05/22/2026
We're so excited to announce our Grand Marshal for this year's Hudson Valley Pride March!
A little bit about Maria:
Maria Espinal (she/her, they/them) is a bisexual Latin activist whose work spans LGBTQIA+, immigrant, labor, and human rights. She lives in Catskill, NY with her spouse, Rebecca, and is a proud mother and grandmother. Maria has been a trailblazer throughout her life—though, as she puts it, not always doing things gracefully. Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in New York City in a conservative religious household, she had to carve her own path toward becoming a bold, self-confident q***r Latina in a world that expected her to remain silent. At 17, she rejected those expectations and chose a different future.
As the world faced rising authoritarianism and increasing threats to vulnerable communities, Maria began volunteering with the Ulster Immigrant Defense Network (UIDN), where she now serves as a case manager. Through her work, she helps immigrants in Ulster County access resources to live with dignity and safety. This role brings together all the causes she cares about—LGBTQIA+ rights, women’s rights, workers’ rights, and immigrant justice. Recent cases have highlighted for her the urgent intersection of immigrant rights and the escalating attacks on LGBTQIA+ communities both here and abroad. She is proud to support LGBTQIA+ asylum seekers in the County as they seek legal and emotional support after fleeing persecution. Maria believes deeply in the promise of the United States as a place of safety and dignity, even in the face of ongoing challenges to those ideals. Her hope is that we continue the work of ensuring this country lives up to that promise for all. Maria serves as Grand Marshal of the Hudson Valley Pride March in recognition of the work of the Ulster Immigrant Defense Network and the shared commitment to justice, dignity, and protection for all communities.
