June 30th 2023.
British activist and model Yasmin Benoit made history for the LGBTQ+ community this past Sunday, when she served as the first asexual grand marshal for the New York City Pride March.
Wearing a purple patent leather dress, fishnets, and combat boots, Benoit smiled radiantly as a rainbow sash was draped across her body with the words, “Grand Marshal 2023.”
The 27-year-old activist was flown from her home in Reading to the Big Apple to lead the 53rd annual NYC Pride March. Benoit proudly held up a flag with four horizontal stripes of black, grey, white, and purple.
Shortly before the march kicked off, Benoit told reporters that she felt “excited” and “absolutely incredible” to be named the first ever asexual grand marshal. She said she received an email from NYC Pride informing her that a vote had taken place and that she had won by a landslide.
The show of support from the US was overwhelming for Benoit, who has been attending Pride events since she was 14. “I had no idea that I had so many supporters in the US and New York that would want to bring me out here,” she said.
As Benoit made her way through the route, cheers and glowing faces grew. At one point, a complete stranger, Albany resident Lavell Beaty, 53, called out to her, “Beautiful!” Beaty, who is gay, told The Agency that he was inspired by Benoit’s journey from a grand marshal to where she was before. “We have the same experience,” he said. “Where was she before she was a grand marshal? She had to get from there to here and that’s the story that needs to be told.”
The NYC Pride March was an incredibly meaningful experience for Benoit, who wears multiple hats including writer, speaker, and model. Additionally, she is a researcher and project consultant, a board member of the Asexual Visibility and Education Network, and co-founded International Asexuality Day on April 6.
Though Benoit has faced challenges in being acknowledged as part of the LGBTQI+ community, she is proud to be both asexual and aromantic. She also noted that New York State is the only place in the world with legislation that recognizes asexuality and protects asexual people.
Benoit said that serving as a grand marshal for the NYC Pride March was “the most surreal experience of [her] life.” She plans to continue campaigning for asexual rights not only at home but in the US.
Overall, Benoit’s journey is one of strength, solidarity, and beauty – a story that needs to be told.
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