NYC Gay Pride Parade (SLIDESHOW, POLL)

New York City's 40th annual Gay Pride parade takes place this Sunday on June 29. Organized by the Heritage of Pride organization, the march proceeds down Fifth Avenue and finishes in Greenwich Village, passing by the site of the 1969 Stonewall riots on Christopher Street. The march began just one year after the riots in 1970. Over the years it has evolved into a celebration of recognition for the battle against AIDS and homophobic violence. This year's parade marks the 40th anniversary of Stonewall riots and will be devoted to commemorating the event as a turning point in the Gay Rights movement.

The official step off for the march is at noon on Sunday beginning at 52nd St and 5th Avenue. While registration for the march is already closed, spectators can line up along 5th Ave from the 50s to the teens to watch the colorful costumes dance by and show support for the LGBT community. Large and boisterous crowds are encouraged to watch anywhere in the village. This year's Grand Marshal's are Dustin Lance Black, Cleve Jones, Anne Kronenberg and Governor David Paterson.

In addition to the parade, the annual LGBT streetfair called PrideFest will be taking place on Sunday. Between 11:00am and 7:00pm go down to Hudson Street between Abington Square and W14th Street to celebrate in the street with the community, local business owners, out-of-towners and volunteers.

After the parade, the grand finale event takes place at The Dance On The Pier at West 13th St and the West Side Highway. Thousands of party-goers and friends gather from 4pm - 10:30pm, when fireworks light up the sky over the Hudson River. This is widely known as the greatest gay party of the year.

Here are some of the craziest outfits that have walked the parade over the years... let us know what you think of them by voting in our slideshow.

Ricardo Avarado rides down New York's Fifth Avenue in the annual Gay Pride parade June 30, 1996.

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Comments

[wonketteRAWKS]

07:19 PM on 06/28/2009

Fem to butch, we are all brothers and sisters.

[LintLass]

12:28 PM on 06/27/2009

Gotta love, too, how one among "Some Of the Craziest Outfits We've Seen *over the years*" includes....

Women on motorcycles.

I just don't know if the community can get behind that. :) What does it say? :)

[dennissinned]

11:53 PM on 06/26/2009

This is just this website's way of pulling more righ -twingers over to their website. They wanna be fair and balanced too. lol

[LintLass]

12:15 PM on 06/27/2009

Cause obviously, their bigotry is *our* fault because we confronted it.

[flacon]

09:51 PM on 06/26/2009

I am a straight man on the side of most gay goals. How can these people not be viewed as the freaks they are?

They reinforce every negative stereotype. Time to shut them down.

[jbrantow]

10:01 PM on 06/26/2009

So what's your complaint about mardi gras where everyone...gay and straight dress in crazy exotic costumes. Do you also cast an "impression" of the straights in that celebration. Live and let live. If you don't want to dress up crazy for one day out of 365, than stay in your suit or cargo pants and polo shirt.

[Quaoar]

12:05 AM on 06/27/2009

One day out of 365, and usually held on the weekend. Blink and you'll miss it. Most of the people who are offended by these parades are actively looking for something to be offended by.

[pandathumb]

08:59 PM on 06/26/2009

As a gay man who grew up in South Dakota, I take unapologetic delight in the outrageous fun that is part of NYPride. As a teen, I embodied what many profess to want from LGBT folks: a normal-looking, straight-acting representative of normalcy. I played the part, dated the opposite sex and lied my way through childhood. A force-fed diet of straightness was all I knew: Church, prom, weddings, TV.

There was one guy in my class who didn't have it so easy. He didn't pass as normal and fit gay stereotypes. He payed dearly: Bullying and bruises were his norm, thanks to those who felt the need to beat their view of acceptability into him. He had to survive in his truth and hope he made it to graduation.

I now have a rather 'normal' life and can safely hold my boyfriend's hand while walking down the street. (Most of the time.) Never forgetting South Dakota, I frequently wonder if a world is possible where EVERYONE is safe to walk down the street without scorn or contempt. And, when I see a fabulous, in-your-face drag queen, proudly parading down 5th Avenue, I think that perhaps that world is possible. It takes all sorts to make life interesting.

For those of you who have not walked in another man's stilettos, back off a bit. Do you really want a world of intolerable normalcy? Lighten up! Kick up your combat boots and have a little fun.

[cloudmaker]

06:26 PM on 06/26/2009

As a gay man, I have never understood gay pride parades. They seem to be the opposite of pride.
What they say is we want to show ourselves as outrageous, over-sexed, hedonistic, narcissistic
sometimes drag queens who are in your face and eager to offend you as much as possible for
not allowing us to be the people that we are in these silly parades. What straight people may
not know is that most gay men, at least, are hard-working, average people who wouldn't be interested
in going to one of these parades,much less wearing an evening gown, beehive wig, leather jockstrap
or other cliche getup like the ever-popular nun's habit. It has nothing to do with being ashamed of being
gay. But we're not more proud of being gay than straight people should be of being straight. I, for one,
would much rather be proud of things I chose for myself not what fate chose for me.

