A few highlights from Pride events. There are a couple of unusual stories, some surprises, and news about prejudice and hatred that still exists toward LGBTQs.
The largest of the pride celebrations in the United States, more than one million people attended today's gay pride parade in New York, which commemorates the anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall Riots.
[SNIP]
This is a particularly memorable year for New Yorkers as newly appointed NYC Gov. David Paterson recently ruled that New York will recognize same-sex marriages from other states.
An estimated 400,000 people are expected to gather in Chicago's Boystown neighborhood as the city celebrates its 39th annual gay pride parade.
The theme of Sunday's march is "Live, Love, Be Proud" and it culminates a month of pride events being held around the community.
Tens of thousands of people have taken part in Gay Pride events in several European cities. Here in Germany, gays and lesbians gathered in Berlin to join the 30th annual Christopher Street Day parade through the capital. Elsewhere, the event was marred after at least 20 people were injured when the Czech Republic's first ever Gay Pride parade was attacked by right-wing extremists before the event was due to begin in the city of Brno. In Bulgaria, police arrested 60 skinheads who tried to disrupt that country's first Gay Pride parade.
Thousands of people are expected to celebrate Gay Pride weekend in San Francisco. ”It’s going to be about double the people,” said Victor Anderson, who runs Heart of the Castro Wedding Chapel. “Usually it’s about a half a million people who come for Pride, and they’re estimating 1.2 million for this year.”
The 34th annual Seattle Pride Parade roared back to heart of down- town Sunday, as thousands of spectators turned out for a three-hour spectacle of outré and the ordinary.
Gay rights supporters took to the streets of Calcutta, Bangalore and New Delhi to call for an end to discrimination and push for acceptance in a society where intolerance is widespread.
[SNIP]
While small groups have marched in the eastern city of Calcutta in recent years, Sunday's events were the first gay pride parades in Bangalore and New Delhi. Several hundred people turned out at each of the three events.
[SNIP]
And Chet Scoville at Shakesville posted this, for which I offer a h/t:
For the first time, members of Canada's Armed Forces represented the military in Toronto's annual Gay Pride parade, held Sunday.
"The message to the public is that the Canadian Forces is an employer of choice. We have employment opportunities that people can pursue, regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation," he [Lt. Steven Churm] told CBC News. "For our own members, they can be proud of what they're doing and also be proud of who they are."
Things are getting better for the LGBTQ community. We still have a long way to go, but when you look at the number of Pride events around the world and the numbers participating in them - openly - that really is change we can believe in. Progress can't be stopped. It can be slowed-down and stalled. But it can't be stopped because people are the fuel for progress.
Comments