I've gone every weekend I was able (last year @caravel was recovering from surgery) and it's always been amazing. There's so many body shapes, pre-op trans women in bikini bottoms, trans guys with top surgery scars, and no-one gives anyone crap

fully half the femme-presenting people are topless (in NYC it's legal for women to be topless anywhere men are), which makes for some primo people-watching 😅

basically, I think it's everything pride _should_ be: a safe environment for society's margins. No cops, for one. and the only "corporation" trying to get our money is the overpriced hot dog stand.

(disclosure: I a white woman in a fairly cis-conventional shape, and my experience is far from universal. That said: many people who aren't expressed similar experiences at the beach)

and s/o to an explicitly queer space that exists in NYC that isn't a bar. People _have_ drinks, sure, but nobody's getting kicked out for not buying enough Limearitas.

in conclusion