NYC’s Gay Pride

The last Sunday in June has become one of the most colorful days in Manhattan. That’s the date for annual NYC Gay Pride Parade. New York has always been hospitable towards people generally seen as outsiders. This is where outsiders come to make a new life for themselves - and when they do, city tradition is to have a parade. It’s a way of announcing to the world that you’re here — that you’re established, you’ve made it. You’re a part of the city’s fabric now. Gay people are no exception to the rule, but in a city that has parades and festivals every other week, the Gay Pride March stands apart from the rest. Being one of the most colorful marches, it attracts the most spectators; reports say that over half a million people came out to watch the city’s gay population display its colors. Its popularity attracts people who want to be seen, too — this year brought a lot of politicians came out. Mayor Bloomberg spoke about gay marriages, and Sen. Hillary Clinton marched with the parade. But it wasn’t about the politicians, it was about the people. The massive crowd flew their rainbow flags proudly, bringing a blast of color to a grey, cloudy afternoon.

You can browse great photos of the parade HERE, and some fun crowd shots HERE and HERE.

This entry was posted by A.Rehak on Monday, June 26th, 2006 at 10:51 am