It was June 25, 1989, on Christopher Street in New York City, we celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots that served as a catalyst in the battle for equality. It is hard to believe that it has been twenty-two years since I attended that gay pride celebration and it was difficult to get me to attend back then. I was never one to wear my heart on my sleeve and didn’t feel I had much in common with the type of people who went to those events. My partner Ken Yeso presented the trip as a photo opportunity, knowing the exact button to push to get me to do anything. Arriving in New York among thousands of people there to celebrate one unifying event, a light bulb went off in my head. I finally “got it”; this wasn’t about me, it was about the fight for equality! That was what we all had in common. All the silliness and camp, cross-dressing and gender bending were just expressions of people brave enough to be who they were born to be but none of that mattered here, we were one.
I am publishing here for the first time, a set of photos taken June 25, 1989, on Christopher Street in New York during the Pride Celebration themed We Remember, the 20th Anniversary of Stonewall. These photos are presented with no excuses or apologies.
The Grove Street Photographer 
Jerry,
You should be proud of who you are. Have never been to the Pride Parade – but I know a few people who have – it looks like a blast. Stay true to yourself and never feel you have to apologize for being who you are. PS – The Mermaid Parade in Coney Island is this month . . . Great pictures!!