VIDEO: Seattle Gay Pride 2009 (Highlights)

*WARNING* Contains legal nudity (topless women)

VIDEO: "The Big Lie" and Same Sex Marriage

VIDEO: Gay Activist Attacked at San Diego Pride Event

The organizer of San Diego Pride, Ron DeHarte, was attacked on Saturday at the city's annual Equality Torch Relay.

Kenyatta Mitchell was arrested after taunting DeHarte with homophobic slurs, kicking at him and trying to take his Pride flag.

Mitchell walked away when he realized a local news crew had caught the incident on camera.

DeHarte was not injured in the attack despite reports he had been hit twice in the face.

Mitchell was later arrested on an outstanding warrant for weapons possession, trespassing, and violating a restraining order. He is also expected to face an additional battery charge over the incident.

Pierce County executive supports gay pride with message at festival

by Brent Champaco
The News Tribune
Tacoma, WA

Two Pierce County councilmen appeared at a gay pride celebration Saturday in Tacoma and read a proclamation signed by County Executive John Ladenburg that declared it “Pride Day in Pierce County.”

“Fortunately for us, we have a very progressive county executive,” said Councilman Tim Farrell, who is gay.

Hundreds of others attended the Out in the Park celebration at Lincoln-Eldridge Park, one of dozens such festivals throughout the country.

full article

No-show mayor fuels Rhode Island Pride controversy

by Joe Siegel
EDGE Contributor
Boston, MA

Providence Mayor David Cicilline, the first openly gay mayor of a U.S. state capital, was conspicuously absent from this year’s gay pride festivities. The Rhode Island politico had been announced as one of the grand marshals for the Illuminated Nighttime Parade.

Cicilline also has been accused of snubbing the GLBT community by refusing to fly the rainbow flag from the top of City Hall, an annual tradition. The pride banners which have been displayed on city street poles were also mysteriously absent.

full article

In Budapest, Pride and Terror as Two Gay Businesses Burn

by Kilian Melloy
EDGE Boston

Last week in Budapest a gay bar was torched, leading gay media and local activists to voice concern that more gay businesses might be targeted. This week, that’s exactly what happened.

Action bar was firebombed June 27, reported Pinknews.co.uk in a June 27 article in which local Hungarian GLBT activists voiced their worries that fascists and skinheads might be looking to attack more gay businesses during Pride season.

The bar received a phone call prior to the attack--a touch, PinkNews recalled, that smacked of domestic terrorism.

full article

60 people arrested for disrupting Bulgaria's gay pride march

from FOCUS Information Agency

Sofia - Bulgarian police arrested 60 people Saturday opposed to Bulgaria's first gay pride march after they tried to storm the small group of about 100 marchers in the capital Sofia, AFP reports, citing the interior ministry.

Security concerns had already forced organisers and municipal authorities to change the route of the march twice and deploy a large number of police to prevent clashes.

"Bulgaria is in the EU now. People have to accept us like normal human beings. We are not criminals," 51-year-old German engineer Peter Moews who lives in Sofia told AFP.

"Hostility comes from misunderstanding. Most people think that we are all feminine and wear women dresses but this is not true," he added.

full article

Nancy Pelosi on Monday released a statement on San Francisco's 38th annual LGBT Pride

From Washington Blade staff reporters

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Monday released a statement on San Francisco's 38th annual LGBT Pride.

"In this year's Pride Month, we have much to celebrate. The California Supreme Court's historic decision recognizes that our state constitution provides for equal treatment for all of California's citizens and families. Once again, California is leading the way for the nation. I take great pride in this significant milestone, and am full of joy for the many loving couples who are formalizing their unions across our great state. I encourage California citizens to respect the Court's decision and join me in strongly opposing any ballot measure that would write discrimination into our state constitution.

read full text here

Canada: Showing pride in the community

BY RAISSA TETANISH
The Amherst Daily News

AMHERST - Two years ago, Gerard Veldhoven never dreamed the pride group he chairs would be where it's at today, and he especially didn't think it would be hosting its first pride week so soon.

