Something To Celebrate: Pride In Chicago and Across America
Mon. June 30, 2003 12:00 AM by 365gay.com
Chicago, IL -
Nearly three million people celebrated LGBT Pride on Sunday across America, spurred on by last week's sweeping Supreme Court ruling that removed the government from the nation's bedrooms.
Major celebrations were held in New York, San Francisco, Chicago and Atlanta, with dozens of other communities holding their own Pride festivities.
Chicago:
Nearly 400,000 people celebrated Pride in Chicago Sunday.
This year's special guest was Billy Bean, the gay former Major League Baseball player and author of Going the Other Way--Lessons From a Life In and Out of Major League Baseball. (Bean bio | CP's interview with Billy Bean)
With more than 250 floats and thousands of participants, the gay pride parade has grown to become Chicago's second-largest parade, behind the annual Bud Billiken Parade, which is also the largest African-American parade in the country.
Huge cheers greeted about a dozen marchers from PFLAG--Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays. Other favorites were the gay veterans, whose service goes back to World War II, and members of the gay police officers association.
Just 150 people participated in the first Pride parade in 1969.
Chicago parade photos
New York:
An estimated crowd close to one million lined New York's Fifth Avenue as the Big Apple's Pride parade rolled towards Greenwich Village.
"Let's hear it for gay pride," Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., bellowed through a megaphone as he marched down the avenue. "Let's even hear it for the Supreme Court, who ever thought we'd say that?"
While the parade featured its usual collection of motorcycle dykes, drag queens, and musclemen, the High Court decision dominated the mood.
"It's a critically important step toward bringing full dignity and rights to gay people," said Ana Oliveira, executive director of Gay Men's Health Crisis, marching with her AIDS prevention group.
One couple from Houston, in town for the parade, wore pink stickers with the slogan "My bedroom, my business" on their shirts.
San Francisco:
The Supreme Court decision gave San Francisco Pride an extra sense of jubilation Sunday as it wound its way down Market Street.
This was the 28th annual Pride parade in what is known as American gay capital. This year's march was titled "You Gotta Give Them Hope" in honor of Harvey Milk who was assassinated along with Mayor George Moscone 25 years ago this November.
The SF Pride Committee also used the occasion to encourage people to lobby the state Senate to vote for pending legislation that would grant gay couples most of the same legal and financial benefits as married heterosexuals.
"We got a couple of breaks in the last few weeks, with Canada legalizing gay marriage and now the Supreme Court," said Tom Ammiano, one of two candidates vying to become the city's first gay mayor this year. "It looks like Sandra Day O'Connor watching Will & Grace really paid off."
"Harvey would have been very proud of his city, his country and especially the Supreme Court" one organizer said.
Atlanta:
Organizers of the Atlanta Pride Festival, now in its 33rd year, said the Supreme Court decision helped set an attendance record. Some 300,000 people celebrated Pride Sunday.
"You couldn't ask for a better reason to come out and celebrate," said Philip Rafshoon, owner of Outwrite Bookstore in Atlanta's traditionally gay Midtown neighborhood. "A lot of people think (gay sex is) immoral. And, unfortunately for them, it's not illegal anymore."
365Gay.com reporters Beth Shapiro in New York, Steph Smith in Chicago & Mark Worrall in San Francisco contributed to this story.
©365Gay.com® 2003
Major celebrations were held in New York, San Francisco, Chicago and Atlanta, with dozens of other communities holding their own Pride festivities.
Chicago:
Nearly 400,000 people celebrated Pride in Chicago Sunday.
This year's special guest was Billy Bean, the gay former Major League Baseball player and author of Going the Other Way--Lessons From a Life In and Out of Major League Baseball. (Bean bio | CP's interview with Billy Bean)
With more than 250 floats and thousands of participants, the gay pride parade has grown to become Chicago's second-largest parade, behind the annual Bud Billiken Parade, which is also the largest African-American parade in the country.
Huge cheers greeted about a dozen marchers from PFLAG--Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays. Other favorites were the gay veterans, whose service goes back to World War II, and members of the gay police officers association.
Just 150 people participated in the first Pride parade in 1969.
Chicago parade photos
New York:
An estimated crowd close to one million lined New York's Fifth Avenue as the Big Apple's Pride parade rolled towards Greenwich Village.
"Let's hear it for gay pride," Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., bellowed through a megaphone as he marched down the avenue. "Let's even hear it for the Supreme Court, who ever thought we'd say that?"
While the parade featured its usual collection of motorcycle dykes, drag queens, and musclemen, the High Court decision dominated the mood.
"It's a critically important step toward bringing full dignity and rights to gay people," said Ana Oliveira, executive director of Gay Men's Health Crisis, marching with her AIDS prevention group.
One couple from Houston, in town for the parade, wore pink stickers with the slogan "My bedroom, my business" on their shirts.
San Francisco:
The Supreme Court decision gave San Francisco Pride an extra sense of jubilation Sunday as it wound its way down Market Street.
This was the 28th annual Pride parade in what is known as American gay capital. This year's march was titled "You Gotta Give Them Hope" in honor of Harvey Milk who was assassinated along with Mayor George Moscone 25 years ago this November.
The SF Pride Committee also used the occasion to encourage people to lobby the state Senate to vote for pending legislation that would grant gay couples most of the same legal and financial benefits as married heterosexuals.
"We got a couple of breaks in the last few weeks, with Canada legalizing gay marriage and now the Supreme Court," said Tom Ammiano, one of two candidates vying to become the city's first gay mayor this year. "It looks like Sandra Day O'Connor watching Will & Grace really paid off."
"Harvey would have been very proud of his city, his country and especially the Supreme Court" one organizer said.
Atlanta:
Organizers of the Atlanta Pride Festival, now in its 33rd year, said the Supreme Court decision helped set an attendance record. Some 300,000 people celebrated Pride Sunday.
"You couldn't ask for a better reason to come out and celebrate," said Philip Rafshoon, owner of Outwrite Bookstore in Atlanta's traditionally gay Midtown neighborhood. "A lot of people think (gay sex is) immoral. And, unfortunately for them, it's not illegal anymore."
365Gay.com reporters Beth Shapiro in New York, Steph Smith in Chicago & Mark Worrall in San Francisco contributed to this story.
©365Gay.com® 2003
This article originally appeared on 365gay.com. Republished with permission.