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Revision as of 22:55, 7 October 2002 by Montrealais (talk | contribs) (added photo)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) | Baton twirlers perform in the 2002 Divers-Cité pride parade in downtown Montreal |
Pride parades are ceremonies held by the Queer community of a city to commemorate the struggle for gay liberation, gay rights, and gay pride.
The Queer community of a city will typically present an annual parade, sometimes in the context of a longer celebration including performances, dances, street parties, and the like. Most gay pride parades take place in the summer, particularly in June, to commemorate the Stonewall riots.
Pride parades evolved from protest marches held by Queer people to fight for their rights. Many parades still have this character, especially in less Queer-positive settings. However, in more Queer-positive cities, the parades take on an exclusively festive or even Mardi Gras-like character. Large parades often involve floats, dancers, drag queens, music over megaphones, and marching groups from Queer institutions of various kinds. Some particularly important pride parades are even funded by governments and corporate sponsors.
Cities particularly noted for their pride parades include New York, San Francisco, Toronto, Montreal, and Sydney.