Story highlights Protesters appear at Pride celebrations in handful of cities

Activists say they oppose "whitewashing" of LGBTQ community

(CNN) At Pride celebrations across the United States on Sunday, a protest movement that aims to draw attention to the struggles of marginalized people within the LGBTQ community made itself heard.

Activists carrying signs declaring "No Justice No Pride" and "Black Lives Matter" appeared in New York, Minneapolis and Seattle, among other major cities. In some they were welcomed and invited to speak; in others, the activists interrupted parades and clashed with police, leading to an unconfirmed number of arrests.

The protests disrupted pride events earlier this month in Columbus, Ohio and Washington, DC. Their causes varied -- police shootings, violence against transgender women of color, mass deportations, corporate sponsorship of Pride -- but organizer Angela Peoples said members of the grassroots movement were united by concerns of the "whitewashing" of the LGBTQ community.

"There's a broad concern among LGBTQ folks, especially people of color, that this movement that claims victory around marriage equality has very much left behind those of us who still experience marginalization," Peoples said.

Law enforcement's participation in Pride parades embodies the disconnect, she said, pointing to the arrests of protesters last weekend in Columbus. So does the involvement of corporate sponsors that benefit from mass incarceration and the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline, she said.

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