NYC Pride Parade 2013: 9 Incredible Things to Know About the Parade

On June 28, the LGBT community and really anyone who likes making friends and having fun will flock to the Big Apple to paint the town rainbow. Here's your go-to guide to the highlights of NYC Pride and some crazy facts to impress the friends you meet along the way. For more information on NYC Pride check out their website.

1. One day of pride? Try seven

The first thing you should know about the NYC Pride Parade is it cannot be contained to one day. Tomorrow inaugurates pride week. If the wonder of pride can't be restricted to one city, how could we let it only last one day? P.S. in the LGBT community, week really means month ...

2. NYC Pride organizers are the best at reading a calendar

No offense to D.C. Pride (I was there and can attest to the awesomeness) and Boston Pride, which both took place on June 8, but they were clearly just the warm-ups. The NYC Pride March happens on Pride Day (June 28) which commemorates the Stonewall Riots of 1969 that are considered the birth of the gay rights movement.

3. Somewhere over the rainbow people are celebrating

That classic rainbow is not just there to catch your eye and give parade goers a fun costume. It debuted at the 1978 San Francisco Pride Parade. The colorful flag originally contained 8 colors. But pink, which stands for sexuality, had to be dropped (it was too difficult to mass produce) and turquoise (standing for magic ... what else?) didn't make the cut either. 

4. Love the march? Miss the march? Don't worry; there's more

The parade is just the overture. Pridefest is June 30. The 7-hour affair on Hudson St. includes gear (rainbow, of course), food, and an outdoor concert series. Oh ... did I mention it's free? So you have no excuse for not going.

5. Beat the NYC heat by the pool (P.S. There will be cocktails)

Sweating on your friends at the march is fine. Sweating on strangers is admittedly less exciting. Cool down at Pride {Poolside} on June 30 at Hotel Americano. I know, you're going to have to decide between this and PrideFest. Life's hard sometimes.

6. TV is always ahead of the game

That's why I get all my news from HBO. Apparently there is trouble in Westeros.

More importantly, even though gay marriage wasn't legal until the early 2000s, gay couples were already getting married on TV. A 1995 episode of Roseanne and a 1996 episode of Friends both featured gay marriages.

7. Finally, a parade float that actually floats.

All parade floats that roll down the street on their flatbeds are lies. NOTHING IS ACTUALLY FLOATING (8-year-old me cried over this discovery). Luckily, Amsterdam's Pride Parade happens on the Prinsengracht River. 100 parade floats literally float on water. I've waited so long.

8. Not with a whimper, but with a bang

Pride Week (and also month) ends with LGBT Dance on the Pier at Pier 26. It's exactly how you imagine it — lights, DJs, dancing — but so much better. And all of the benefits got to fund future NYC Pride Week events and local LGBT organizations.

9. If you can only pick one Pride Event, better pick the best

NYC has the most gay couples (47,000) and one of the best pride weeks. If you can only shred copies of DOMA in one city this year, do it in New York. But why would you want to limit yourself like that?