Yesterday evening, people of all ages and backgrounds gathered at Washington Square Park for the LGBT Rally for Homeless Youth, which kicked off the National Campaign for Youth Shelter. The Ali Forney Center partnered with the National Coalition for the Homeless to create awareness and get the ball rolling on prioritizing the protection of homeless youth in our country.

The event was emceed by Junior Labeija, whose charisma and vivacious spirit kept the crowd captivated and the enthusiasm alive. Labeija is a ballroom legend, the star of the film Paris Is Burning, and for those of you who don't know, a former homeless LGBT youth. His past experience as well as his goals for the entire LGBT community made him the perfect man for the job.

The rally featured 13 speakers, including David Mixner, Jennifer Louise Lopez, Reverend Melvin Miller, Martin Boyce, Emanuel Xavier, Nathan Schaeffer, Chris Bilal, Jerry Jones, Mark Harrigton, Wade Davis, Cathy Marino-Thomas, Edie Windsor, and Carl Siciliano. But the people who really made the movement a success were the supporters in the crowd. Here are some photos: