Across New York City and New York State, landmarks were lit up in rainbow colors in celebration of Pride Weekend. Many of the lightings were the initiative of Governor Andrew Cuomo, but other institutions also had their own lightings. One World Trade Center, Pershing Square Viaduct at Grand Central Terminal and the Kosciuszko Bridge were among those lit by the state, but other buildings that were lit up included the New York Stock Exchange, Lincoln Center, One Bryant Park, One Five One West 42nd Street (formerly 4 Times Square).
Photo by Kevin P. Coughlin/Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
Upstate, structures that were lit up included the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge (formerly the Tappan Zee Bridge), Mid-Hudson Bridge, Whiteface Lake Placid Olympic Center, Niagara Falls, the State Fair Main Gate and Exposition Center, and in Albany, the SUNY Central Administration Building, State Education Building, and the Alfred E. Smith Building. The Mario M. Cuomo Bridge was lit up in both the PRIDE rainbow and the colors of the Transgender flag. Many of these buildings were also recently lit up in blue and gold in honor of New York State “flatting the curve.”
Photo from the Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
In a statement, Governor Cuomo said “New York is the birthplace of the LGBTQ rights movement, and while celebrating Pride during the pandemic will certainly be different for our LGBTQ community, New Yorkers are finding ways to come together and show the world that we stand united not only by love, but our commitment to progress. In that spirit, we are lighting iconic landmarks across New York State in colors of the LGBTQ Pride Flag and sending a clear message that, even in unprecedented times, nothing will stop our fight for equality.”
Photo by Kevin P. Coughlin/Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
Meanwhile, it was the first-ever Pride lighting for Lincoln Center, with a rainbow design employed across the buildings of the plaza which lit up the fountain, the columns of the New York City Ballet, Metropolitan Opera, and New York Philharmonic. The Pride flag was also flown. And at the Stonewall Inn, the birthplace of the LGBTQ movement in New York, rainbow colors lit up the sky from an installation next to the building. The 1000+ foot high rainbow was a partnership between KIND and the Ali Forney Center, the nation’s largest organization dedicated to homeless LGBTQIA+ youth (90% being youth of color), to advocate for those most vulnerable to inequality and discrimination.
Next, check out 10 notable LGBTQ Sites in NYC and the history of the Stonewall Riots.
Photos from Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo are by Kevin P. Coughlin (New York City photos) and Philip Kamrass (Albany photos).
