
New York City revelers waved rainbow flags and carried colorful balloons during the 48th annual Gay Pride parade that saw an estimated 40,000 people, including Chelsea Manning and Kelly Osbourne, take to the streets on Sunday.

Manning was photographed smiling on the American Civil Liberties Union float during the parade in the Big Apple as she celebrated her first pride as a free woman.

Manning, the private first class soldier in the US Army who leaked hundreds of thousands of military intelligence reports and documents to WikiLeaks in 2010, was released from prison last month. The 29-year-old, who is transgender, was originally sentenced to 35 years but had her sentence commuted by then-president Barack Obama in January 2016.

Sporting a plaid dress, Manning was spotted later in the day waiving to crowds as she rode in a convertible while it crossed over a freshly painted rainbow crosswalk on Sixth Avenue in Manhattan.

Of her experience, she tweeted: 'honored to represent the @aclu at this years @NYCpridemarch ... lost my voice from screaming so much ... thank you'.

Dozens of gay pride parades were held around the country in New York, San Francisco and other cities, and some spotlighted the resistance to what participants see as new pressure on gay rights, while contending with the prospect of protests over the events' own diversity and direction.

First time: Chelsea Manning (above) participated in her first pride parade in New York City on Sunday. Manning was photographed smiling on the American Civil Liberties Union float during the parade in the Big Apple as she celebrated her first pride as a free woman

Members of Resist, a foundation that supports people's movements for justice and liberation. protest President Donald Trump as they march during the New York City Pride Parade

T-Mobile employees show #UnlimitedPride as they celebrate equal rights for the LGBTQ community during the Pride March

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, bottom center, marches during the New York City Pride Parade on Sunday

Members of the Caribbean pride pause during the New York City Pride Parade

Singer LeAnn Rimes performs onstage at the New York City Pride 2017

Actresses Ilana Glazer (L) and Abbi Jacobson attend the 2017 New York City Pride March

Sporting a plaid dress, Manning (left) was spotted later in the day waiving to crowds as she rode in a convertible

Manning (above) seemed to enjoy the day as a free woman after being released from prison last month

Of her experience, she tweeted: 'honored to represent the @aclu at this years @NYCpridemarch ... lost my voice from screaming so much ... thank you'.

Kelly Osbourne, 32, also took part in the LGBT Pride March in Manhattan on Sunday

Participants in the annual New York Gay Pride Parade, one of the oldest and largest in the world, make their way down 5th Avenue in Manhattan

New York City revelers waved rainbow flags and carried colorful balloons during the 48th annual pride that saw an estimated 40,000 people

Gay pride parades were held around the country in New York, San Francisco and other cities, and some spotlighted the resistance to what participants see as new pressure on gay rights, while contending with the prospect of protests over the events' own diversity and direction

In a year when leaders are anxious about President Donald Trump's agenda, both the New York (above) and San Francisco parades were headed by groups more focused on protest than celebration

The annual march is a civil rights demonstration as well as a political event and a remembrance of past and current struggles

Many said that visibility is especially important now given the changing political climate in Washington

LGBT activists have been galled by the Trump administration's rollback of federal guidance advising school districts to let transgender students use the bathrooms and locker rooms of their choice. Above people participate in New York's pride parade

In a year when leaders are anxious about President Donald Trump's agenda, both the New York and San Francisco parades were headed by groups more focused on protest than celebration.

The grand marshals in New York's parade included Brook Guinan - a transgender woman FDNY firefighter and advocate, the American Civil Liberties Union, Krishna Stone – the director of community relations at the Gay Men's Health Crisis advocacy group, Geng Lee – a leader for LGBT rights in the People's Republic of China and the ACLU.

All were chosen to represent facets of a 'resistance movement.'

'Visibility has always been one of the most influential tools that we have to combat the ignorance and hatred and violence that our community faces,' Guinan told CBS New York.

LGBT activists have been galled by the Trump administration's rollback of federal guidance advising school districts to let transgender students use the bathrooms and locker rooms of their choice.

The Republican president also broke from Democratic predecessor Barack Obama's practice of issuing a proclamation in honor of Pride Month.

New York Sen. Chuck Schumer is pictured above walking in New York's pride parade on Sunday

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is pictured above waiving a rainbow flag during Sunday's pride parade in the city

Participants dance during the New York City Pride Parade on Sunday

Participants perform on a float during the New York City Pride Parade

People cheer as floats travel along Fifth Avenue during the New York City Pride Parade

A reveler poses for a picture during the New York City Pride Parade

Parade participants are pictured above carrying what appears to be a casket with 'women's health' written across the side

Member of the Siren Motorcycle club participate in the New York City pride parade

Facebook employees carry a banner during the parade in New York City on Sunday

Members of the Stonewall Veterans participate in the pride parade on Sunday in New York City

It's a colorful day in Manhattan Sunday for the annual LGBT Pride March

The procession stepped off at noon at 36th Street and Fifth Avenue

Participants headed south on Fifth Avenue until they hit 8th Street, where they turned west toward Greenwich Village

Revelers started to line up early Sunday for the march, waving rainbow flags. Kendall Bermudez, 21, from New Jersey, said she thought people might be afraid to come out this year.

'But I think with all these people here, they're going to show we're fighting back and we're proud of who we are,' she said.

'I think we're going to overcome it and show Trump who's boss, well, who's the real boss.'

Earlier Sunday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the state would continue to lead the way on equality - and Washington would eventually listen.

He said the state is 'at the spearhead of the movement for social justice for the LGBT community.'

