Crowds gathered outside New YorkB次元官网网址檚 historic Stonewall Inn on Sunday to celebrate five decades of LGBTQ pride, marking the 50th anniversary of the police raid that sparked the modern-day gay rights movement. Other cities throughout the country held parades.

More than 2,000 people gathered outside the bar where patrons resisted the famous June 28, 1969, police raid. Thousands also turned out for a larger parade that packed Fifth Avenue, where rainbows were on display across everything from flags to T-shirts.

Eraina Clay, 63, of suburban New Rochelle, came to celebrate the anniversary.

B次元官网网址淚 think that we should be able to say weB次元官网网址檝e been here for so long, and so many people are gay that everybody should be able to have the chance to enjoy their lives and be who they are,B次元官网网址� Clay said. B次元官网网址淚 have a family. I raised kids. IB次元官网网址檓 just like everybody else.B次元官网网址�

Alyssa Christianson, 29, of New York City, was topless, wearing just sparkly pasties and boy shorts underwear. A Pride flag was tied around her neck like a cape.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e been to the Pride parade before, but this is the first year I kind of wanted to dress up and get into it,B次元官网网址� she said.

Christianson said she is concerned that the movement could suffer setbacks during the Trump administration, which has moved to revoke newly won health care protections for transgender people, restrict their presence in the military and withdraw federal guidance that trans students should be able to use bathrooms of their choice.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 definitely a little scared of how things are going, just the anger and violence that comes out of it and just the tone of conversation about it. WeB次元官网网址檝e come so far, especially in the last few decades, that I donB次元官网网址檛 want to see that repressed in any way.B次元官网网址�

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In May, Trump tweeted about Pride Month and praised the B次元官网网址渙utstanding contributionsB次元官网网址� of LGBT people. But his administration has also aligned with some religious conservatives in arguing that nondiscrimination protections for those same people can infringe on the religious beliefs of others who oppose same-sex marriage and transgender rights.

At the Queer Liberation March near the Stonewall Inn, some participants said the larger Pride parade had become too commercialized and heavily policed.

B次元官网网址淲hatB次元官网网址檚 important to remember is that this is a protest against the monetization of the Pride parade, against the police brutality of our community, against the poor treatment of sections of our community, of black and brown folk, of immigrants,B次元官网网址� said Jake Seller, a 24-year-old Indiana native who now lives in Brooklyn and worked as one of the marchB次元官网网址檚 volunteers.

Protesters carried anti-Trump and queer liberation signs, chanting, B次元官网网址淲hose streets? Our streets!B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淲e march for the liberation of our community so they can live and celebrate their identity. So they can reclaim it. This will always remain a protest, not an advertisement,B次元官网网址� Seller said.

Happy Pride!

B次元官网网址� Mayor Lori Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor)

Other attendees focused on the progress thatB次元官网网址檚 been made within the LGBTQ community over the last few decades.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e come so far in the past 20 years,B次元官网网址� said 55-year-old Gary Piper, who came from Kansas to celebrate Pride with his partner. B次元官网网址淚 remember friends who would be snatched off the streets in Texas for dressing in drag. TheyB次元官网网址檇 have to worry about being persecuted for their identity.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淏ut now weB次元官网网址檙e so much more accepted. IB次元官网网址檓 not saying we donB次元官网网址檛 have ways to go, but letB次元官网网址檚 celebrate how far weB次元官网网址檝e come,B次元官网网址� he said.

The police presence at the march was heavy, with several officers posted at every corner. Metal barricades were erected along the entire parade route.

In Illinois, Gov. J.B. Pritzker chose the parade day to sign an executive order creating a task force to study the rights of transgender students. The task force will look at what schools are doing to promote LGBTQ rights to make sure students have B次元官网网址渨elcomingB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址渋nclusiveB次元官网网址� environments.

Chicago had its own Pride parade, with Lori Lightfoot, the cityB次元官网网址檚 first openly gay mayor, as one of seven grand marshals. Lightfoot, who took office in May, walked alongside her wife and wore a B次元官网网址淐hicago ProudB次元官网网址� T-shirt with rainbow lettering. The couple held hands at times, drawing cheers from onlookers.

This is a moment weB次元官网网址檒l never forget. Thank you, Chicago! In honor of you all, here are a few of my favorite photos from .

B次元官网网址� First Lady Amy Eshleman (@TheChiFirstLady)

The parade was cut short as thunderstorms rolled through the area, forcing police to cancel the event about three hours after it began.

The larger New York Pride parade had 677 contingents, including community groups, major corporations and cast members from FXB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淧ose.B次元官网网址� Organizers expected at least 150,000 people to march, with hundreds of thousands more lining the streets to watch.

The Pride march concludes a month of Stonewall commemorations in New York that included rallies, parties, film showings and a human rights conference. The celebration coincides with WorldPride, an international LGBTQ event that started in Rome in 2000 and was held in New York this past week.

Other Pride events will take place Sunday around the U.S. and the world.

In San Francisco, a contingent of Google employees petitioned the Pride paradeB次元官网网址檚 board of directors to revoke GoogleB次元官网网址檚 sponsorship over what they called harassment and hate speech directed at LGBTQ people on YouTube and other Google platforms.

San Francisco Pride declined to revoke the sponsorship or remove the company from the parade, but Pride officials said the Google critics could protest the companyB次元官网网址檚 policies as part of the paradeB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址渞esistance contingent.B次元官网网址�

Larraine and Peter Browne, who were visiting from Australia, told the San Francisco Chronicle they had never seen anything like the paradeB次元官网网址檚 rainbow-colored display.

B次元官网网址淟ook at the costumes!B次元官网网址� 80-year-old Peter Browne said.

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Sabrina Caserta And Rebecca Gibian, The Associated Press

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