"Ever since we started Cumberland Pride two years ago this has been on our minds, but we never thought it would be so soon. We thought it would take more preparations, but we felt we were ready to do it," Veldhoven said regarding gay pride week celebrations coming up in Amherst in July. "I'm not sure how it will turn out, but I feel very confident."

To kick off gay pride week (July 7-13), the Town of Amherst will host a flag raising ceremony of the rainbowed flag at 12:30 p.m. July 7 at town hall.

full article

Queer Asian Youth (QAY) celebrates Pride with Masquerade

QUEER ASIAN YOUTH (QAY) and PRIDE TORONTO PRESENT:

PRIDE "MASQUERADE" SHOW

SATURDAY JUNE 28, 2008, 4:30pm --6pm

PRIDE TORONTO COMMUNITY CAFE Paul Kane Parkette @ Downtown Toronto (North side of Wellesley, between Yonge and Church St.)

Visit their website

Here is their promo video

Dublin shows its Pride at 25 years of progress

by Sophie Picheta
PinkNews UK

Dublin's 25th Gay Pride festival opens tonight with a launch party to mark the beginning of the ten day festival taking place in the George on South Great George's street.

The party is 80s themed, and intends to be a celebration of the changes which have taken place for the Irish LGBT community in the past 25 years.

This year's Pride festivities include the Parade on June 21st, which will mark the anniversary of the Stonewall riots in New York.

Record numbers attend Buffalo gay pride festival 2008

WIVB-TV News4 Buffalo, NY

Pride Buffalo had a record-breaking year.

A record number of people participated in this years Gay Pride Parade.

Approximately 15 thousand onlookers lined Elmwood Avenue. The Parade started at Kleinhans Music Hall and worked its’ way up Elmwood Avenue to a festival at Bidwell Parkway.

Visit the WIVB-TV website for video and photos

VIDEO: LA Gay Pride 2008

The Los Angeles Gay Pride Parade starts today at 11 AM (June 8, 2008).

For those of you who are unable to attend the Parade will be broadcast live on Time Warner Cable Channel 10 in West Hollywood and streamed on the web at LAPRIDE.org/webcast.

Acceptance, Diversity, Gay Pride, Stonewall and Bill Clinton

The year was 2000, then President Bill Clinton declared June Gay and Lesbian Pride Month.

June was chosen in remembrance of the Stonewall riots which started June 28th, 1969 and lasted several days.

People have died and continue to die simply because others wish to dictate whom one should love.

End the bigotry!

Gay Pride Takes Pride In Its Economic Impact

By Ryan Gierach, West Hollywood WEHO News

West Hollywood, California (June 2, 2008) - Christopher Street West Inc. (CSW), which produces the annual Los Angeles Lesbian/Gay/ Bisexual/Transgender (LGBT) Pride Festival and Parade in West Hollywood, conducted a first-time study on the celebration’s economic impact on the City of West Hollywood in 2007.

The 38th annual parade and festival, which happens along Santa Monica Boulevard Sunday and in West Hollywood Park Friday night through Sunday, celebrates the culmination of its three-year theme, "Our Agenda: Love. Equality. PRIDE."

Overall, people attending the three days worth of events spent $16.3 million inside WeHo and another $6.3 million in nearby LA – a $22.6 shot in the cities' arms.

full article

Houston Pride 2008, 30 year anniversary

Come join the celebration! June 28, 2008 marks 30 years of GLBT Pride in Houston. Featuring a colorful disco theme, Pride 2008 reminds us that for the past 30 years, and into the distant future, We Are Family!

The 2008 Pride Celebration will feature the traditional Parade down Westheimer, between Dunlavy and Crocker. The 2008 Houston Pride Parade is the largest in the southwest, and the only one held at night, starting promptly at 8:45 PM.