[LintLass]

06:34 PM on 06/26/2009

Yaknow, see my post below. If you comply and try to make everyone dress and act 'normal' they'll still try and come into your life and claim you need to be *celibate,* anyway.

To be honest, I didn't get it for a while, either. Drag queens and transvestites sure don't do much to help the 'image' of the transgendered kids that are a particular concern of mine. But... Those kids don't look like that, anyway. They get treated as if they do whether they've ever so much as worn a pair of flats or not.

Straight people don't get treated as though their parties and parades reflect their daily lives, why should 'we' even validate the notion?

Most of us, the vast majority, *do* live ordinary lives, apart from the totally-uncalled-for-grief that has existed since long before there was any such thing as a pride parade, and in fact was much worse.

Like I said, now we can be, 'OK, now you've seen it.'

Beats the kind of notions that lurk in the shadows of closets, any day.

[jbrantow]

09:59 PM on 06/26/2009

You are seriously in need of psychotherapy if you're really gay. Self hatred is detrimental to your health. Chicago gay pride parade is the largest in the city pulling 500.000 people from all over the city. It's a fun party. gay, straight, politicians, families with kids...everyone enjoys it. For many closeted and repressed people it's the one day for them that they can be whatever they want and no one condemns them. If you don't like it....stay locked deep in your self hating life and don't participate. But...in chicago five hundred thousand people cannot be wrong.

[SiberianRat]

01:11 AM on 06/27/2009

As a fellow gay Chicagoan, I'd like to invite you to mind your own freakin business! I don't enjoy the Chicago parades either and it doesn't mean I hate myself. You can stay locked deep in your hating-and-judging others life--you're a typical intolerant member of the "community" which doesn't represent all of us.

[LintLass]

05:37 PM on 06/26/2009

It's kind of part of the *point* of Pride, really. Homophobes are going to call us all kinds of names *anyway,* ...and make it all scarier than it is ...when it's *unknown.* So *what* if a gay dude wears a Tinkerbell dress and dances around in some gossamer wings? ...that's what people say *anyway*.

OK, now you've seen it. Was it everything you hoped and feared? Did the sky fall?

Why is this *not fun?* Why is this a source of *fear* or an excuse to harden your hearts against the 'regular queer folk'? Why is this even *in the same realm, * never mind a "justification" for injustices about about very sensible, mundane, ...almost boring, and important practical injustices that *really* degrade our nation cause you think a little glitter is a good reason to dehumanize a whole *class* of people?

Do you really think homophobes'll treat us better if we go back to 'behaving' ...as in *hiding?*

I'm no kind of flamboyant, not sure what I'd be flamboyant *about,* really, not butch enough to fire up a Harley, if my dearest one would let me ride, anyway, ..

Still. Really. The parade's not for the greyfaces that'll use whatever they can caption 'scaryugly,' even if they have to *invent* it. ....it's for *us,* and to banish *fear,* and maybe let some folks get over it enough that we can all live together. What's the big deal? It's no big deal.

Can be F'n 'fabulous,' though. ;)

[LintLass]

06:45 PM on 06/26/2009

There's even kind of a *point* to a lot of it being kind of *ridiculous.* LBGT people, we do often fear *ridicule,* cause we know what comes with it. If we put on the clown suit for a day, even, *we* take control of that. And people who *see* that clowning, too, see that they've hated and feared... Something from the shadows that turns out to be... ridiculous. Like a clown mask in shadows.

The hatred and fear, ....are ridiculous, too. And seeing past *that,* people can see just how many of their neighbors are... Just their LBGT neighbors, that whole mass of people they didn't believe existed.

[LintLass]

06:50 PM on 06/26/2009

Besides, there's also always some homphobic preachers with megaphones willing to put on *their* scary masks and signs and take it *all too seriously.*

That's ridiculous, too, though they don't get the joke, themselves.

[LintLass]

05:22 PM on 06/26/2009

How many photos of people dressed 'funny' and dancing does it take for people to realize that that's all that is?

[AnimalsRTasty]

04:36 PM on 06/26/2009

I have to say, I work with gay folks. I have some gay folks I would call friends. We joke about gay and straight off topic matters. I dont offend them and they dont offend me.... Now for the contraversial part with that out of the way....

You dont see me holding a straight parade. I guess I am just tired of the parade of gay folks. I realize that before when being gay was a huge stigma that it felt liberating to have a gay pride parade. But with todays views I have to ask..."Who cares your gay and proud?" I am proud to be straight but you dont see me rubbing it in. Have private parties and such. Parades on the streets should be for real holidays and celebrations. Being gay isnt any more valid than being straight. I think any adult should be free to explore their sexuality privately as long as it is with consenting adults. Is it a gay adjenda to constantly throw it in everyones face to try to "sell" the gay lifestyle? I mean do you really want kids, teens and straight adults to turn gay? I think in most major cities you are accepted. Small towns are probably still problematic.... maybe that is where you should concentrate your parades.

