Chicago, IL -
Gay pride flags lined Halsted and neighboring streets as the Gay Pride Parade stepped off at Belmont and Halsted under beautiful sunny skies Sunday afternoon.
The parade, which is organized by PRIDEChicago, drew over 450,000 people according to the Mayor's Office of Special Events. Spectators celebrated Gay Pride from the streets, rooftops and balconies in the Lakeview neighborhood known as "Boystown."
This is the parade's 38th year in the city, and with 250 entries this year it has grown to become the second-largest parade, behind the annual Bud Billiken Parade, which is also the largest African-American parade in the country. Just 150 people participated in the first Pride parade in Chicago in 1970.
Along with the festive and colorful floats were the usual politicians, decorated vehicles and walking contingents. Near the front was a contingent of marchers "Out for Obama" pledging support for Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama.
Leading the parade as grand marshal was former NBA player John Amaechi, who recently acknowledged that he is gay. Amaechi has just completed a book tour for his New York Times best-selling autobiography, Man in the Middle, in which he discusses his life journey, including his experiences in the NBA.
As the parade made its way through Lakeview it passed by the newly opened $40 million Center on Halsted, the largest community center in the Midwest. The 65,000 square-foot eco-friendly building located at 3656 N. Halsted St. houses the community center providing mental health services, youth programs, community and cultural programming, a technology center and meeting and office space for other LGBT non-profits.
Several protesters stationed near the end of the parade shouted anti-gay insults but were generally drowned out by the enthusiast crowd, parade participants and music.
Gay pride parades began in the 1970s to commemorate June 1969's Stonewall riots in New York. The riots, which started after police raided a gay bar in Greenwich Village, are considered to be the beginning of the gay rights movement.
ABC-7 Chicago (www.abc7chicago.com) will broadcast the parade tonight at 11:35 p.m.
Related: Interview with John Amaechi
Photo by: Frank Failing
The parade, which is organized by PRIDEChicago, drew over 450,000 people according to the Mayor's Office of Special Events. Spectators celebrated Gay Pride from the streets, rooftops and balconies in the Lakeview neighborhood known as "Boystown."
This is the parade's 38th year in the city, and with 250 entries this year it has grown to become the second-largest parade, behind the annual Bud Billiken Parade, which is also the largest African-American parade in the country. Just 150 people participated in the first Pride parade in Chicago in 1970.
Along with the festive and colorful floats were the usual politicians, decorated vehicles and walking contingents. Near the front was a contingent of marchers "Out for Obama" pledging support for Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama.
Leading the parade as grand marshal was former NBA player John Amaechi, who recently acknowledged that he is gay. Amaechi has just completed a book tour for his New York Times best-selling autobiography, Man in the Middle, in which he discusses his life journey, including his experiences in the NBA.
As the parade made its way through Lakeview it passed by the newly opened $40 million Center on Halsted, the largest community center in the Midwest. The 65,000 square-foot eco-friendly building located at 3656 N. Halsted St. houses the community center providing mental health services, youth programs, community and cultural programming, a technology center and meeting and office space for other LGBT non-profits.
Several protesters stationed near the end of the parade shouted anti-gay insults but were generally drowned out by the enthusiast crowd, parade participants and music.
Gay pride parades began in the 1970s to commemorate June 1969's Stonewall riots in New York. The riots, which started after police raided a gay bar in Greenwich Village, are considered to be the beginning of the gay rights movement.
ABC-7 Chicago (www.abc7chicago.com) will broadcast the parade tonight at 11:35 p.m.
Related: Interview with John Amaechi
Photo by: Frank Failing
