or is it time for us to reclaim our history and show people that we are a force to be reckoned with? LGBTQ+ folks know the fight is just starting If you didn't know, Trump spent June antagonizing the LGBTQ+ community. That month, his administration announced that the 988 National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline would be severing ties with LGBTQ+ organizations and that Harvey Milk was no longer worth honoring. The transgender community was specifically targeted. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that trans youth did not have a right to gender-affirming care. Trump threatened to pull funding from California because a single 16-year-old girl competed in a high school track and field state championship. The Stonewall National Monument didn't put up any transgender pride flags to commemorate Pride Month, even though trans people were central to the fight for liberation that took place all those years ago. This has affected how corporations are willing to interact with the community, too. NYC Pride March and other pride celebrations across the country saw corporate donors back out of supporting the events. Target and other stores pushed their pride collections to the side. Sure, we're still visible, but the political climate is telling us it's better to be seen and not heard. Now more than ever, we must remember the origins of why we celebrate the month of June. It's not just about rainbows and glitter. It's about defiance. It's about our rights. Rainbow capitalism won't save us. Community will. After the march, I made my way to PrideFest, the street fair hosted by NYC Pride. 'RuPaul's Drag Race' alums Jan Sport and Jackie Cox were emceeing the main stage; the dating app Grindr had a yellow bus parked down the street. Folks were sipping various frozen concoctions out of tall, skinny cups and sweating under the June sun. I spotted a miniature poodle named Scuttle, dyed purple and orange and wearing a rainbow costume, and stopped to talk to his owner, Zach Aaronson. Aaronson was also dressed for the occasion, sporting a rainbow skirt and matching dyed beard. 'The experiences that we've had this month show you that you're not alone, that you can express yourself and live outside of the binary all year,' Aaronson, 35, of Manhattan, told me. Maybe that's the true beauty of Pride Month in its current form – it gives people a springboard to jump from, so that they can be themselves all year long. As I was walking to exit the festival, I spotted Emily Clark, 18, of Staten Island, who had 'Baby's first Pride' written in pen on her arm. She smiled as she told me how supportive and loving everyone she'd met that day had been. I still have my qualms about rainbow capitalism and the way pride has been reduced to a party rather than a protest. I don't believe corporations will save us – if it weren't profitable to be aligned with the LGBTQ+ community, their support would disappear. For some companies, it already has. At the same time, I feel lucky. Lucky that I have found community in New York City, lucky that I stopped being 'straight' years ago. Lucky that my mother and father put up a pride flag outside their home in my small, conservative hometown. Lucky that I'm even able to critique what pride has become, thanks to what pride once was. None of us stop being gay just because June is over and Target is no longer selling rainbow T-shirts with cutesy slogans. None of us will go back into the closet when J.P. Morgan is no longer sponsoring a float. We don't need your performative activism on our behalf. We are here, in spite of it all, and we have something to say. Follow USA TODAY columnist Sara Pequeño on X, formerly Twitter:@sara__pequeno
USA Today
30-06-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Teenage girl critical after shooting occurs near New York City's historic Stonewall Inn
Two teenagers were injured in a shooting near New York City's historic Stonewall Inn, shortly after the NYC Pride March on June 29. A 16-year-old girl was shot in the head and taken to the hospital in critical condition, while a 17-year-old girl was shot in the leg and taken to the hospital in stable condition, the New York Police Department said. No arrests have been made so far, and the investigation "remains active and ongoing," police said. 'Devastating,' says NYC Mayor Eric Adams NYC Mayor Eric Adams, in a post on social media, said he was "saddened to learn about the shooting by the Stonewall Inn tonight as Pride celebrations were winding down." "During a time when our city should be rejoicing and celebrating members of our diverse LGBTQ+ community, incidents like this are devastating," Adams said, adding "the NYPD will work quickly and tirelessly to bring the suspects to justice." New York City's Pride march is the largest of its kind in the United States, featuring 75,000 participants and roughly two million spectators, according to organizers. Pride Month commemorates the Stonewall Uprising, which began on June 28, 1969, when the NYPD raided the Stonewall Inn, a prominent gay bar on Christopher Street. In 2016, the Stonewall Inn was designated a national monument under former President Barack Obama, making it the first national park site dedicated to LGBTQ history in the country. Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@ and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
Hindustan Times
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Meet Leo Radvinsky: OnlyFans founder who made billion-dollar fortune from adult plaform
