New York City’s annual Gay Pride Parade has long been one of the city’s more festive celebrations.
Today’s parade, in the glow of Friday’s Supreme Court ruling that the right to same-sex marriage is guaranteed by the Constitution, carried an extra burst of energy and emotion. The parade in San Francisco was similarly exuberant. See full story.
The sun came out in San Francisco, and Market Street was transformed into a dance hall of sorts, as young and old, tourists and locals, gay and straight, cheered the colorful floats as they went by, music booming.
Created by sponsors ranging from Airbnb to Pacific Gas & Electric, the floats proceeded slowly toward the Civic Center, where afternoon speakers included Alicia Garza, co-founder of #BlackLivesMattter, and Kate Kendell, leader of the National Center for Lesbian Rights.
Parade watchers included several women in wedding dresses, stopped constantly by strangers requesting a photo as well as — it being San Francisco — a contingent of people with barely any clothing at all.
Many others wore rainbow-colored costumes or painted their cheeks with the vibrant symbol.
“It’s a great celebration,” said Blanca Herrara, 37, a city resident who had come with her husband, Jake Byrnes, and 3-year-old daughter, who perched on her father’s shoulders, cheering excitedly.
The couple has been to other Pride parades before. This one “seems a lot bigger,” Mr. Burns said, adding, “We felt it was an important event to come see.”