Pride Parade and Festival a Triumph

Pride Parade and Festival a Triumph

(July 19, 2003) A dynamic, upbeat Pride Parade and Festival, Cirque La Gay, drew a crowd of 10,000 as members of the GBLT community fearlessly showcased the complexity of human potential.

The parade from East Ave. to Manhattan Square Park featured 54 organizations, 800 people, from Rochester, Buffalo, Toronto, Washington, DC, and Florida, noted founder and organizer David Kosel. “We started eight years ago with a Gay Pride March. The events today have taken gay pride from a one-day event to a week-long celebration.” Rochester Pride Week 2003 offered interfaith services, athletics, films, and social events.

Among the organizations represented in the event were corporations like Kodak, Xerox, and Tallulah Travel and Tours; several mainline churches; prominent political leaders; human services organizations; and an impressive number of local businesses and professionals supportive of the movement.

Along the parade route a few fundamendalists were holding signs reading “God is angry with the wicked” and scolding through megaphones “You’re disgusting and vulgar,” and “Repent.”

The charming Young Adult Group of the Gay Alliance of Genesee Valley marched past them chanting, “2 4 6 8 Are you sure your kids are straight?” Members of this group indicated that they meet to discuss political and social issues and to serve as a support group for issues like being gay in the community, family problems and coming out. They attend community events to raise awareness and help build support for the movement.

The parade led to the Festival in the park. The marching bands performed on stage for an enthusiastic crowd and joined for a big production number. DC’s Different Drummers have been performing all over the East Coast for 23 years, explained their president. “We have a marching band, a 60-piece symphonic band, a swing band and several small ensembles. We performed at the Gay Games in Sidney, Australia, last fall and we commissioned an original composition for symphonic band and mixed chorus to be premiered on World AIDS Day, December 1.” The Flamingo Freedom Band of South Florida returned for its fourth year in the Rochester Gay Pride Celebration. The Toronto Church Street Pipe Band and Rochester’s Bassically Treblemakers Community Band performed as well.

The Drag Show that followed the band performance was a refreshing alternative to the beer culture conformists that crowded the same area last night at the East End Festival.

Today’s event was co-sponsored by The GreaterRochester Gay and Lesbian Business Forum and the Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley.

In October the eleventh annual Image Out: Lesbian and Gay Film and Video Festival will be held in Rochester. The next performance of the Rochester Gay Men’s Chorus will be December 12 at the Hochstein Music School. The Rochester Women’s Community Chorus will also appear with the Christmas Spectacular on December 6.