Singer Dragonette attends the 2017 New York City Pride March

The Heritage of Pride group carry banners and balloons during the New York City pride parade

Steven Menendez blows a kiss while participating in the New York City pride parade

Members of Cheer New York, a volunteer cheerleading and dance squad by and for the LGBTS community, throw performers into the air

Spectators lined up deep behind the barriers on each side of the parade route, attending for their own reasons – personal and political

The New York march's grand marshals this year include the American Civil Liberties Union, which was chosen for its history of litigation defending gay rights

People march down 5th Ave. in the annual New York Gay Pride Parade, one of the oldest and largest in the world

Many participants carried political themed signs as President Trump's adminstration has angered some in the LGBT community

A man holds a sign to protest against US President Donald Trump during the annual New York LGBT Pride March in New York

Thousands cheered as members of LGBT community danced and marched under a bright summer sun

Participants in the annual New York Gay Pride Parade, one of the oldest and largest in the world, make their way down 5th Avenue in Manhattan

The parade marched by the Stonewall Inn, which is widely considered the birthplace of gay rights activism

The march route ends on Christopher Street in Manhattan's West Village in order to commemorate the riots that broke out there in 1969 after police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar, in an event seen as a turning point in the gay rights movement

Tens of thousands lined the streets of Manhattan Sunday for the 48th NYC LGBT Pride March

The annual march, which started at 36th Street and Fifth Avenue, ends in the West Village

Cuomo, a Democrat, was speaking Sunday at a ceremony that formally appointed Paul G. Feinman to the New York Court of Appeals, the state's highest court. Feinman is the first openly gay judge to hold the position.

Twelve people were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct after obstructing the parade outside the Stonewall Inn, police said.

Marching behind a sign that read 'No Cops, No Banks,' the demonstrators appeared to be protesting the increasing corporatization and police involvement with the annual event.

The demonstration was resolved calmly, with police giving the protesters space for 10 minutes before making arrests.

The crowd was 'mostly irritated by the delay, and heartily cheered the police band that followed,' according to Gothamist.

The FDNY has also been reporting that seven firefighters were injured in a fire near the Pride March route.

The fire broke out just before 3:30 p.m. Sunday on Hudson Street near West 12th Street.

Two firefighters have serious injuries, and five firefighters have minor injuries.

Back on the route, the pride celebrations also faced some resistance from within the LGBT world itself.

Some activists feel the events are centered on gay white men and unconcerned with issues that matter particularly to minorities in the movement, such as economic inequality and policing.

The divide has disrupted some other pride events this month. The No Justice No Pride group blocked the Washington parade's route, and four protesters were arrested at the parade in Columbus, Ohio.

In Minneapolis, organizers of Sunday's Twin Cities Pride Parade initially asked the police department to limit its participation, with the chairwoman saying the sight of uniformed officers could foster 'angst and tension and the feeling of unrest' after a suburban officer's acquittal this month in the deadly shooting of Philando Castile, a black man, during a traffic stop.

The NYC Pride March started in 1970 as a civil rights demonstration on the 1-year anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising

It is one of the world's best known LGBT events, with 350 marching contingents and more than 2 million spectators in 2016

The march in New York and other cities are spotlighting resistance to what participants see as new pressure on gay rights, while contending with the prospect of protests over the events' own diversity and direction

In a year when leaders are anxious about President Donald Trump's agenda, both the New York and San Francisco events were headed by groups more focused on protest than celebration

In New York, grand marshals - including the American Civil Liberties Union - were chosen to represent facets of a 'resistance movement'

LGBT activists have been galled by the Trump administration's rollback of federal guidance advising school districts to let transgender students use the bathrooms and locker rooms of their choice

Grand Marshal Krishna Stone attends the 2017 New York City Pride March

Grand Marshal BGeng Le attends the 2017 New York City Pride March

Revelers started to line up early Sunday for the march, waving rainbow flags

Millions of people lined the streets of lower Manhattan for the 2017 Pride parade

Members of Gays against Guns wear all white and signs of those killed at the Pulse Night Club in Orlando during the New York City Pride Parade

A man dressed in rainbow colors walks during the annual New York LGBT Pride March

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (C) participates in the annual New York LGBT Pride March

New York became the first large state to approve same-sex marriage in 2011

Member of the Siren Motorcycle club participate in the New York City Pride Parade

T-Mobile employees show pride as they celebrate equal rights for the LGBTQ community during the New York City March

Members of the ACLU float cheer and interact with the crowd during the New York City pride parade

Two women attend Teaze during New York City pride at The DL in the Lower East Side of the city

Participants march during the New York City Pride Parade

A participant performs during the New York City Pride Parade

The city's openly gay police chief called the decision divisive and hurtful to LGBT officers. On Friday, organizers apologized and said the officers are welcome to march.

Meanwhile, pride march organizers have taken steps to address the criticisms about diversity.

'The pride celebration is a platform for that dialogue to happen,' San Francisco Pride board president Michelle Meow said this week. The large 'resistance contingent' leading San Francisco's parade includes groups that represent women, immigrants, African-Americans and others along with LGBT people.

New York paradegoers Zhane Smith-Garris, 20, Olivia Rengifo, 19 and Sierra Dias, 20, all black women from New Jersey, said they didn't feel there was inequality in the movement.

'Pride is for gay people in general,' Dias said.

New York City pride parade spokesman James Fallarino said if there are any disruptions or protests, organizers will 'do everything in our power to respect the people who are disrupting or protesting and to respect their message.'

Bo Dietl (C), a retired police detective and former Fox News contributor who is running to be mayor of New York City, participates in the annual New York LGBT Pride March in New York

The Pride March is a magnificent way of celebrating the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender people

People cheer outside The Stonewall gay bar, during the annual New York LGBT Pride March in New York

A man jumps in the air in Seventh Avenue after the annual New York LGBT Pride March