Each year, Tarab NYC’s presence at events like NYC Pride, Queens Pride, Brooklyn Pride, the Dyke March, and the Queer Liberation March shines a light on our diverse and vibrant queer and trans SWANA community. These moments of visibility are not only a celebration of who we are, but also an opportunity to publicly express our solidarity with global movements for justice and liberation, including the call for a free Palestine and an end to war and colonial violence in Yemen, Iran, Sudan, and beyond.
This year, we are not participating in any of the Pride marches. This is not due to a lack of desire or belief in their value. As a volunteer-run organization, we simply do not have the capacity this year to organize our presence. The time, labor, and care required to organize and represent our broader queer SWANA community with intention and visibility demands significant effort. Pride participation takes over 100 hours of collective volunteer work across planning, outreach, logistics, and day-of coordination. Right now, our capacity is simply… limited.
This moment is deeply personal for us. Several members of our board have family currently living through the devastation of bombings and violence in the SWANA region. Our grief, rage, and worry are not abstract, they are lived and felt daily. These crises are not just headlines for us, they are happening to our loved ones, our homes, our people.
If you are planning to march this year and have already registered with a Pride organizing body, and would like advice, support, or access to resources from previous years, please reach out, we are happy to help. Looking ahead, we’re calling on community members to help bring Tarab NYC back to Pride in 2026. If you’re passionate about queer and trans SWANA visibility and want to support or lead our Pride efforts next year, we’d love to connect with you.
-Tarab NYC
PS: While we’re not marching this year, we hope you’ll join us at our Queer MENA Happy Hour: Pride Edition on June 25 and Color Me Queer on June 29.