After Berlin, WorldPride Amsterdam celebrates without looking away

As boats float down Amsterdam’s Prinsengracht canal during this year’s WorldPride Canal Parade, security guards pace alongside the temporary bleachers, repeatedly asking attendees to remain seated. One man in vibrant red sunglasses keeps rising anyway, eager for a better view of the next float.The float for COC Netherlands, the world’s oldest continuously operating LGBTQ+ organization, sails into view. At the bow, a large red sign reads, “Join our fight for human rights.” The man in the red glasses is on his feet again, clapping and dancing to Diana Ross’s “I’m Coming Out,” blaring from the boat’s speakers. WorldPride draws attendees from around the globe. Some are celebrating their very first Pride. Others are attending their 10th Pride this summer. But few people can say they were at the uprising that sparked the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. Mark Segal, recognizable by his signature red glasses, was at the Stonewall Inn on June 28, 1969.“Seeing every segment of the LGBTQ community represented at WorldPride made me so proud,” Segal said. “Watching the Canal Parade celebrate everyone from seniors to refugees to firefighters and the openly gay prime minister warmed my old activist heart. I felt like I was floating along with all of them, it was so joyful.”Sporting a tank top covered in gold sequin paillettes borrowed from a drag queen, Singaporean content creator Joel Tay radiated joy as he joined the synchronized dance to “Golden” from “KPop Demon Hunters” on the Asia Pride float. This was not only his first WorldPride but also his first Pride outside Asia.Related: I survived the Berlin Pride terror attack. Don’t let the right weaponize our grief“I joined the Asia Pride float solo and met everyone for the first time that day. There were so many nationalities: Thais, Japanese, Taiwanese, Malaysians, and me from Singapore — but we connected naturally,” Tay said. “It was a core memory for me sailing through the canals and