Hundreds of thousands marched in cities across the United States in pride and protest to celebrate and demand full rights for the LGBT community.

The events had various names, including the Equality March in Washington, D.C., and the Resist March in Los Angeles.

But full recognition of the rights for lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transsexuals was at the center of the parades, speeches and dancing in the streets.

Many of the marchers lamented what they believe is the setback in the progress made under the Obama administration in the new Trump White House.

While President Donald Trump himself has said little about LGBT rights, several members of his Cabinet have been openly critical of the gay community. They include Vice President Mike Pence and Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

They also point out that Trump broke an Obama tradition by not declaring June Gay Pride Month.

“I think we have an administration that is pointedly and deliberately not recognizing gay people, gay rights, trans-rights,” one marcher in Washington told Reuters. “We’ve made so much progress over the last eight years. I’m not prepared to let that go.”

Democratic Representative Maxine Waters led the crowd in chants for Trump’s impeachment at the Los Angeles march.

Trump said during the presidential campaign that he is “fine” with the idea of gay marriage, and also said he does not care what bathroom a person uses — a reference to court cases on whether a transgender student can use the bathroom of his or her choice.

But the Trump White House scrapped President Obama’s guidance ordering public schools to let those students make that choice.

Sunday’s marches came on an especially poignant day as many remembered the massacre at the Pulse nightclub — a gay club in Orlando, Florida — one year ago.

A pro-Islamic State gunman killed 49 people and wounded more than 50 in one of the most shocking hate crimes in U.S. history.
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