Elisa Crespo remembers attending New York City Pride for the first time 20 years ago when she was just 15 years old. Now, two decades later, after establishing herself as an influential leader in the city’s LGBTQ community, Crespo is preparing to step into the spotlight as a grand marshal in the city’s main Pride March on the final Sunday in June.
Describing it as a “full circle” moment, Crespo said in an interview with Gay City News that she was surprised when she first learned she was named a grand marshal at Pride this year. But she also appreciated the honor, especially considering that she is a native New Yorker.
Crespo has come a long way since she mounted an inspiring and historic campaign for City Council in the Bronx five years ago this month. She would have become the first out trans lawmaker in New York, and although Crespo did not win the race for District 15 in the City Council, she made a name for herself and laid the groundwork for an impactful career.
Crespo went on to lead the statewide LGBTQ organization New Pride Agenda, where she oversaw the opening of a new drop-in space last year and spearheaded the organization’s successful efforts to secure funding for trans New Yorkers through the Lorena Borjas Transgender and Nonbinary Wellness & Equity Fund, among other initiatives. She has since moved on to become the executive director of the Stonewall Community Foundation, which steers investments in organizations and causes supporting the LGBTQ community.
Crespo is serving as a grand marshal at a time of unprecedented hostility for transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary individuals in the United States. In recent years, many states have moved to restrict trans rights — even before President Donald Trump returned to the White House with a slate of anti-trans executive orders and other transphobic actions. The president’s attack on trans rights hit close to home, with multiple hospitals in New York City canceling appointments or otherwise pulling back on care in response to an executive order seeking to restrict gender-affirming care.
“Pride feels a little strange this year given the current political climate, but nonetheless, I think it’s important for us to be defiant, to be brazen, to show up, and take up space anyway,” Crespo said.
Crespo said she is excited to “blaze new trails in LGBTQ philanthropy” through her work with the Stonewall Community Foundation. She officially joined the organization in November of last year.
“For me, it’s important LGBTQ people are the ones who are funding LGBTQ futures,” Crespo explained.
This year will mark the first time that the Stonewall Community Foundation will march at NYC Pride in the organization’s 35-year history. In her latest role, Crespo is continuing to lead by example — and like others, she has emphasized the importance of “possibility models.”
Crespo, for her part, is showing what’s possible. When she first transitioned 20 years ago, she saw very few people who could be described as possibility models to show the way for the next generation.
“It was not the case that trans people were leading organizations or on the big screen or being celebrated for our work, so every time I’m feeling a little bit down or sad or discouraged, I always think about young people who need us,” Crespo said.
Today’s political landscape, she explained, makes it even more important for queer and trans people to demonstrate that no matter how difficult or scary things may seem, there is a community behind them.
“We know right now that young people — in particular trans youth — find themselves in the crosshairs of polarization and hyper-politicization,” Crespo said.
As for her own experience, Crespo is proud of the way she has trusted herself to get out, work hard, and give back to the community in any way possible.
“So much of what we’re being attacked for is our relentless pursuit of liberation and our ability to be our true selves,” Crespo said. “Sometimes… I think it can trigger the insecurity of others,” further demonstrating the need to show community.
Crespo is one of five different grand marshals at NYC Pride this year. She is joining former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, drag artist Marti Gould Cummings, DJ Lina, and Trans formative Schools, which is a free afterschool program for trans, queer, non-binary, and gender-expansive students ages 9-15.
The NYC Pride March — which is one of two main Pride Marches on Pride Sunday, along with the Reclaim Pride Coalition’s Queer Liberation March — is set to begin at noon on June 29.
