On the evening of June 27th, Tompkins Square Park erupted into a kaleidoscope of wigs, glitter, political signs, and fearless self-expression as hundreds gathered for the annual Drag March — a raucous, irreverent, and fiercely political tradition that turned the East Village streets into a runway of queer resistance.
Under the canopy of summer trees, the March began with a sea of sequins, latex, lace, and neon body paint. Queens, kings, club kids, activists, artists, and allies assembled shoulder to shoulder, chanting, posing, and dancing as they prepared to wind their way through Lower Manhattan to the historic Stonewall Inn — a living landmark of queer liberation.
This year’s Drag March once again proved that drag is never just fashion — it’s protest, parody, and celebration in equal measure. Hand-painted signs read “Protect Dolls, Report I.C.E.” and “Mary Magdalene,” reclaiming faith and freedom with campy irreverence. The night’s main banner, held high by a vibrant line of painted faces, spelled it out simply: DRAG MARCH — shimmering letters dripping with beads and sequins, catching streetlights like stars.
Participants spanned all genders, all ages, and every style imaginable: from glitter beards to painted chest hair, sheer corsets, feathered fans, and towering platform boots. Some posed with strangers for photos, some danced atop skateboards, and others simply sashayed past, a living rebuke to anyone who dared look away.
This unapologetic tradition — now in its 31st year — remains a vital counterpoint to Pride’s corporate floats and rainbow-branded marketing. Here, drag is untamed: a space for trans joy, queer rage, DIY artistry, and the radical reminder that Pride began as a riot.
As the March wound its way to Stonewall, the defiant joy continued — laughter echoing off tenement buildings, heels clicking on asphalt, and chants for liberation, louder than the traffic. For one night, the streets of New York became what they’ve always been at their best: a stage for queer survival, defiance, and glittering hope.
