33 Gorgeous, Peaceful Photos from NYC's 2020 Queer Liberation March

When the Queer Liberation March first began, it was in reaction and opposition to an increasingly corporatized Pride. A space that many of the most marginalized amongst the LGBTQ+ community felt unsafe. So, they purposed to make a space that was a return to the origins: no police, no floats, no wristbands. The march was a gathering of queer and trans folks as well as our allies, all demanding equality.

When the ongoing global pandemic broke out, the initial plan was to bring this all to participants virtually, but as the Black Lives Matter protests came back into play, organizers felt the need to march again, now in solidarity with Black Lives. They did that Sunday, marching from Foley Square to Stonewall Inn, and then hosting a rally in Washington Square Park. Police temporarily turned the event violent, but it was otherwise peaceful -- well as peaceful as one can be while demanding for the rights owed to you.

Here, photographer Leandro Justen shoots 33 photos from inside the procession.