Sunday, June 8, 2025 | Huntington, NY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
📍 Wednesday, February 26, 2025 | Hauppauge, NY – The LGBT Network announced today that the 35th Annual Long Island Pride Parade and Festival, taking place on Sunday, June 8, 2025, in Huntington, will march under the theme “Defiant Joy.”
“Thirty-five years ago, they told us we couldn’t march. They tried to keep us invisible. But we refused,” said LGBT Network President & Founder, David Kilmnick, one of the four co-founders of Long Island Pride. “They denied our permit. We took them to court. We won. And we marched—out, proud, and unapologetic. And we never stopped.”
“Today, the attacks on our community are mounting once again. They want to erase us from classrooms, from books, from public spaces—from existence. But just like we did 35 years ago, we are standing up, fighting back, and winning. And this time, we are doing it with even more power, more resilience, and more joy.”
Kilmnick continued, “‘Defiant Joy’ isn’t just a theme—it’s a movement, a declaration, a battle cry. It means showing up when they want us to disappear. It means marching when they try to hold us back. It means loving loudly when they want us silent. This year, we are calling on every single Long Islander—LGBTQ+ people, allies, families, neighbors—to take a stand. To show up. Because this is the most consequential Pride of our lifetime. We will not be erased. We will not be silenced. And on June 8, we will prove it.”
🏳️🌈 Defiant Joy: The Heart of Long Island Pride
Thirty-five years ago, we were told we couldn’t march. They denied us a permit. They wanted us to stay hidden. But we refused.
We defied. We celebrated. And we never stopped.
We march—not just because we can, but because we must.
Because Pride is not just a party. It is a declaration. A resistance. A movement.
What is Defiant Joy?
- Defiant Joy is showing up when they want us to stay home.
- Defiant Joy is dancing when they want us silent.
- Defiant Joy is celebrating who we are—even when the world tells us not to.
It is the fire in our voices, the power in our steps, and the unbreakable strength of our community standing together.
Each year, we return—not just to celebrate, but to continue defying.
Because the moment we stop celebrating, the moment we stop marching, is the moment they win. And we are never backing down.
🚨 A Call to All Long Islanders: This is the Most Consequential LI Pride Ever 🚨
Long Island, we need you.
At a time when our community is under attack like never before—when our rights, our history, and even our very existence are being challenged—we cannot afford to be silent.
This is not just another Pride. This is a moment in history.
This is a call to action. This is our movement.
For 35 years, Long Island Pride has been more than a parade—it has been a statement of resilience, power, and unapologetic joy. We’ve fought too hard and come too far to let anyone turn back the clock on our rights, our visibility, and our community.
Now, more than ever, we must stand together.
No matter who you are, no matter where you live—from Nassau to the East End—this is YOUR Pride.
This is YOUR moment to show up, speak out, and be counted.
This is YOUR time to march, dance, and celebrate in defiance of those who want to erase us.
Because joy is resistance. Visibility is power. And unity is unstoppable.
🌟 Long Island Pride 2025: 35 Years of Defiant Joy
This year, we celebrate 35 years of persistence, power, and Pride.
We honor those who fought for our right to be here.
And we march forward—unapologetic, unstoppable, and more joyful than ever.
We Defy. We Celebrate. We Rise.
Because our joy is our power. Our existence is our resistance.
📅 Sunday, June 8, 2025
📍 Huntington, NY
🌐 lipride.org
Be there. Be defiant. Be joyful.
Because together, we are a force that cannot be ignored.
#DefiantJoy #LongIslandPride #LI35 #UnstoppablePride #WeRefuseToBeErased
