Check out all the highlights from Virgin and NYC’s Pride Party at One World Trade Center
The star-studded event took place on the eve of WorldPride to benefit the Attitude Magazine Foundation.
By Will Stroude
50 years after the Stonewall riots, LGBTQ stars and allies were feeling on top of the world at the Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Holidays and NYC Pride Party in One World Trade Center on Saturday night (29 June).
Hosted by Sir Richard Branson, the exclusive event saw LGBTQ role models including Munroe Bergdorf, MNEK, Jodie Harsh and Courtney Act soak up the views of Manhattan from the One World Observatory after touching down in New York the day before on Virgin’s first ever Pride flight.
They were joined by 13 Reasons Why‘s Tommy Dorfman, as well as 80-year-old Stonewall Inn barman Tree Sequoia, who participated in the Stonewall riots half a century ago and spoke to the assembled crowd.
Sir Richard Branson also used his speech to reassert his commitment to championing LGBTQ equality around the globe as the head of Virgin Group.
The 68-year-old entrepreneur urged both gay and straight people to press for change in other parts of the world including Africa and Asia.
Speaking with Attitude earlier in the day, Branson said: “We’ve tried to use every opportunity to make sure the gay community is accepted on a global basis.
“There are countries in the world where it is really frightening to be gay and what we’ve got to do is get the whole gay and straight community now concentrating on countries where gay people can be executed, stoned [given] life in prison.”
“We told Uganda we will not do business with them if they continue to do life in prison for gay people.”
Check out the red carpet pictures and some highlights from the Virgin and NYC Pride Party to benefit the Attitude Magazine Foundation below:
MNEK
Tommy Dorfman
Saara Aalto
AJ Pritchard
Stonewall bartender Tree Sequoia, who took part in the Stonewall riots on 28 June 1969.
Sir Richard Branson
From left-right: Emma Roid, Sir Richard Branson, Tess Tickle and Miss Cara
Courtney Act
James Barr
Munroe Bergdorf
Jodie Harsh
From left-right: Riyadh Khalaf, Tommy Dorfman and Josh Harrison
