The 35th Annual Long Island Pride Parade and Festival, will take place on Sunday, June 8, 2025, in Huntington, and 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.