Former White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre will serve as grand marshal at this year’s New York City Pride.
Jean-Pierre served as press secretary during President Joe Biden’s term in office, and has been revered for her “trail-blazing career” representing the LGBTQ+ community “at the highest microphone that exists” said NYC Pride spokesperson Chris Piedmont in a statement.
Jean-Pierre’s resume speaks for itself. In 2020, she served as Kamala Harris’ campaign chief of staff, becoming the first Black person to hold the position and one of the highest-ranking LGBTQ+ people in the Biden-Harris campaign, according to LGBTQ Nation.
She also worked in the White House Office of Political Affairs during Obama’s first term, and was a national spokesperson for MoveOn in 2016, a commentator for NBC News and MSNBC, and a lecturer at Columbia University.
The official NYC Pride march is slated for June 29 at noon and will include multiple grand marshals who are still yet to be announced. Last year’s grand marshal lineup included tv personality Michelle Visage, GLAAD executive DaShawn Usher, and transgender activists Miss Major and Raquel Willis, according to CBS News.
Co-chair of NYC Pride, Kazz Alexander, said in a statement: “The challenges we face today, particularly in this political climate, require us to stand together in solidarity. We must support one another, because when the most marginalized among us are granted their rights, all of us benefit.”
