8 Photos From NYC Pride 2019 That Capture the Spirit of World Pride

Teen Vogue is celebrating Pride by highlighting the stories that matter to the LGBTQ community. See all our coverage here.

By Lucy DiavoloPhotography by Myles Loftin

July 3, 2019

Image of five young people dressed in summer gear one with a rainbow flag wrapped around their shoulders all walking...

Photographer Myles Loftin was on the scene for New York City's annual Pride parade, held in conjunction with World Pride 2019. As the city where the Stonewall uprising took place celebrated, Loftin was snapping pics of the excitement even as he was celebrating his first Pride since coming out.

"I felt a sense of freedom and community that I didn’t allow myself to fully experience at previous Prides," Loftin said of his first out Pride in an interview with Teen Vogue. "Shooting Pride as an openly queer man was a really exciting experience. It made me feel even more a part of the celebration, and it felt good to be able to document this important time in my life."

"This Pride was also really significant for me because I spent it with my significant other who was celebrating his first Pride, it was a huge moment for both of us," Loftin shared.

New York's history in the struggle for LGBTQ liberation helped inform Loftin's work. He told Teen Vogue, "I definitely could feel the history of the movement, and as I went through the day I was constantly thinking about the people who risked their lives to get us to this point."

Check out Loftin's photos of history in the making — and what some young Pride attendees told him — below.

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"This is my first pride and it is the most liberating experience of my life!"
-Onye Bosch (she/her)
Myles Loftin
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Representation Matters
"I photographed quite a few black teens that I saw attending Pride," Loftin told Teen Vogue. "It was important for me to include this representation in my documentation of Pride because often times black queer people are left out of the narrative, and allyship in the black community can sometimes be hard to find. Showing black people at Pride just serves as a reminder that we exist and occupy space in the community as well."

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"This is my first pride. It's nice to see all these people come out to support each other."
-Nia (she/her, top right), pictured with friends
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Standing Out, Speaking Out
Adam Eli, the activist who founded the group Voices4, seen rocking pinking hair to match his organization's logo on his shirt.

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"Pride was a very uplifting and eye-opening experience — and a great way to express my confidence."
-Chelsea (she/her)
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Cooling Off
Practical concerns often come up at Pride, like these attendees trying to beat the heat in the fountain at Washington Square Park. Loftin said he's looking forward to next year's Pride, but added, "I need to make sure I wear better shoes next time."