A Declaration of Pride

In the past week, a number of iconic celebrities have passed away. Farrah Fawcett's battle with anal cancer came to an end on June 25th, and the news stations immediately began planning memorials to air in her honor. Later that day, it was reported that Michael Jackson had been rushed to the hospital, and the world was in shock as we received news of his death. Most recently, we have lost Billy Mays, the beloved salesperson who taught us all about the power of OxiClean. In only a few short days, it seems as though we have witnessed the passing of an entire generation. It is all the more appropriate, though, that the theme of NY Pride this year was "Heritage of Pride," a commemoration of our own history and, of course, the Stonewall Riots that gave birth to the modern gay liberation movement.

On Sunday, thousands of us lined up on the streets of New York City to either witness or take part in the parade. With Michael Jackson's songs blasting all the way to Christopher Street, the crowd could not have been more energetic. From the Stonewall veterans to the youth to the young children of gay parents, from the transsexuals to the bisexuals to the just plain queer, from the Christians to the NYPD to the ever-popular drag queens, and from black to white to everything in between, it seemed like the entire universe was concentrated in the city to show their pride and their support -- and as someone marching in the parade, that support was extraordinarily motivating. Walking in such hot weather, throats parched from the warmth and the constant screaming and cheering, we could not have been more grateful for those who handed out cups of water, directed traffic, cheered and waved from the sidewalks, and supported us in whichever way they could.

As I marched with my Nikon D40 hanging from my neck, people were eager to pose and show off their rainbow gear for my camera. With no time for an exchange of words, much less a voice powerful enough to drown out all of the cheering, a peace sign served as my gesture of thanks -- and how thankful I was to be part of such an event! The touching acts of kindness displayed between absolute strangers, the pride apparent in everyone's faces, the abunance of rainbow paraphernalia, and the incredible diversity of people was more than enough to send me home feeling prouder than ever of my community. So, thank you to everyone for your kindness, your enthusiasm, and your wonderful sense of pride -- it made this experience more worthwhile than I could have imagined.

For a slideshow of my pictures, click here.