Gay Pride Parades across the World: Sharing ideas and identities.

First Gay Pride march in Tbilisi (Georgia) to mark an anti-homophobia day (17-18 May 2012) ends in a fist-fight, as nationalist and religious groups (including Orthodox priests) try to stop and attack the march.

Gay activists were attacked in St. Petersburg on the day against homophobia.

Only about 100 gay activists gathered for a legal demonstration that was cut short with violent counter-demonstrations.

While the activists were being escorted away, Neo-Nazis attacked the bus.

Idaho - The international day against homophobia and trans-phobia (17 May 2012).

Theme for 2012, with beautiful sand art by Silvia Emme:



Message from SA by Mr. Gay World 2011, Francios Nel:



Despite all the usual hate and vicious attacks, a highlight to remember was a 106-year-old Burmese transgender woman speaking at Burma's first Idaho celebration:

The 106-year-old transgender woman who addressed the first ever public gay rights rally in Burma must have seen incredible changes in her lifetime, from living under British colonialism to Burmese independence to military rule to the recent opening up. At the first celebration of IDAHO (International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia) in the Burmese capital Rangoon yesterday, a local youth brought the centenarian transgender woman to the stage during a section called Paying Respect to Seniors. ‘She was almost in tears,’ one of the organisers of the event, Aung Myo Min, told Gay Star News. ‘She told the audience how pleased she is to see this event take place in Rangoon.’

www.gaystarnews.com...

Over 300 Mormons marched during Gay Pride through Salt Lake City in Utah.
www.pinknews.co.uk...

The group of ostensibly non-gay Mormons from the group Mormons Building Bridges were dressed in their Sunday finery and greeted with applause, and pro-equality Mormons are likely to march in 8 more events across the US.

Kansas City.
A rather perplexing segment.
Did somebody get the directions wrong?

Does anybody know where this march is headed?

Melbourne Pride 2012, Australia.

It appears that the odd "bears" do live in the land of marsupials!



London Pride 2012.

It's raining queens?
Hallelujah!

Cape Town Pride 2012!

Fantastically presented more from a feminine perspective by Michele Macfarlane.



More pics - worlds merge in Cape Town.
We're here and queer in Africa!
(Although from what I hear, not everybody wants to be on film.)

Hawaii Gay Pride 2012:



Incidentally, I think this a well-produced high-energy clip, and one of the better "packages" that mixes an event with local attractions.

Alaska Pride - touching and inspiring promotional clip:



Carried from Miami to Fairbanks - a Gay Pride Flag:

According to the Youtube description:

This is a time-lapse video of the members and supporters of the Fairbanks chapter of PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) carrying a 100 foot long Pride flag from Miami, Florida for the Golden Days Parade in Fairbanks, Alaska on July 21st, 2012.

The 34th Christopher Street Day Gay Pride Parade (2012).

Berlin, Germany:

Korea Queer Culture Festival 2012.



Tokyo Rainbow Pride 2012:

Fantastic Pride: ancient warriors, Pokemon and cosplay!

Forgiveness, I cannot have all the countries or cities here with simply my effort.

Please contribute.

No thanks to those countries that squash human rights (you know who you are).

The free world sees your abuses and lack of creativity.

The free world sees the lack of choice and democracy.

Be free - celebrate diversity in culture, religion and sexual identity!

Cubans march against homophobia in Havana:

I had to drive past one of those atrocities once for work. Not very family friendly and full of freaks and disgusting individuals. I say we need less coverage on the topic and stop encouraging those people.

My little town has a parade and its pretty nice. No weirdness or humping These are just folks in our community having a parade and festival. We have several orgs here concerning homosexuals as we have had a real issue with bullying and homophobia among the kids.. school and college. One of my daughters friends was so bullied he drove to the college parking lot, got in his back seat of the car and drank draino and died. I had been ignorant of the really terrible instances of bullying and violence toward gays here until that happened. IMO its your right and perfectly fine if you disagree with homosexuality, hate gays, whatever.. but bullying and violence is absolutely NOT acceptable.

In any case, in most towns large and small in the USA there are gay orgs and support and parades.


stlouis.gaycities.com...
bellevilleilpflag.com...
www.jobsandjustice.org...

reply to post by Unidentified_Objective

Not sure what you saw, or what they saw when they saw you, but I'd say we should encourage people to be more free, because that's what it means to be living in a FREE society.

Tastes and dislikes differ, that's what tolerance is all about, so star for you, especially as you probably represent a lot of people!

reply to post by Advantage

Thanks for that wonderful post Advantage, although it contains a terrible lesson on bullying and narrow-mindedness.

That's always so sad to hear.

The Gay Parade is just one day or event, and it competes with so much constant negativity and hate.

But at least we know the governments don't actively persecute people for being gay anymore in countries with the parade, and that's been a long struggle in many places.

Things can get better, and they will get better.

San Diego LGBT Pride Parade 2012.

Apparently the first US gay march where military uniforms were openly worn!

A bit strange to see after a long antagonistic history, but times have indeed clearly changed.

Fantastic.

The first ever national journey with South Africa's Gay Flag.

The crew travel from Cape Town to Pretoria with stops at various Pride events, from Soweto and KwaThema to Joburg Pride.

Moscow: I'm not sure of the situation right now, but earlier this year (2012) a local court upheld a century long ban on all gay demonstrations, until the year 2112!

Oh my hat, is drab, humorless Stalinism back?