NEW YORK, June 25, 2006 (AFP) - Thousands of marchers from New York's homosexual community took part Sunday in the city's annual Gay Pride parade, although high spirits were dampened slightly by recent conservative efforts to reverse political gains by US gays and lesbians.
Paraders, in the customary display of flounces and finery generally were in a jubilant mood. But some revelers said they were mindful that the parade this year coincides with the 25th anniversary of the emergence of the deadly AIDS epidemic that decimated America's gay communities.
The theme of this year's procession is "The Fight for Love and Life" marking the somber anniversary.
"AIDS isn't over until it's over for everyone," read one banner. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, meanwhile, in his weekly radio address urged city residents to undergo HIV testing.
"AIDS has taken the lives of nearly 90,000 New Yorkers. We should never forget that for too long, fear, ignorance, and neglect allowed AIDS to flourish, contributing to its deadly toll in our communities," the New York mayor said.
Similar celebrations marked the day across the United States. In San Francisco, the capital of gay America, organizers were expecting hundreds of thousands of participants at a parade through the heart of downtown.
But as in New York, somber themes were also on revelers' minds.
"This year marks the 25th anniversary of the first AIDS diagnosis, so it's a special celebration for all of our community and that why today thousands of people came from every where to support us", said Peggy Moore, a local activist.
In the middle New York's observances Sunday, the celebrating paused for a minute of silence in honor of those who have died from the dread disease.
America's gay communities have been rocked by several setbacks in recent weeks. The US Episcopal Church backtracked Wednesday by asking its local diocese to "exercise restraint" in the controversial ordination of gay clergy, in an attempt to avoid a split in the global Anglican church.
Gay rights activists were outraged last week after a controversial Pentagon document reaffirmed a finding that classified homosexuality as a "mental disorder," along with mental retardation and personality disorders.
And while the US Senate earlier this month narrowly rejected a measure calling for a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage -- a measure strongly backed by conservative US President George W. Bush -- Christian conservatives bent on outlawing same sex marriage have prevailed in numerous individual US states in recent months.
Massachusetts is the only state to allow gay marriage after its Supreme Court legalized it in May 2004, while six new US states were expected to pass prohibitions on gay marriage.
The gay marriage issue in particular seemed to be on the minds of many protesters who streamed along the length of 5th Avenue, New York's Main Street, with some participants wearing tee shirts declaring "Marry Me: It's about time."
"It's a hot topic, because it's like the last hurdle before we can achieve equal rights," said Phil Mannino, co-chair of New York's "Heritage of Pride" group which organized the gay pride march.
He blamed the George W. Bush administration's conservative policies for much of the retrenchment gay people are experiencing.
"He tries to use this thing to try to distract the public from other things like the war in Iraq or the growing gasoline prices," Mannino said.
Hugh Lukehart, who attended the march with his wife Tracy who sported a "Dykes Against Bush" tee shirt, also railed against what he said was the administration's anti-gay policies.
"I'm for equal rights, and I'm very unhappy (with the government). They're using a fear factor, they capitalize on fear," he said.
Observers said that even as gay people proudly celebrate their sexual identity every June -- gay pride month -- they know it is also a month when they have to be on their guard.
The pointed to the case of Kevin Aviance, a celebrated gay singer who was attack and badly beaten in Manhattan earlier this month by four youths shouting anti-gay slogans.
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