New York City Will Host WorldPride for Stonewall 50th Anniversary

For the first time in history, a global celebration of all things LGBT is coming to America and will be held in New York City in 2019, WorldPride organizers announced this week.

The event will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, which began in New York City in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969. When police raided the Stonewall Inn seeking to arrest LGBT patrons, "what followed were six days of uprisings by hundreds of diverse individuals," said Rep. Jerrold Nadler of Manhattan, "demanding an end to police harassment, arrests and raids on LGBT establishments."

In an op-ed last month in the The Advocate, Nadler wrote of his support for designating a national monument at the Stonewall Inn, which still operates as a bar under new management. "This rebellion launched a civil rights movement that continues to this day, and in the more than 45 years since, the name "Stonewall" has become synonymous with the history of America's struggle for LGBT civil rights and the fight for equality," Nadler wrote.

The annual event is run by InterPride, the international organization consisting of dedicated volunteers who organize and work to put on Pride events all over the world.

This WorldPride event will be locally organized by Heritage of Pride, the New York City group responsible for the city's annual Pride celebration which draws millionsof visitors to the city every June. The 2019 global event will coinicide with two months of celebrations and programs among NYC Pride's annual events. "While NYC Pride draws millions to NYC each June, Stonewall 50/WorldPride 2019 is anticipated to be one of the largest LGBT events ever to occur," wrote event organizers in a news release.

As our sibling publication OUT reported, the theme of Stonewall 50/WorldPride 2019 is "Millions of Moments of Pride."

"The Stonewall Uprising is considered the most significant event that ignited the modern LGBT rights movement, so it makes perfect sense to bring WorldPride to the birthplace of Pride in 2019," said David Schneider, NYC Pride's Stonewall 50 Director, "We are so grateful that our fellow Pride organizers from across the globe have chosen New York City for this momentous occasion."

Previous WorldPride celebrations have been hosted in Toronto in 2014 and in cities such as Rome, Jerusalem and London. An upcoming celebration will take place in Madrid in 2017.

Watch a video about WorldPride Stonewall 50, below.