PRIDE 2002
TEN OF THOUSANDS LOOK ON AS THE GLBT
COMMUNITY CELEBRATE WITH PRIDE

In all their glamour, they marched down New York City's Fifth Avenue on June 30th.  Tens of thousands marched in and watched the 32nd annual gay pride parade in Manhattan. The parade began back in 1970 as a small affair to commemorate the anniversary of an uprising at the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in Greenwich Village. It has now become what is practically an annual event- an enormous, electric dance party in the streets according to the New York Times..

This year's event was organized by Heritage of Pride, and began with a same-sex wedding ceremony in which 50 couples were married in a service that was not legally binding but served as a rallying point for gay rights advocates. The parade was tempered later by a moment of silence for people who have died of AIDS.

The jam-packed floats with its decorated passengers, balloons, feathers, leather, wigs, thongs, stilettos and lots of bare skin, was a sight for the many onlookers.

New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg reportedly wishing to avoid protests in front of St. Patrick's Cathedral, joined the parade at East 49th Street. He marched to the Village holding a rainbow flag. Other politicians including former New York Governor Mario Cuomo's son Andrew Cuomo who hopes to run against sitting Governor Pataki was also visible among other local politicians.