2026 NYC Pride Guide - Magazine - Page 15
Peppermint rose to fame as the first out trans contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race,
but she has always been a force all her own. Recently making history as the first
out trans woman to originate a principal role in a musical, Peppermint is a fierce
advocate for diverse, authentic trans representation across entertainment. As the
ACLU’s first Artist Ambassador for Trans Justice, she also raises funds for a variety of
LGBTQIA+ organizations. Peppermint said, “Being named a Grand Marshal for NYC
Pride is deeply meaningful to me, not just as an artist, but as a Black trans woman
standing in the legacy of those who fought for us to be here. Pride has always been
about visibility, resistance, and community, but this year, it feels especially urgent.
To lead in this moment, in the birthplace of Pride, is both an honor and a responsibility I carry with purpose.”
MARCHING CONTINGENT: GLAAD’S ADVOCATES FOR TRANSEQUALITY INITIATIVE
Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE), a national, trans-led organization to fight for transgender rights, equality, and
safety in the U.S., and GLAAD, the world’s leading LGBTQ media advocacy organization, are sharing tools and opportunities for the trans community and allies to build trans power this Pride season. The organizations are uplifting voter
registration efforts ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, collecting public comments to help protect fair housing, and
building understanding about trans lives in order to defeat proposed rollbacks at the federal and state level.
glaad.org/transgender/resources
ACTIVIST. PERFORMER. QUEEN.
Reflect on your personal
connection to the 2026 NYC
Pride theme, “For All of Us”, a
direct reference to the famous
Marsha P. Johnson quote,
“There’s no pride for some of
us without liberation for all of
us” - what does that mean to
you, and why do you think it
resonates right now.
I think the world is pretty
similar to how it was when
Marsha P. Johnson originally uttered those words. We
have a government and a
society that want to discourage queer and particularly
trans people from being ourselves and being celebrated.
I think the quote highlights
the importance of community and reminds us that the
farthest-reaching liberation
is carried by several sets of
hands, each with a different
skill and a different perspective. I would like to think
that this quote isn’t specifically about LGBTQ+ rights,
though, as someone who
was reportedly low-income,
working-class, and perhaps
even engaged in sex work,
there is a very strong argument that each of those
groups is not as represented
as they could have been or
perhaps even should have
been.
As we look to build a future
“for all of us”, why is it
important that we look to our
history?
Looking at our history can
always tell us where we are
going, but preserving it is
even more important, given
that it is literally being whitewashed, erased,
and distorted. It certainly
seems like the forces that
are up to no good have a
very strong but predictable
plan, because the only thing
they ultimately want is all the
Power and all the money.
To you, what does liberation
look like “for all of us”?
My idea of Liberation changes over time, but today,
liberation from the most
oppressive forces means the
freedom and ability to be
celebrated without necessarily having to be, because
each of us has equal access
and the media has a full
understanding and appreciation for diverse experiences
and identities.
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