Gay Pride or whatever

Dutch (national) gay pride is held in a different city all over the country each year. That is the one commemorating the uprise from the Stonewall Inn in New York and it is therefore on the last Saturday of June. It used to have a strongly demonstrative character, it was decreasing in size until it was violently approached in Amersfoort by some religious fanatics and similar nuts. That was more than 10 years ago now, but it gave a lot of attention to the happening at that time and therefore a big stimulance to taking part. In the mean time homosexuality is so well accepted that national gay pride day is hardly a political demonstration any more and the idea to confront a different provincial city with the parade seems rather outdated to me.
In the mean time the alliance of commercial establishments of Amsterdam has started Amsterdam Pride after a nice succes of a one time appearance of Dutch gay pride in Amsterdam when it coincided with yet another pride event: Europride.

Starting with Dutch Pride in Amsterdam.

Some of the guilded boys of the Exit, a club or disco as we call it.

In Dutch pride events the parade is a demonstration, therefore it does not necessarily consist of active groups, but most are individuals who may dress up for the occasion.

I think it was in 1994 for that I was in Washington DC when they had Gay Pride there from which are the following pictures.

They have a tambour maitre leading the parade.

Everything is about getting elected into office in DC.

But even there they have an opportunity for 'nobody special just wanted to be in the parade'.

Bicycling is not only in the Netherlands.

Tis is also the US, but now San Francisco's Folsom Street fair: the yearly event for leather fairies.
Here one is supposed to aim a condom stuffed with pingpong balls into an open mouth.
Your narrator also had a try and won a transparant key holder with condom in it.

The Siters of Perpetual Indulgence doing their good works for and Aids cause.

Rotterdam has never had the Dutch Gay Pride event, but in 1992 there was the 45th anniversary of the COC-Rotterdam department. There were several celebrating events. Of course I wanted to show you one in the City Hall. Here the vice major takes a petition from a member of the Chaikovsky foundation, the sister organization of COC-Rotterdam in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Here are the winner of the swimming pool contest during that anniversary.