Millions of people flocked to Manhattan for New York's annual LGBT Pride March - here are the best photos

Matthew MichaelsJun 25, 2018, 04:14 IST

Kena Betancur/Getty

The annual New York City LGBT Pride March took place in Manhattan on Sunday.
Millions of people flocked to Chelsea and Greenwich Village to catch a glimpse of the parade.
The march featured elaborate costumes and floats, joyous celebrations, and honors for LGBT-rights activists.

The 49th annual New York City LGBT Pride March was held in the streets of Manhattan on Sunday.

The rainbow-colored spectacle to honor members of the LGBT community and celebrate strides in LGBT rights is the culmination of a series of events held by the NYC Pride organization. New York's march, often the most attended Pride parade in the world, is always a sight to behold.

Here's what 2018's Pride March looked like.

See Millions of people flocked to Manhattan for New York's annual LGBT Pride March - here are the best photos >>

Tennis legend and LGBT activist Billie Jean King served as grand marshal of the NYC Pride March.

Source: Getty

Some people came to Pride scantily-clad ...

Source: Getty

... while others wore elaborate outfits that showcased their identities.

Source: Getty

The LGBT community has made large strides since the first Pride parade in 1970, but it is still fighting for rights.

Source: Getty

Cynthia Nixon, a Democratic nominee for governor of New York, held hands with her wife Christine Marinoni during the march.

Source: Associated Press

The rainbow pride flag was ubiquitous at the parade.

Source: Associated Press

The transgender pride flag was on display, too.

Source: Associated Press

The theme of this year's festivities was "Defiantly Different."

Source: Getty

A couple of New York firefighters got engaged …

Source: Getty

... and the crowd cheered for the happy couple.

Source: Getty

Attendance at past Pride parades in New York has reportedly been more than 2 million.

Source: Getty

New Yorkers of all stripes processed down the parade route, which spanned more than two dozen blocks between Chelsea and Greenwich Village.

Source: Getty

Participants honored LGBT icons and celebrities. Honorees at this year's parade included activist Victoria Cruz, local rapper Young MA, and Emma Gonzalez, a gun-control advocate and survivor of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting.

Source: Getty

The parade is a time when LGBT people can feel safe in public expressing themselves.

Source: Getty

New York's first Pride March took place in 1970 as a response to the Stonewall riots of 1969, during which members of the LGBT community protested a violent police raid at a Greenwich Village gay bar.

Source: Getty

The parade route goes right past Stonewall Inn, site of the riots, to honor the bar's legacy in the LGBT rights movement.

Source: Getty

On Sunday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo unveiled a memorial to honor the 49 people killed in the 2016 shooting at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando.

Source: Getty

New Yorkers didn't have to be out on the street to enjoy the march.

Source: Getty

Not everybody walked down the parade route. Some rode motorcycles down 5th Avenue ...

Source: Getty

... and others drove in sleek convertibles.

Source: Associated Press

Others danced atop the parade floats.

Source: Associated Press

Many participants carried signs that referenced hot-button political issues, like the so-called 'bathroom laws' which dictate which restrooms transgender people may use.

Source: Getty

The growing number of participants forced organizers to change this year's parade route to stay on major roads, which can accommodate more people.

Source: Getty

Organizers are expecting next year's Pride March — which coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots — to be the most attended Pride ever.

Source: Getty

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Millions of people flocked to Manhattan for New York's annual LGBT Pride March - here are the best photos

Tennis legend and LGBT activist Billie Jean King served as grand marshal of the NYC Pride March.

Some people came to Pride scantily-clad ...

... while others wore elaborate outfits that showcased their identities.

The LGBT community has made large strides since the first Pride parade in 1970, but it is still fighting for rights.

Cynthia Nixon, a Democratic nominee for governor of New York, held hands with her wife Christine Marinoni during the march.

The rainbow pride flag was ubiquitous at the parade.

The transgender pride flag was on display, too.

The theme of this year's festivities was "Defiantly Different."

A couple of New York firefighters got engaged …

... and the crowd cheered for the happy couple.

Attendance at past Pride parades in New York has reportedly been more than 2 million.

New Yorkers of all stripes processed down the parade route, which spanned more than two dozen blocks between Chelsea and Greenwich Village.

Participants honored LGBT icons and celebrities. Honorees at this year's parade included activist Victoria Cruz, local rapper Young MA, and Emma Gonzalez, a gun-control advocate and survivor of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting.

The parade is a time when LGBT people can feel safe in public expressing themselves.

New York's first Pride March took place in 1970 as a response to the Stonewall riots of 1969, during which members of the LGBT community protested a violent police raid at a Greenwich Village gay bar.

The parade route goes right past Stonewall Inn, site of the riots, to honor the bar's legacy in the LGBT rights movement.

On Sunday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo unveiled a memorial to honor the 49 people killed in the 2016 shooting at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando.

New Yorkers didn't have to be out on the street to enjoy the march.

Not everybody walked down the parade route. Some rode motorcycles down 5th Avenue ...

... and others drove in sleek convertibles.

Others danced atop the parade floats.

Many participants carried signs that referenced hot-button political issues, like the so-called 'bathroom laws' which dictate which restrooms transgender people may use.

The growing number of participants forced organizers to change this year's parade route to stay on major roads, which can accommodate more people.

Organizers are expecting next year's Pride March — which coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots — to be the most attended Pride ever.