David Furst: This is All of It. I'm David Furst, in for Alison Stewart. We are nearing the end of Pride Month. From parades to clubs hosting Pride Nights, it has been a memorable June so far. New York City's Pride Weekend is just getting underway, wrapping up with the official New York City Pride March on Sunday. Here now to highlight the big events this weekend, we're joined by by one of the co-chairs of NYC Pride, Kazz Alexander. Welcome to All of It.

Kazz Alexander: Thank you so much for having me.

David Furst: Listeners, are you marking Pride this weekend? Call in or text with activities and events that you're attending around the city or maybe in New Jersey. Call us, 212-433-9692. That's 212-433-WNYC to tell us your thoughts. Kazz, you are co-chair for New York City Pride. Pride is a time for people to feel accepted and completely themselves. What does it mean for you?

Kazz Alexander: For me, Pride Month, as well as this coming weekend, is an opportunity to demonstrate that it's okay to live authentically. I think the wonderful thing about New York City and about being a New Yorker is that we grow up with this idea and this identity that you are free to be yourself. I think it's really important for us as New Yorkers and folks in the surrounding area to show what liberation and what liberty looks like. For me, it feels quite natural to be out and about during Pride season, but I think it's a demonstration for everyone else. Even more so this year, I think folks need to know what that liberation looks like. New York is the bastion for that.

David Furst: Right. Before we get into all of the specific Pride events, does Pride have a different feeling and a different meaning this year? This year's theme is Rise Up: Pride in Protest.

Kazz Alexander: Absolutely. I think this year especially is an opportunity for everyone to voice their concern, voice frustration, voice your desire for a life of equal liberty, just like every other citizen. LGBTQ folks in the US have had a hard lot for all of the history of our country, but we are seeing decisions at the level of the Supreme Court. We're seeing decisions and executive orders from the federal government that challenge those liberties and challenge the freedom that many people have fought really hard for.

This year is a continuation of that fight. Our theme, Rise Up: Pride in Protest, is just a call to action. Everybody has a duty to rise up and share what's most important to them. The challenge is not just our own. We expect to see our allies, our supporters, and those who believe in freedom for everyone.

David Furst: Just looking at today's Supreme Court ruling, as detailed in the Associated Press, the Supreme Court rules that Maryland parents who have religious objections can pull their children from public school lessons using LGBTQ storybooks. The justices reversed lower court rulings in favor of the Montgomery county school system in suburban Washington. The high court ruled that the schools likely could not require elementary school children to sit through lessons involving the books if parents expressed religious objections to the material. I could ask you about this latest ruling, but let's look back to the history of Pride. It started as a protest. Can you talk about that history?

Kazz Alexander: Absolutely. We're in our 41st year at Heritage of Pride, which is the organization that pulls together all of the events related to New York City Pride this week and weekend. It's really a long and storied history of an organization, but also of a community that has been fighting for the liberation of LGBTQ folks. To be clear, the Gay Liberation March and the marches that were led over the first few decades have always included folks from every part of our community. Not just gay folks, not just lesbians, not just allies, but trans people. We are continuing to uphold the history and the legacy as an organization and as a community. Also, we want to recognize that no part of our community should be erased.

David Furst: The movement began, as your website details, with the Stonewall uprising of 1969. One year later, the first New York City Pride march was organized by the Christopher Street Liberation Day Committee. Marches have continued every year since. Let's start talking about the way to celebrate. There's no one way to celebrate Pride, but what are your thoughts about how people celebrate? Maybe the variety of ways people approach this weekend and this moment?

Kazz Alexander: Absolutely. I am a firm believer that Pride is not just a party, it's also a protest. Some of us-- I'm a black gay man. I protest with my life, and just living every day. Showing up for some people is more than enough. Some folks like to celebrate by partying. Some folks like to share what they are most passionate about. They like to live out loud, live and in color. We welcome everybody. This is probably the most inclusive space.

New York is recognized for being a place where people can be themselves. The colors are not just the colors of the rainbow. They are the colors of folks' self expression. It's what I love most about being in New York at this time. Also, as I mentioned, it is an opportunity to protest for what you believe in or against what stands in your way. We welcome all different ideologies. Anybody is welcome to be themselves this weekend. I just love that part of what we're able to offer folks.

David Furst: Maybe you can quickly walk us through some of the highlights. There's a great guide to a lot of the Pride events at WNYC's news site, Gothamist.com, which I'm using right now to lead us through the weekend.

