June 25, 2007
38th Gay Pride Parade Rules Fifth Avenue
Yesterday was the 38th Annual Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride March, and thousands of people participated - from shimmying and showing off their outrageous costumes to waving gay pride flags and hollering their support. The grand marshals of the parade were religious leaders Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum and Reverend Dr. Troy Perry; Kleinbaum said, "We stand for a progressive religious voice. Those who use religion to advocate an anti-gay agenda I believe are blaspheming God’s name.”
However, Kleinbaum and Perry were upset that Mayor Bloomberg stuck to a script that Mayors Koch and Giuliani had followed at previous pride parades: Joining the parade after it passed St. Patrick's Cathedral. Perry said, "I think the mayor's making a mistake if he's going to run for president." Well, maybe, maybe not - as much as we'd like him to be proud about his views, he's not going to buck tradition now of all times. And given that NY State's Assembly has recently passed a gay marriage bill (though Senate support is doubtful), City Council Speaker Christine Quinn (who marched past St. Pat's) said, "All conventional wisdom in New York state on gay marriage is out the window. I think we are really doing better than anyone would ever have thought we could be doing on this."
And given the recent difficulty of getting permits for some large gatherings, I-Witness Video reveals something intriguing: The NYPD had "secretly" issued a parade permit to the Dyke March (held on Saturday), which the organizers did not know about! From I-Witness Video:
...Assistant Chief Thomas Graham, the commander of the Disorder Control Unit and the NYPD's expert on managing political demonstrations, says so in sworn testimony.Graham implies it's a secret because most Dyke Marchers would want to participate in a non-legal march because that wouldn't be radical enough. Or something.In a statement given under oath on March 23, 2005, then Inspector Thomas Graham, describes what he calls the "big secret." Here is an excerpt from the court transcript in which he is questioned by attorney James Meyerson:
Q: You issue permits at the scene?
A: We actually have issued permits on the street. And I'll give you the event. We used to have - it's the Dikes [sic] on Bikes. It used to be motorcycles and it's a gay women's march.
Q: Lesbians, yes.
A: I like gay women. If you like lesbians, we'll do lesbians.
Q: Anyway.
A: Back on the ranch. They normally march down from Fifth Avenue, down Fifth Avenue from 62nd Street. They have believed for years that they have not had a permit.
Q: I'm sorry, they believed for years?
A: Most of them believe - 99 percent of them believe there's no permit for that event. But we always co-oped [sic] some of the leadership to cooperate with us. Sign a permit, have your march, leave one traffic lane open.
There are some awesome photographs of the Gay Pride Parade on Flickr: Check photographs from GOPster, Boss Tweed, and Ira Monko.
Top photograph from the Gay Pride Parade by GOPster on Flickr; lower photograph of the Dyke March by New York Daily Photo
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Hi,
Now THAT was e GREAT Parade! It was awesome to see Fifth Avenue so empty after the parade! SUPER!
Ciao,
Jojanneke van den Bosch
" A: I like gay women. If you like lesbians, we'll do lesbians.
Q: Anyway."
That must've been the best testimony ever delivered by an NYPD Inspector.
Considering how religious nuts were over-represented this year, I'm starting to agree with parade critics: it's a freak show.
Were there really a lot of people watching this year? My neighborhood (CHELSEA of all places) was so quiet. There was a bit of noise toward the evening as traffic on 7th Avenue got blocked up a bit, but otherwise it was just like any other Sunday on 16th Street.
Thanks for using my pic. Pretty funny how this set landed me on Gothamist :)
Hey Jen Chung,
Thanks for that sarcasm at the end. Much appreciated.
From the NYC Dyke March site:
"The dyke march is a protest march, not a parade -- we don't ask for a permit, because we have the right to protest. As lesbians, we recognize that we must organize amongst ourselves to fight for our rights, our safety, and for visibility. Thousands of dykes take over the streets every year in celebration of lesbians and to protest against ongoing discrimination, harassment, and anti-lesbian violence in schools, on the job, in our families, and on the streets."
Protest is a right, not something you ask permission for. Granted, these days the Dyke March feels more like a "Dyke Stroll" than a protest march, but there has always been a reason not to seek a permit.
Did I say thanks for the sarcasm at the end?
Will lesbians NEVER get a sense of humor?
Lighten up. Or something.
Was yesterday the gay pride thing? I was walking in the village and all the queers were like "HAY HAY! GIRL! SHAKE THAT THING!!!!" and I just thought it was just another day in the village. ALso, All the gays are butch gangstas now. WTF???? They all dress like either 50 cent or Joan Jett. Whow knew that 50 cent would be the leading gay icon of the new millenium?
the funniest part of the parade was the "Bisexual pride". There was only about 4 of them and they were holding a posterboard that they wrote on with a sharpie. It read:
"Bisexual Pride
We're Family Too!"
Awww. the gays and the heteros all hate them.
hrm10,
Just because YOU hate bisexuals, doesn't mean everyone does, sorry. The Parade is actually called LGBT Parade. That's:
Gay, Lesbian,
Bixsexual
And Transgender Parade.
So take your anger towards bisexuals and fuck off, please.
-La Leone-
wow la leone.
i am a bisexual.
and my gay friends don't understand it, so i joke with them about it.
why was chelsea so dead? because the gay population of new york doe snot involve themselves with this parade... the parade is mainly bridge and tunnel folk.
Q: How many Lesbians does it take to screw in a light bulb.
A: That's not funny.
What could be more unfunny and serious than stereotyping any group of people as humorless? In relation to this example, some of you must have missed a) the six Dyke March marshals who doubled over laughing hysterically when a police captain complimented their crowd management skills and suggested that the NYPD could use them and b) the 3,000 amazing women who turned fifth avenue into a three-block long portable dance party last Saturday night.
what's with dykes/lesbians getting their own parade anyways???? is the sunday gay parade just not enough for them??? why do they have to isolate themselves???? seems almost sexist to me. Seriously, i just seems so needy and self-important to say yes, were gay, but we want our own parade as well as the parade the following day. gimme a break.
Just think, This Parade may get some T.V. Exposure some ten, Or Twenty years from now . Posted By; "Still Not Amused"
If only the lesbians got more attention, gay marriage would be in the Constitution.
I want to see the topless lesbian bikers next year.