The 25th Annual New York City Dyke March flooded Fifth Avenue with lesbians yesterday afternoon, as thousands of women and transgender people (plus a few cis men) walked and danced and laughed and screamed their way from 42nd Street to Washington Square Park.

Unlike the massive Pride Parade, which starts Sunday at noon, Dyke March remains fiercely resistant to corporate sponsorships or commercialization of any kind. As one of the march's official shirts from a few years ago says, "This Is A Fucking Protest", and that pointed, self-empowered spirit informs the entire day.

Not that Dyke March isn't also joyous, sexy, and a hell of a lot of fun. It is most definitely all those things, with three marching drum bands (a "house band" up front, Batala in the middle, Fogo Azul near the rear) keeping the mood lively along the entire route.

#nycdykemarch @bozonio @sodadenyc @jollyjols A post shared by Gaby (@plastic.realities) on Jun 24, 2017 at 3:51pm PDT

Edie Windsor and Roberta Kaplan, two of the heroes of the DOMA victory before the Supreme Court in 2015, joined the protest for several blocks on lower Fifth Avenue. Church Ladies For Choice stationed themselves at Marble Collegiate and serenaded the passing marchers with their signature hit, "God Is a Lesbian."

Finally a hymn I can get behind! #godisadyke #churchladiesforchoice #dykemarch #pride2017 #pride A post shared by Jen Gushue (@jen_gushue) on Jun 24, 2017 at 5:48pm PDT

The Lesbian and Gay Big Apple Corps also performed a rousing marching-band cover of "We're Not Going to Take It" as the protest got within sight of the park.

As is traditional, many marchers headed straight for the fountain in Washington Square, capping off a beautiful afternoon with a ceremonial dunk.