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A city of love: The Gay Pride Parade for Equal rights

This years Gay Pride Parade (now officially called Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride March) in New York City took place this Sunday and was a hell of a party. I really liked the Puerto Rican Day Parade a couple of weeks ago. It was good fun and the temper was high. But the Gay Pride Parade was even more exiting! You could even say "Love is in the air. Everywhere I look around. Love is in the air. Every sight and every sound" (Lyrics of John Paul Youngs song). Well of course it's not only about love and fun but also about those who suffer from discrimination and HIV. This years theme for the parade was "Equal rights, no more no less."

One of the things I liked most about the march have been the spectators. The Gay Pride Parade started on 52nd Street, went down to 8th Street, turned right and went over onto Christopher Street. I started around 46th Street, the mood was good, observers seamed 5th Avenue. But the further you came down the more people where standing on both sides of the street watching the parade passing by, waving with banners and rainbow flags, screaming and applauding.
And let me tell you, there was enough to applaud to. Different organizations, politicians and groups marched to show their support and work for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community. There have been colorful dressed up drag-queens, muscular cowboys, beer bellied country fans, hot women, war veterans, firefighters and police officers marching in the parade... Yes, police didn't only patrol the streets, uniformed police officers carried a banner for the "Gay Officers Action League" and marched. Could you imagin gay police officers in Austria wearing a rainbow flag? Could you imagine them speaking out publicly? I can't. Well, that's New York baby.

The shot of the day
Unfortunatly (damn!) I missed the shot of the day because my memory card just transfered the last 230 photos onto a portable harddisk...
There was a truck of Absolut Vodka (there is commerce in all those parades) with dancers on it in the parade. It was lead by two really hot girls who did amazing things with their "hula hoops". Just a few feet before the end of the parade one of those girls went over to a group of police officers to persuade one of them to come and try the hula hoop. As I already thought, this policeman just shook his head and said no. BUT the girl was intractable and finally persuaded another of these police officers. He stepped forward and took the hoop. The crowd on each side of the street (since that was just a few feet away of the parades end there have been sooo many people) started to scream enthusiastically and gave this police officer a big applause after trying it. That's New York as well. :-)

Posted by Martin Fuchs on June 27, 2005 11:43 PM