Marchers walk down 5th Avenue during the 2012 New York Gay Pride parade in New York on June 24, 2012. The 43rd-annual parade with more than 500,000 people is part of Gay Pride week. AFP PHOTO/TIMOTHY A. CLARY
NEW YORK 鈥� Tens of thousands celebrated the first anniversary of the legalization of gay marriage in New York state at the annual Gay Pride March Sunday.
鈥淟et鈥檚 celebrate. We have a lot to celebrate,鈥� said singer Cyndi Lauper, 59, the parade鈥檚 grand marshal, 鈥淓verybody can be married in New York.鈥�
鈥淗appy anniversary,鈥� read one sign, in a sea of rainbow flags.
鈥淭hank you, Governor Cuomo,鈥� another sign read, referring to New York Governor
Andrew Cuomo, who signed same-sex marriage legislation on June 24, one year ago.
President Barack Obama declared in a national address in May that he personally felt same-sex couples should have the right to be married. Marchers supporting Obama鈥檚 statement wore t-shirts saying 鈥淥bama pride.鈥�
From nearby New Jersey, marchers Chet Kabara and Frank Mahood, a couple for 29 years, said Obama鈥檚 support for gay marriage made this event 鈥渧ery special.鈥�
鈥淚t is the first time that anyone at that level of our government has recognized the legitimacy of our relationship,鈥� explained Mahood, 73. Mahood feels that the next step should be the annulment of a 1996 federal law on marriage, stipulating that marriage is a union between a man and woman.
鈥淔ull equality,鈥� a large banner floating down 5th Avenue demanded.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, participated in the march, as well as Christine Quinn, speaker of City Council. Quinn, 45, was joined by her wife Kim Catullo. The two women have been married since May 2011.
鈥淚t is especially important to be here this year,鈥� said one spectator, Christine Weimer, 21, who came with a friend Jacqueline, 15, to 鈥渟upport the community.鈥�
Some 45 floats rolled down to Greenwich Village, and thousands participated in the parade, including, for the first time, military personnel.
Since autumn 2011, a law permits them to openly disclose their sexual orientation.
Despite all the serious political messages, the ambiance was one of festivity, with extravagant costumes, dancers and multicolored wigs dotting the parade route.
Wearing a white straw boater with a rainbow ribbon, Frank Mahood celebrated the advancements of the past few years, even if he still can鈥檛 get married in New Jersey.
Mahood has been at every parade since 1971.
鈥淚t was much more of a protest. We couldn鈥檛 walk on 5th Avenue. Today, it鈥檚 much more of a celebration.鈥