About 89% or more of us are straight shouldnt we have 8-9 times more parades with our own symbol? And what can our straight parade use as a symbol?

[PlaceboStudman]

04:40 PM on 06/26/2009

"Being gay isnt any more valid than being straight"

Reverse that and tell that to Rick Warren and The Pope and their minions

[We-Are-The-Ones]

05:00 PM on 06/26/2009

Straigh parades are shown every time there is any parade, concert, sport, etc. Every parade has symbols of heterosexuality. Not 89%; but 100%.

Is it the agenda of heteros to throw the hetero lifestyle in people's faces and to "sell" the hetero lifestyle of adultery, molestation, pedophilia, etc. in people's faces.

For a person who claims to know gay people, you really need to spend some time informing yourself.

[BlackYowe]

03:52 PM on 06/26/2009

Gay parades like this are why so many straight people have a hard time taking Gay activisim seriously. Maybe its time to follow Martin Luther King Jr.'s example and show the face of dignity not frivolity. It is after all the comparison Gay activists keep evoking that they are the same as oppressed African Americans. When was the last time you saw an African American event where people dressed up as giant male organs?

[We-Are-The-Ones]

04:09 PM on 06/26/2009

Amen to that. People need to exercise some restraint. Definitely celebrate pride, but also celebrate normalcy.

[LintLass]

05:20 PM on 06/26/2009

Err, Pride parades are *full* of people celebrating 'normalcy.'

The coverage by homophobes is like people taking a few select shots of the Easter Parade and saying, 'Look, they're all dressed like rabbits and Holly Hobbie! Why aren't there normal ones?'

[jbrantow]

04:25 PM on 06/27/2009

Normal to who......get a dictionary.......normal does not equate to majority

[LintLass]

06:27 PM on 06/26/2009

I guess if people look at your civil rights and all they can see is male organs, you may as well give em a great big one. :)

[noamjunior]

03:33 PM on 06/26/2009

didn't they already have this on tax day?

[PlaceboStudman]

03:31 PM on 06/26/2009

I'm asssuming that none of you who are criticizing this gay pride have ever been to a Mardi Gras celebraiton or Carnivale celebration cause then I gotta ask the obvious question


What's the freaking difference? why is that acceptable and not this??

[MaxInAZ]

04:04 PM on 06/26/2009

Because Mardi Gras is the "goodbye to sex" before the long period of Lent.

Are we laying off the sex after the Parade, or going back to same old, same old?

[LintLass]

07:09 PM on 06/26/2009

So.... As long as those outrageous public displays of heterosexuality are a *compensation for temporary celibacy which is not practiced,* it's 'entirely different' as regards the notion of whether or not it reflects on the nature or character of straight people, ....as opposed to straight people being able to say whatever they like about all gays anywhere.... if they see a couple clips of the most ''outrageous' few among a Pride parade of thousands?

Ie, it's 'ok when straights do it,' but straights can say whatever they like about any LBGT person and blame it on them for... having the temerity to be of the same a minority group with a fan-dancer?

Or, Straights can have all the orgiastic public displays they'd like as long as it's in the name of sexual repression?

Still not following, here. :)

[jbrantow]

10:49 PM on 06/26/2009

yea I'm sure all those people partying stay celibate after mardi gras....Wanna buy a bridge to nowhere?

[BlackYowe]

04:06 PM on 06/26/2009

Mardi Gras has become so commercial it has almost nothing to do with lent as it once did. No one calls it anything but a big party, no one is trying to make a point.

[PlaceboStudman]

04:17 PM on 06/26/2009

Most of the people featured at gay pride parades are there for a big party and arent trying to make a point anymore either. It's a celebration no different than Mardi Gras celebrating Catholicism or carnivale celebrating latino heritage

at least that's my narrow perspective on things. Flamboyance is flamboyance whether it's gay pride or Mardi Gras and Carnivale, and frankly these days the celebrants at one or the other are pretty much interchangeable

[Kelly Laraia]

03:08 PM on 06/26/2009

If you are trying to advance the cause of gay rights and gay marraige, this stuff doesn't help. Don't give the other side ammo to use against you. Want to be taken seriously, tone it down.

[noamjunior]

03:29 PM on 06/26/2009

if YOU want to be taken seriously- tone down your repression of free speech

[MaxInAZ]

04:05 PM on 06/26/2009

Oh, please. Kelly's not knocking free speech, just offering the very good suggestion that dancing around in feather boas might not have the same impact as MLK's march on Washington.

[helonias]

02:27 PM on 06/26/2009

At least they are not staggering drunk and peeing everywhere like at a Mummers Parade

[GDUS]

02:25 PM on 06/26/2009

It is NYC and they could pull only Two non-white folks. Where are those advocates who claimed that this mania comes in all colors?

LMAO!

[LintLass]

02:43 PM on 06/27/2009

Err, would you like to see more pictures of LBGT people of color? Perhaps the dead?

[wonketteRAWKS]

07:20 PM on 06/28/2009

Folks? 0, is that you?