Travel

We took the first ever Pride Flight from London to New York — and it was no drag


DRAG queens, discos and daiquiris are not your usual in-flight entertainment – but this is no ordinary flight and Virgin Atlantic is no ordinary airline.

I am boarding the inaugural Pride Flight from London to New York, a 35,000ft-high party plane headed to the Big Apple for gay Pride.

 New York Pride parade-goers are loud and proud

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New York Pride parade-goers are loud and proud

Unicorn cupcakes, colourful ice-cream stands and LGBT staff kickstart the fun at Heathrow Airport as I check in for the trip of a lifetime.

The Boeing 747 has even been decked out with its own on-board nightclub and DJ to get us in the mood for the weekend. This is my kind of mile-high club.

Abba is pumped around the aircraft as we take off, 50 of us swarm around the First Class bar to glimpse drag queen DJ Jodie Harsh and a conga line snakes through the cabin. Crew follow us round with drink trolleys, plying us with cocktails.

KILLER MARGARITAS

Word quickly gets around that a young family have mistakenly been put on this flight after missing a connection at Heathrow but parents Kerry and Sean Powell agree the kids could not have wished for a better education.

Three drag queens look after sons Calum, four, and Cody, one, while mum and dad enjoy a cocktail each. It is kids’ camp re-imagined.

 Pride colours are projected on the New York City skyline

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Pride colours are projected on the New York City skylineCredit: NYC & Company

Virgin Atlantic has even booked X Factor singer Saara Aalto to belt out pop hits during the crossing.

As we arrive at Newark airport, bleary-eyed, I’m itching to get stuck into the Pride festivities. But before I dress up for Sunday’s march, there is exploring to do.

Greenwich Village, affectionately referred to as The Village, is the heart of gay New York and a short subway ride from the AKA Wall Street downtown hotel where I’m staying for three nights.

Among the downtown pubs and clubs located around Christopher Park is the world-famous Stonewall Inn where the LGBT community fought back against police in 1969 when they raided the pub in the early hours of June 28, 1969. The riot prompted the start of the gay liberation movement in America and the rest of the world.

 Drag queen DJ Jodie Harsh and a conga line snake through cabin

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Drag queen DJ Jodie Harsh and a conga line snake through cabin

GO: NEW YORK CITY

GETTING/STAYING THERE: Three nights’ room only at AKA Wall Street in Manhattan is from £869pp, based on two adults sharing and including flights from Heathrow. See virginholidays.co.uk or call 0344 557 3859.

Today, Andrew Lear from Oscar Wilde Tours is taking us on a tour of the neighbourhood. Stops include the house of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt’s lesbian lover Lorena, Oscar Wilde’s house and the home of Marlon Brando’s sister Frances — where the actor would pull up on his Harley Davidson.

We end up at Washington Square where five pensioners busk in the same place where Bob Dylan and Justin Bieber began their careers.

The 35C heat has me down an ice-cold drink at Texan eatery Cowgirl. I choose one of its “killer margaritas” and a plate of fried chicken. It’s tough but I have to pace myself with the cocktails to be on form for tomorrow’s parade.

The main event kicks off at noon so I arrive at the main grandstand with plenty of time to get a vantage point. The city has welcomed more than 4.5million extra visitors and they are mostly lining the streets, with rainbow flags waving.

 Revellers have a thong and dance in NYC

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Revellers have a thong and dance in NYC

As members of the LGBT community march by, followed by flamboyant floats, it is clear that things have come on leaps and bounds since those Stonewall Riots.

But groups marching from the 72 countries where it is still illegal to be gay are a reminder of the work left to be done.

After a rip-roaring parade there are enough parties to keep revellers entertained till the early hours.

Next day, a sausage-and-egg bagel, hot cup of Joe and trip to sleepy Governor’s Island is the ideal cure for the worst of hangovers as I embark on my final day in the Big Apple. Governors Island, a former army base 800 yards from downtown Manhattan, has been turned into a national park with restaurants and cycle hire.

Reached by ferry, it is the perfect place for a lazy day.

The island is open only from May 1 to October 31 but there are plans to extend this — and for a spa.

Heaps of shellfish are devoured at eatery Island Oyster, all washed down with crisp rosé wine as my time to bid New York farewell approaches.

As the plane takes off, I am excited to hear Sir Richard Branson is already planning his next Pride Flight — and I will be first in line for a ticket.

New York celebrates LGBT pride as thousands turn out for the annual gay pride parade





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