A lesbian
motorcycle group dressed in bridal veils, wedding gowns, and
leather lent a matrimonial touch to San Francisco's gay
pride parade Sunday as revelers celebrated their
newfound freedom to marry.
The riders tossed
bouquets as they led the city's 38th annual gay pride
parade down Market Street. Some of the motorcycles were
adorned with signs that read ''Just Married.''
Huge crowds lined
the route as city tourism officials predicted the
largest turnout yet for the parade, which typically draws
tens of thousands.
The county
clerk's office was busy Friday handing out marriage licenses
and handling wedding ceremonies. Same-sex marriage has been
legal in California since June 16, after a state
supreme court decision.
San Francisco
mayor Gavin Newsom received ovations along the parade route
for his role in working to overturn the state's gay marriage
ban.
Though City Hall
was closed Sunday, parade organizers put up a wedding
pavilion across the street where couples could get
information about tying the knot or celebrate newly
sanctioned unions.
Wade French, 51,
and his partner, Brent Lok, 54, wed in San Francisco the
day after the court's decision took effect. At the parade,
Lok wore a T-shirt reading ''Finally married...''
while French's shirt read ''after 30 years together.''
''We always come
to the parade, but this year is a different feeling
because we're celebrating something that's personal to us,''
Lok said.
The couple said
they were asking friends and family not to send wedding
gifts and instead make donations to a nonprofit group
working to fight a ballot measure that would once
again ban gay marriage in the state.
In a taped
interview Sunday morning on NBC's Meet the Press,
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called the measure ''a
waste of time.''
''I personally
believe that marriage should be between a man and a
woman,'' Schwarzenegger said. ''But at the same time I think
that my, you know, belief, I don't want to force on
anyone else.''
The initiative
set to go before voters in November would provide that
''only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or
recognized in California.'' Its language was taken
directly from a gay marriage ban enacted by voters in
2000, one of two the state Supreme Court found
unconstitutional and struck down on May 15.
Julie Kendall,
59, walked with her partner of 23 years, Melinda Kendall,
50, holding a sign that read, ''We're here, we're queer and
we're registered at Macy's.''
Though both women
were grinning, they said they were worried voters might
pass the ballot initiative.
''I'm calling and
e-mailing my friends urging them to get involved in the
campaign. I'm reminding them this is a civil rights issue,''
Julie Kendall said.
The pair first
wed in 2004 when Newsom ordered the city to begin issuing
licenses to same-sex couples in defiance of state law. The
state supreme court later nullified those marriages.
The couple said they got a new marriage license and
plan to wed next month.
In New York City,
residents cheered Gov. David Paterson as he joined the
city's annual gay pride march a month after he directed
state agencies to provide full marriage benefits to
same-sex couples who were legally married elsewhere.
Jim Saslow
carried a bouquet to the march down Manhattan's Fifth Avenue
and wore a wedding gown stamped with the words ''Coming Here
Soon?''
''Everyone here
is thinking if California can do it then we should be
able to do it here soon,'' he said.
Overseas, gay
pride marches in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia and the
Czech Republic city of Brno came under attack Saturday by
extremists who threw rocks and eggs. No serious
injuries were reported.
In Paris more
than half a million people celebrated in the streets below
a river of rainbow flags.
In India hundreds
chanted for gay rights in Calcutta, Bangalore, and New
Delhi in the largest display of gay pride in the deeply
conservative country, where homosexual acts are
illegal. The marches came days before the Delhi High
Court is expected to hear arguments on overturning a law
against gay sex that dates to the British colonial
era. (Malia Wollen, AP)
