At the 2018 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, performers like John Legend and Ally Brooke put on a show for a mass of festive spectators. Despite the 21-degree weather, one of the coldest NYC Thanksgivings in decades, balloons flew high. And, in case you missed it, a same-sex kiss became one of the day’s most talked-about highlights.
The embrace between leads Caitlin Kinnunen (Emma) and Isabelle McCalla (Alyssa Greene) of Broadway musical The Prom is being called the first LGBTQ kiss in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade history.
The Prom, directed by Casey Nicholaw, is currently running at NYC’s Longacre Theatre. It debuted last month.
Rather than let Emma and Alyssa attend prom together as a couple, their Indiana high school cancels the dance. The musical centers around the LGBTQ community and discrimination they face. And, there’s a comedic factor to it all.
“With its kinetic dancing, broad mugging and belty anthems, it makes you believe in musical comedy again,” reads a New York Times review by Jesse Green.
“Broadway’s The Prom is grateful to Macy’s and NBC for their acceptance and inclusivity of a community and a story that is about acceptance, tolerance and love,” The Prom producers Bill Damaschke, Dori Berinstein and Jack Lane told Entertainment Tonight in a joint statement. “These are some of the themes reflected in our musical comedy and we are very proud to be the very first LGBTQ kiss on the Thanksgiving Day Parade.”
Watch: Same-sex kiss makes history at the 2018 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
Below, watch the same-sex kiss that reportedly made Macy’s history yesterday. The kiss happens at the end of the musical number.
Though there was, as always, a mix of opinions circulating social media after the same-sex kiss, many people expressed similar sentiments: Love is love.
“I finally live in a world where national TV isn’t ashamed to show this on a wildly broadcasted event. #representationmatters,” one Twitter user shared.
“The first #LGBTQ kiss in the Parade’s history. We here at @ThePromMusical have never been so proud,” cast member Josh Lamon said. “#LoveIsLove.”
Though reps for the 2018 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade were not available for immediate comment, they told EW, “At Macy’s, we are guided by our corporate values of Acceptance, Respect, Integrity and Giving Back. We hope that viewers found the 92nd Annual Parade entertaining with its traditional mix of signature balloons, fantastic floats and performances from the nation’s best marching bands and musical acts. We look forward to next year.”