Leo Radvinsky keeps a low profile for a billionaire at the helm of one of the internet's most lucrative and controversial platforms. His minimalist personal website paints the picture of a modest entrepreneur, angel investor, and aspiring helicopter pilot. But conspicuously absent is any reference to the true engine behind his fortune: OnlyFans, the adult-content subscription platform he transformed into a global digital empire. At the helm of OnlyFans, Leo Radvinsky has revolutionized the adult content industry while keeping a low profile. (Credit: Also Read: Zohran Mamdani mocked as video shows him 'jumping up and down' at NYC Pride March, 'That fake smile must hurt' Radvinsky is an economics graduate from Northwestern University and has successfully reshaped the landscape of online pornography, shifting it from traditional ad-supported adult content to a subscription-based model that blends social media with intimacy. Under his leadership, OnlyFans has grown into a powerhouse with over 300 million users, offering not just explicit content but the illusion of personal connection through paid subscriptions, private messages, and custom videos, as reported by The Wall Street Journal. Born in the Soviet Union, Radvinsky grew up near fellow émigré and future wife Katie Chudnovsky, attending Northwestern University just a few years apart. The 43-year-old, who has mastered the art of being unseen, was raised outside of Chicago and currently resides in Florida. Radvinsky and Chudnovsky got married in 2008 in a lavish Chicago ceremony. A lawyer by profession, Chudnovsky now serves as general counsel for an international tech firm and is a mother of four. Even as a teenager at Glenbrook South High School, Radvinsky showed a keen eye for business, launching Cybertania in 1999, which operated sites like Ultimate Passwords that claimed to provide hacked porn site passwords. Known among classmates as a sharp and sometimes rebellious teen, he built a portfolio of adult websites using celebrity names to attract visitors like Paris Hilton, Tara Reid, Britney Spears, Jessica Simpson, Shannon Elizabeth, and Ben Affleck, which assured links to X-rated videos. His ventures expanded over the years, including launching MyFreeCams in 2004, laying the groundwork for his future dominance in online adult entertainment. Also Read: What happened at Washington Square Park in NYC? False shooting reports spark panic Leo Radvinsky's net worth According to Forbes, Radvinsky's net worth, including the value of OnlyFans, is estimated to be $4 billion. British corporate filings reveal the staggering profitability of OnlyFans, with Radvinsky, its sole owner, pocketing nearly $1.3 billion in dividends over five years through March 2024. Behind the scenes, his parent company has been quietly exploring a potential sale, reportedly seeking a valuation as high as $8 billion, according to sources familiar with the discussions.
UPI
30-06-2025
- UPI
Two shot near Stonewall Inn following NYC Pride March
Participants march down Fifth Avenue at the 2025 New York City Gay Pride Parade on Sunday, June 29, 2025, in New York City. Photo by Peter Foley/UPI | License Photo June 30 (UPI) -- Two people were shot Sunday night near the Stonewall Inn during New York City's Pride celebrations, according to reports. Sgt. Matthew Forsythe of the New York Police Department told The New York Times that the shooting occurred near the iconic LGBTQ landmark in Greenwich Village at 10:15 p.m. EDT. An unnamed NYPD spokesperson identified the victims to NBC News as a 16-year-old girl and a 17-year-old girl. The 16-year-old suffered a gunshot wound to the head and was in critical condition, while the 17-year-old was shot in the leg and was in stable condition, according to the spokesperson. No suspect has been identified. New York City Mayor Eric Adams said on X that he was "saddened" to learn of the shooting. "During a time when our city should be rejoicing and celebrating members of our diverse LGBTQ+ community, incidents like this are devastating," he said. "We're praying for the speedy recovery of the victims in tonight's shooting. The NYPD will work quickly and tirelessly to bring the suspect to justice." The Stonewall Inn, a gay bar, is where in the early hours of June 28, 1969, police conducted a raid, sparking what is now known as the Stonewall riots, marking for many in the LGBTQ community, a pivotal turning point in their struggle for rights and acceptance. The annual NYC Pride March honors that event. The Sunday night shooting occurred after the march and as celebrations were winding down. The Christopher Street Project, a transgender advocacy group, mourned the violence in a statement, while demanding "accountability for the hateful rhetoric that fuels attacks on queer and trans lives." "Tonight, we are holding the victims of the shooting outside the Stonewall Inn and their families in our hearts," the organization said. The circumstances surrounding the shooting were not clear as of Monday morning and remained under police investigation.
Hindustan Times
30-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Stonewall Inn shooting: 2 shot in Greenwich Village after NYC Pride March
Jun 30, 2025 08:58 AM IST Two people were injured in a shooting near Greenwich Village on Sunday night, June 29. The incident took place just blocks from Stonewall Inn. According to police, shots were fired at three Sheridan Square just after 10 pm, ABC 7 reported. Stonewall Inn shooting: 2 shot in Greenwich Village after NYC Pride March (Unsplash - representational image)
