04/20/2009
20,000 Attend Miami Beach's First-Ever Gay Pride Festival
Miami Beach held its first Gay Pride over the weekend, which drew a crowd estimated at approximately 20,000 people, the Miami Herald reports. Among the "legacy couples" which I reported were participating in the parade were George Volpe and Peter Santangelo, together for 65 years:
"[The parade] also featured floats filled with dancing shirtless men from club Twist, cars hanging banners saying 'Marriage is a Civil Right,' and the Miami Gay Men's Chorus, which marched while singing Over the Rainbow. Despite Miami Beach's long, proud history of being a gay-friendly town -- even passing a law recognizing domestic partnerships -- the city has never before hosted a Pride festival."
Singer Patti LaBelle and designer Richie Rich served as the parade's grand marshalls. Committee members and organizers held a post-parade party at Halo Lounge on Sunday as well. Here's a photo gallery of that.
The Miami Herald's video report, and a video of LaBelle and Rich at the Pride ceremony, AFTER THE JUMP...
Patti LaBelle:
Posted 6:47 AM EST by Andy Towle in Florida, Gay Pride, Miami beach, News | Permalink
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More pics here!
http://www.flickr.com/search/?ss=2&ct=6&w=all&q=miami+gay+pride+parade&m=text
Posted by: Buzz | Apr 20, 2009 6:59:19 AM
The place was packed and over all just a great deal of fun.
Great way to spend a saturday.
More photos that I took like the commenter above:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/megaecho/sets/72157616929994797/
Posted by: Chuck | Apr 20, 2009 9:18:00 AM
Hooray for them!
Posted by: Leland Frances | Apr 20, 2009 10:59:50 AM
Richie Rich is a youth-obsessed piece of trash faggoty asshole. I would die rather than attend a parade holding him up as any kind of example to people or representation of me. Barf.
Posted by: Ugh | Apr 20, 2009 1:12:52 PM