Love, Michael (All images by Matthew Rettenmund) My day at the NYC Pride March began at 11 a.m. and ended around 5 p.m. — and my feet are still refusing to let me forget it.
Among the first two people I encountered But it was worth it. First pic of the day set the tone — SO MANY young queers! I know there is plenty of reason for cynicism — Deutsche Bank had a bus in the march — but every year I go, I'm uplifted by the sheer number of ecstatic, happy, ostentatious, proud people.
For as many years as I can remember, I have also always been buoyed by the diversity, even before that became a buzzword. The sense of community is palpable.
It was also the first year the Progress Pride Flag seemed more prevalent than the usual Rainbow Pride Flag. Coloring outside the lines I shot the whole thing, pretty much, and an distilling here 100+ of my favorite photos, including some of the countless images I took of joy-filled Love, Victor star Michael Cimino, who set a new standard for allyship by stripping to the waist, dousing himself with water and running along the route in order to plug the Trevor Project.