GREENWICH VILLAGE, Manhattan (PIX11)– The crosswalk next to the Stonewall National Monument is now painted with the colors of the rainbow ahead of Sunday’s NYC Pride March.
The New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner and others arrived with long rollers and carefully laid down the colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple on the corner of Seventh Avenue South and Christopher Street.
Inside the Stonewall Inn on Thursday night, the Christopher Street Project held a news conference to kick off Pride weekend in New York City. Liana Friedman, the group’s deputy executive director told PIX11 News “We were started in January following Trump’s re-election, and we are all for trans rights, electing champions of trans rights.”
During a separate event Thursday afternoon, the International Imperial Court System and the National LGBTQ Task Force added several names to the National LGBTQ Wall of Honor. Those honored include 24-year-old Sam Nordquist, a transgender man who was tortured and killed in upstate New York earlier this year. Sam’s sister and mother came to the Stonewall Inn for the ceremony.
Linda Nordquist told PIX 11 News she flew in from Minnesota because she’s dedicated to making sure her son is not forgotten. Nordquist said, “I want people to know who Sam was, Sam was a person, Sam did not deserve this, no one deserves what those 7 people did.”
Seven people pleaded not guilty in March to several charges, including murder. They are awaiting trial.
Sunday’s NYC Pride Parade kicks off at 11 a.m. on Fifth Avenue and 26th Street.
