Every year the political class pays homage to the gay community at the Pride Parade, and yesterday’s was no different.
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Ready to March
Every year the political class pays homage to the gay community at the Pride Parade, and yesterday was no different. In this photo, Bloomberg and campaign aide Chris Coffey wait to join the parade, and reporters are there to capture the moment. One shirtless photographer (right-hand corner), however, had his attention elsewhere.
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First in Line
The parade (which, I'm told, is still referred to as a "march" by the organizers) was led by Governor David Paterson, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Council Speaker Christine Quinn.
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Behind the Line
Jeremy Peters of The New York Times gets a good spot.
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Colors
For the occasion, Michael Bloomberg and his girlfriend, Diana Taylor, wore purple shirts (the mayor also skipped the tie).
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The Voice of the Quinn and Bloomberg
An aide to Christine Quinn followed Paterson, Bloomberg and Quinn in a truck, repeating their names basically every other block.
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The Bloomberg Campaign
No rest for the inevitable.
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LGBT for Mike
These signs started appearing rather early on in the parade route.
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The Schumer Brigade
No parade is a parade without Senator Chuck Schumer, who had both signs and a bullhorn.
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Get Ready for Your Close-Up
Here's Stuart Appelbaum, the president of RWDSU, who recently came out.
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Kurland
Here's Yetta Kurland, the Manhattan-based attorney challenging City Council Speaker Christine Quinn this year. She and her rather large contingent of supporters wore yellow T-shirts. At one point when the parade was stalled, Kurland and another supporter broke out into a dance.
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Mr. Comptroller
Tom DiNapoli had the least colorful signs of the day.
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Outside Albany
A message from freshman State Senator Dan Squadron got a warm reception.
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Women for Katz
Supporters of Melinda Katz, the city councilwoman and comptroller candidate from Queens.
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Representing Harlem
City Councilwoman Inez Dickens was the only uptown elected official I saw.
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Eric Gioia, Too
The city councilman from Queens, and candidate for public advocate, also had supporters at the parade.
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Almost Famous
A cast member of The Real Housewives of New Jersey marched the route also. Her sign-carrier got nearly as much attention as she did.
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Marriage
Same-sex marriage was a major theme in the parade this year. Whether or not the legislation will pass the State Senate (or, for that matter, any legislation will pass the Senate) is anybody's guess.
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At Stonewall
Christine Quinn, the first gay speaker of the City Council, was greeted enthusiastically when the parade arrived at Stonewall, but the loudest cheers were saved for David Paterson, who is trying to get his same-sex marriage legislation through the currently deadlocked Legislature. Some chanted "Pass it! Pass it!" as Paterson and Quinn posed for photos. The chant later morphed into "Pat-er-son! Pat-er-son!"
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NYPD at Stonewall
Here's a police band marching past the bar where the Stonewall riots began. The NYPD, of course, was on a different side back then, but tension between the gay community and the police still exists—after a recent spate of arrests outside gay sex shops, advocates said gay men were being unfairly targeted. The Manhattan D.A. just vacated the guilty plea of one man who was arrested.
