Queens Pride Parade 2025 takes over Jackson Heights. See the route, street closures and more.
The Queens Pride Parade, one of the oldest and largest LGBTQ pride parades in New York City, returned to Jackson Heights on Sunday.
The New Queens Pride Parade and Multicultural Festival are held every year on the first Sunday in June, the beginning of Pride Month. The theme for 2025 is "Defiant Joy."
Over 50,000 people were expected to pack the neighborhood for this year's celebration. Here's a guide with the parade route, road closures and more.
Queens Pride parade route map and start time
The started at noon on 37th Avenue at 89th Street in Jackson Heights. The parade marched down 37th to 75th Street.
The Multicultural Festival at the intersection of 37th Road and 75th Street also started at noon and went until 6 p.m.
According to organizers, a record 140-plus groups participated this year. CBS News New York is a sponsor of Queens Pride and has a float in the parade.
"It's really powerful to be the first Pride event of the season, and really being able to show all New Yorkers, especially everyone here in Queens, that the LGBTQ community exists, we're strong, and that we come together to celebrate and be who we are, because a lot of other days of the year, we can't be," said Robert Vitelli, CEO of the New York LGBT Network. "There's a lot of people who are still living closeted, so when we come out and we celebrate, we're really making a big statement. Our theme this year is Defiant Joy, and that theme is really all about making sure people know we exist, and that we're fighting back to remain in existence, while we're still celebrating who we are."
Last year, tens of thousands of people came out to celebrate.
"We've been coming to Queens Pride for at least a decade, coming out and supporting and showing our pride. We just want to love on everybody and have fun," said Matthew Brown of Cheer New York.
Street closures in Jackson Heights
According to the New York City Department of Transportation, these streets were closed Sunday for the parade and festival:
Formation:
- 89th Street between 35th Avenue and Roosevelt Avenue
Route
- 37th Avenue between 89th Street and 75th Street
Dispersal:
- 75th Street between 37th Avenue and Roosevelt Avenue
Festival:
- 75th-76th Street between 37th Avenue and Roosevelt Avenue
- 37th Road between 74th Street and 77th Street
2025 grand marshals
The 2025 were New York State Assembly Members Catalina Cruz and Jessica González-Rojas, who were being recognized for their work in support of members of the LGBTQ community.
"They are extraordinary leaders who have really been at the forefront in the fight for LGBTQ equality and justice," LGBT Network founder David Kilmnick told CBS News New York.
The two assembly members often work collaboratively on legislation and funding.
"One thing that we're fighting for is to enhance our protections for providers of gender-affirming care," González-Rojas said.
"That's making sure that they have the mental health services, the legal services, the support," Cruz said.
The Queens parade also inspired annual pride marches in Brooklyn and the Bronx, organizers say.
Asylum seeker from Venezuela named honorary grand marshal
Andry José Hernández Romero, a gay makeup artist who came to the U.S. from Venezuela as an asylum seeker in 2024, was named as an honorary grand marshal for 2025.
In March, the Trump administration sent Romero and 237 other Venezuelan migrants to a maximum security prison in El Salvador, CBS News reported. U.S. immigration officials cited Hernández Romero's tattoos as evidence of an affiliation with the Tren de Aragua gang, a claim that is disputed, according to 60 Minutes.
Parade organizers say his tattoos symbolize family and cultural heritage and are being misinterpreted.
"A gifted makeup artist and a beacon of resilience, Andry represents the very spirit of Pride: living authentically, demanding dignity, and refusing to be erased. As he remains unjustly imprisoned, we lift his name, his story, and our voices in solidarity, demanding his safe return and the protection of all LGBTQ+ asylum seekers," a on the New Queens Pride website says.
This year marked the 33rd anniversary of the parade, which started in 1993.