Prior to the Parade, you can enjoy the 2008 Houston Pride Festival located at Westheimer at Yoakem. Admission is FREE! The funs starts at 11 AM, and continues until 7 PM, so you'll still have plenty of time to find a good spot to enjoy the Parade!

Houston Pride website

Making History: WTTW airs gay Chicago documentary

by Andrew Davis
Windy City Times

As part of Pride Month, local television station WTTW-11 will show the special “Out & Proud” starting June 3 at 7:30 p.m. According to a press release, the program, which hails the start of a multiplatform initiative for WTTW and its sister stations ( including the Spanish-language station V-me ) , “represents a new and long-term commitment to producing and presenting original content of interest to and designed for both the LGBT community and all of WTTW's viewing audience.”

full article

Italian Government lobbied for gay hate crime law

Italy Magazine

Gay rights organisations on Monday called on the government to draw up a new law on gay hate crimes following a series of attacks on homosexuals that have taken place in the last week

Aurelio Mancuso, president of the Arcigay association, said Italy had been gripped by ''a fit of homophobia'' after a 53-year-old man in Palermo stabbed his 18-year-old son over the weekend because he could not accept his sexuality.

In another incident in Rome on Friday, gay Internet radio journalist Christian Floris was attacked outside his home, while in Naples last week a transsexual prostitute was beaten to death.

This news is a bit shocking when you consider just a few days ago an article said Italian equal opportunities minister rejects 'gay pride' march saying "gays no longer suffer discrimination in Italy".

full article

Over a million attend world's largest gay pride parade

Claudia Fontoura
Reuters North American News Service

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - More than a million gays and transsexuals paraded in Brazil's business capital Sao Paulo Sunday in what was billed as the world's largest gay march to urge an end to violence and discrimination.

According to witnesses, the event attracted at least 1 million participants. Police declined to give an official crowd count although one officer on the scene estimated more than 3 million people took part and the Sao Paulo Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals and Transgenders Parade Association said attendance was more than 5 million.

This is the 12th year the parade has been staged.

full article

Philly Pride Presents the 20th Annual LGBT Pride Parade & Festival

ADVISORY, May 21, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) --

WHEN: Sunday June 8
12:00 Noon-6:00 p.m.

WHERE: The Parade begins at 13th & Locust Streets and proceeds east on Market Street, past a Judges Reviewing Stand at Independence Hall. The parade continues East over Market Street up the ramp until it reaches the Chestnut Street entrance for Great Plaza at Penn's Landing.
Great Plaza at Penn's Landing Columbus Boulevard, from Market to Walnut Street.

WHAT: Event includes main stage entertainment, Dance Area, Family Zone, Pet Zone, Health Area, and a variety of food and beverages. Presented by Philly Pride Presents, there is a
$10 admission. Over 90 different organizations networking and doing outreach and over 40 different merchants selling their craft or product.

BACKGROUND: PHILLY PRIDE PRESENTS, Inc. (PPP) is a group of volunteer coordinators under the leadership of an Executive Director and Senior Advisor which organizes "PrideDay" in June, and "OutFest" in October. These are the only two events during which the Philadelphia Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community joins together and celebrates
as a whole.

The first official Pride Parade was organized in an impromptu fashion at the end of the 1980s and was intended to coincide with rally planned by the Lesbian and Gay Task Force at Love Park. It was so successful that community members met and started an organization (Lesbian & Gay Pride of the Delaware Valley, Inc.) whose goal was to produce a parade and festival at Penn's Landing each year to continue the community outreach and visibility that was achieved with that one rally. That organization evolved into what we know today as Philly Pride Presents and that first rally grew into the largest celebration of LGBT pride in the region, now attracting over 25,000 people each year.

For more information about Philly Pride Presents or Pride Day, please visit www.phillypride.org

CONTACT: Philly Pride Presents
215-875-9288
phillygaypride@aol.com
1315 Spruce Street / Suite 227
Philadelphia, PA 19107