Palace Bar, and others, were packed tightly with thirsty patrons.įriendly and flamboyant media personality Ross Mathews was the parade's grand marshal. There were 70-plus parade floats, convertibles, marchers and motorcycles. The parade started on 5th Street and Ocean Drive and traveled north to 15th Street. On the actual day of the parade, the streets were lined with twinks, bears, muscle guys, drag queens, androgyny, flamboyance as well as lesbians and members of the trans community - all of which were diverse in race, ethnicity and age. The beach itself was packed as well with those who wanted to really take advantage of the sun and sand. Of course, on the beach boardwalk shirtless gay men and bikini-topped women were commonly found. Signage included promotion of Madrid Pride, which takes place June 24 through July 2. The festival was host to a beach party, DJs, exhibitors, community booths and more. Buildings throughout the area lit up in the colors of the rainbow flag. One key event was every evening from Thursday through Sunday in which "Pride Lights the Night" paid tribute to the victims of the Pulse Nightclub shooting.
The new title for Miss Miami Beach Gay Pride transitioned from last year's winner Kalah Mendoza to this year's winner Joanna James. Pride Week began on Monday, April 3, with the rainbow flag raising ceremony at City Hall in Miami Beach, followed by the Miss Miami Beach Pride Pageant and silent auction. "It's a really just a day to get together with friends, have some drinks, have some laughs and just be part of this community," she said. It can't be replicated," said Johnathan Navedo, 24.įort Lauderdale resident Janae Sweet, 23, was at the event with friends. I love the energy that comes from the LGBT community here in Miami. "I actually moved back to Miami from Orlando today, and the Pride is the best welcome back to this city. "We are here to show our strength and to refuse all this hatred that we are still confronted with.This year's Miami Beach Pride celebration was marked by perfect sunshine weather, and rainbows in the forms of flags in a sea of thousands of LGBT South Florida locals, out-of-towners and community allies. "This massacre has affected us all," said gay rights campaigner Paulo Corte Real at a parade in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon. Similar pride parades honoring the Orlando victims took place in cities across Europe, with larger parades planned for next weekend in the United States. The Brandenburg Gate was lit in the colors of the rainbow in an appeal for tolerance and support for gays and lesbians worldwide. The German capital of Berlin also came together on Saturday in a sign of solidarity with the victims of the shooting. this year's Rainbow Parade will again celebrate loudly and stridently a big festival of diversity." "The response must be more visibility and pride," said Lui Fidelsberger, co-head of the Vienna Homosexual Initiative, Austria's oldest lesbian and gay organization. Witnesses said Mateen had frequented Pulse in the past and used gay dating apps. Officials say he pledged allegiance to the so-called Islamic State group. Mateen was killed when police stormed the club. Last weekend, lone gunman Omar Mateen murdered 49 people in Orlando's Pulse nightclub in the deadliest mass shooting in US history. Germans came together at Berlin's Brandenburg gate in a show of solidarity with the victims of the Orlando massacre