Mayor Adams Says “No Known Threats” Ahead of Pride Events But NYPD Remains on High Alert
The mayor assures New Yorkers that measures are in place to keep Pride Month celebrations safe this June.
| 03 Jun 2024 | 04:24
City Hall last year lit up for Pride Month. This year, many municipal buildings followed suit by displaying rainbow lights on June 1. (
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The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine lit up in rainbow lights to kick off Pride Month 2024. (
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Mayor Eric Adams at a Pride Parade in June 2022. (
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Mayor Eric Adams commented on the state of LGBTQ+ resources in New York as Pride Month commences. Adams said there are “no known threats” and the city will be “on heightened alert...monitoring all of these events.”
“You’re going to see that...the visible presence of the uniformed officer. But there’s a lot of things that happen that you don’t see to ensure that we are going to secure the safety of the members of the community as they celebrate Pride,” said Adams. He went on to elaborate that the city is using social media, intelligence, and information from partners across the globe to guarantee safety this Pride month.
“We’re extremely sensitive about this. We do not take anything for granted. If a threat is made of this magnitude, we make sure that we are on heightened alert,” said Adams.
The mayor made his comments on a call in on WBAI 99.5 FM’s Annual LGBTQ+ Pride Special on June 2 with Jeff Simmons and former council member Carlos Menchaca.
When asked about the wave of anti-gay legislation that has swept the country this year, Adams was quick to denounce the homophobia other states have come to be known for: “I’m glad that you raised that because I think it’s all connected, this energy of hate that we’re seeing across our country...Here in New York, where you have one of the largest members of the LGBTQ+ communities, we wanted and always will send a strong message, not only in substance but in symbolism when we just say gay,” said Adams.
Budget cuts were made to some HIV prevention programs this year, a counterintuitive message among the sentiments of Pride Month.
“We have been devastated by what the national government has done...“[These cuts] around HIV services had nothing to do with the delivery of services. We need to be clear on that...It had to do with some of the organizations that were getting the word out on HIV prevention. We’re still in negotiation. We still want to see if we can find other dollars,” said Adams.
Great weather and high morale in the city this week make for a fantastic start to Pride Month. Look out for more parades, festivities, and general celebrations throughout the month of June.