Kazz Alexander: Absolutely.

David Furst: Let's start with today. There is a Pride Kickoff Party at the Brooklyn Navy Yard called Heritage that starts at three o'clock. Then tonight, there's this concert, the start of a two-day LadyLand Festival, with Cardi B and FKA Twigs at Under the K Bridge Park in Brooklyn. Can you talk about these events?

Kazz Alexander: Fantastic. Yes, absolutely. We start off with a celebration. On Sunday, we will get to our march and protest, but we really want to ring in this weekend by having people come out and really be in celebration of freedom. The Heritage Day party is at Dougl Greenhouse at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. We start at 3:00, but we go all the way into the night. It's a great way to kick off the weekend.

As you mentioned, we have a concert series in partnership with LadyLand, so we will be under the Brooklyn Bridge. We're out in Brooklyn tonight. For folks that know me, I love a good fiesta. We will be out and starting off the weekend on a high note. If folks are really interested in finding out all of the different events that we have. We actually have a new app that just got released this week. You can download our NYC Pride app on the Apple Store or Google Play Store.

It's available for everybody to follow along with many different collaborations and events that we have all over the city. Those are just some of the main ones, and throughout the weekend. You can also go on our website and download our Pride Guide, which I know folks have worked really hard to pull together all of the events that are happening in New York City. We want everybody to be able to feel the shine that comes with this weekend. There is something for everyone.

David Furst: We're speaking with one of the co-chairs of NYC Pride, Kazz Alexander. There's an event called Youth Pride at the South Street Seaport that's happening tomorrow from noon to 6:00 PM. There's also the New York City Dyke March happening in Bryant park that starts at 5:00 PM tomorrow. That is very much described as a protest march, not a parade. Can you tell us about those events.

Kazz Alexander: Absolutely. Youth Pride is my favorite. I'm an educator by trade. We are built, as an organization, on the idea of volunteerism. We have almost a thousand volunteers that work on pulling together this week and weekend. Youth Pride is really a beautiful hallmark for our young people, and a safe space for young people, young adults to come. For many, it may be their first pride. We know that the large protests and the large marches might be a bit overwhelming. We invite folks to come with their families, completely safe space, down to the South Street Seaport, Pier 17, tomorrow afternoon.

We have a trans rights youth rally to kick off in the morning at 11:00 AM. We'll be there all afternoon. Bring your young folks to experience what a first Pride might feel like for them. Then, as you mentioned, there are many other events, including the Dyke March. Again, liberation is for everyone. We want folks to be able to find their place and feel comfortable throughout the weekend.

David Furst: Then finally, there's the official NYC Pride March happening on Sunday. It starts at 11:00 AM at 5th Avenue and 26th Street. It goes past the Stonewall Inn, wraps up at 7th Avenue and 15th Street. Kazz, what are you going to be doing during the march?

Kazz Alexander: Ah, I will be front and center on 5th Avenue-

David Furst: Nice.

Kazz Alexander: -for the most of the morning, just making sure that things flow. This is the largest gathering annually of individuals, humans, citizens, people in the United States. We're really excited to see everybody come out, and as I said, be their authentic selves. I will be right there on 5th Avenue for hours on hours. We also are broadcasting our televised broadcast of the march and the festivities at the same time, so producing that in tandem and working through that. We have a wonderful production team that helps to pull that together. Concurrently, we also have Pride Fest.

We have many events happening at the same time. Our annual street festival, one of the largest gatherings of people, food, fun, stage, live performances, wonderful activities for young people and families. That's just south of Union Square at the exact same time. We'll be out there till about 6:00 PM on Sunday afternoon. Again, there's something for everyone. If you want to protest, if you want to come to the march, if you want to be at our street festival, we welcome you.

David Furst: We're just going to be pulling for good weather. Can you shout out that website one more time?

Kazz Alexander: Yes, absolutely. Our website is nycpride.org, and please download our app. You just type in NYC Pride into the Apple Store or Google Play Store, and you'll see all of our events. There are many more than I was able to list [crosstalk].

David Furst: So many. Kazz Alexander, one of the co-chairs of NYC Pride, thank you for joining us, and have a great weekend.

Kazz Alexander: Thank you. Very excited to see everyone out there.

David Furst: That is All of It. I'm David Furst. Alison Stewart will be back on Monday. She'll be talking with actor Morgan Spector, the star of the HBO series, The Gilded Age. Happy Pride. Have a great weekend, and thank you for listening.