Gay Pride Parade, New York
It was a hot, hot day. Beautiful.
The parade went a long way down 5th Avenue before finishing on Christopher Street. It lasted all afternoon.
There were motorcycles. There were legions of politicians and candidates, including Hillary Clinton, who got by far the loudest and longest applause of anything or anyone in the parade. She was surrounded by legions of guards and journalists, so I've circled her for your convenience.
There were groups from a wide variety of geographic locations: Brazil, Columbia, Russia, Ireland, Taiwan, the Caribbean. There were high schools and colleges. There was a long series of sports groups: football, soccer ("Come kick our balls!"), softball ("Two four six eight, do it like we masturbate! Whack it, whack it, whack it! Eight four six two, do it it like the lesbians do! Lick it..."), swimmers, country dancers, hockey. There were synagogues and churches. A lot of them. There were corporations. There were other celebrities. When the guys from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy passed by, the announcer started shrieking "Oh my god, I love you!"
There were civil rights groups, community support groups, AIDS and drug education groups. I finally understand this sticker, which is on cars everywhere in the bay area. There were lesbian people and gay people and bi people and polyamorous people and leather peole and bear people and BDSM people and "heteros for homos" and parents pushing strollers. A guy marching in a BDSM group came over to chat me up: "So, are you here with your girlfriend?" nodding to the cute girl in a rainbow halter top next to me.
It's beautiful, multicultural, sex-positive. There are rainbows everywhere.
That's lovely and good, but we all know what the important bits are. (1) drag queens...
and (2) scantily clad gyrating men.
Here's a half-naked gyrating woman, for those who prefer that. At least, I'm pretty sure she's female.
There were also lots of touching human moments. There was an empty car for someone who died this month. There was a bus of couples who had been married in Massachusetts. Some I took pictures of: stopping to fix the ties that bind, and the absolutely adorable kids who posed for me.
