New York Pride: This 92-year-old mother has held the same sign at the city’s Pride march since 1971
Frances Goldin, who has two lesbian daughters, holds a sign while watching the Gay Pride Parade (Yana Paskova/Getty Images)
Frances Goldin, 92, has been holding up the same sign at New York Pride since 1971.
“I adore my lesbian daughters, keep them safe” reads Goldin’s sign.
The mother of two lesbian daughters has been a familiar sight at New York Pride.
Her daughters came out as lesbian in 1971 and Goldin has been attending Pride marches in the North American city ever since.
Frances Goldin at one of her earlier Pride marches (GINA KAYSEN)
Not only is the sign important for her daughters, but the 92-year-old has also been moving others with her placard.
“When I [first] saw the reaction from the marchers to my sign, I was incredibly moved.” Goldin told the HuffPost.
“People would run up to me with tears in their eyes and thank me for being so supportive.”
Initially reading as “I adore my lesbian daughters”, Goldin’s sign later took on a new call for action with regards to safety for LGBT people.
Whilst attending The March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation, in 1993, she added the line “Keep them safe”
Goldin said that she felt that the sign needed to take on a greater call for action.
Frances Goldin shows the other side of her famous sign (FRANCES GOLDIN/HUFFPOST)
No stranger to activism, Goldin became an activist for affordable housing when moving to the Lower East Side in 1945.
In addition, Goldin also ran for state Senate in 1953 under the American Labor Party.
The Vietnam War was also in Goldin’s activism sights, having also been involved with civil rights protests against the war.
Today she continue to advocate for fairer housing, alongside inspiring the parents of LGBT people.
Thousands of people joined the march in New York this year (Alba Vigaray/EPA)
Back in 2016, Goldin told the HuffPost: “I always tell other parents that you’ll never find more giving children than gays and lesbians.
“And that I have the most devoted, loving, helpful, useful children in the world because I support my kids and they support me.
“So, please, cherish your lesbian and gay children.”
The back of Goldin’s sign read: “Difference enriches us all, a proud parent of lesbians”
Her powerful message of equality and unity have certainly not gone unnoticed by New York’s LGBT community.
One of the oldest LGBT activists, many are hoping that she will continue to attended marches into her later years.
Other familiar faces in the crowds this year included tennis champion Billie Jean King and Cynthia Nixon.
Next year is the city’s 50th Pride march, with activists saying that the fight for LGBT rights is far from over.
