Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2003. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
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Miami Herald - Sunday, October 05, 2003
Jennifer Mooney, jmooney@herald.com
For the first time in five years, South Florida's gay and lesbian community got a chance to strut its stuff through the streets of downtown Miami.
Dressed in anything rainbow -- a symbol of gay pride -- nearly 100 activists took part in a parade Saturday afternoon to celebrate the area's gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community.
Although gay pride is celebrated annually in other large U.S. cities, including New York City, Seattle, Denver and Atlanta, the Miami parade fizzled out after 1998.
But organizers say it's back for good and has a distinct mission: to educate the Hispanic community on gay issues, fight homophobia and raise awareness about HIV and AIDS.
"The Latin culture in Miami and machismo attitude contributes to the homophobia problem and the irrational fear and hatred that is associated with it," said Luigi Ferrer, one of the event's organizers.
The sound of car horns echoed for blocks while a procession of motorcycles and convertibles trickled through the streets of Little Havana.
The motorcade, which was eventually accompanied by a few dozen animated supporters on foot, stopped traffic along Biscayne Boulevard on Saturday afternoon.
At Bayfront Park, where the parade ended and block party started, same-sex couples held hands, hugged, kissed and talked about areas in which they are treated differently from other couples: marriage, adoption, insurance and the military.
"We've been struggling for so long to not be discriminated against," said Dahlia Canes, 51, who is in the legal profession.
"We want to be treated like normal Americans with all the benefits and fringes."
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