In the name of love

Despite having lived in San Francisco for 8 years, and the Bay Area for either 22 or 13, depending on how you count it, I had never made it to the annual Gay Pride parade. (Mostly because it seems like I'm usually out of town during the last weekend of June.) So as soon as I knew I would be around this year, I was determined to check it out. I think I picked a good year to go, because the mood seemed especially festive. So many "Just Married" signs, tin cans tied to the back of cars, people waving huge pictures of their marriage licenses and their wedding rings -- and wearing huge grins. There was even one couple having their wedding ceremony on a float. I had a moment of wondering whether it was staged, but I got a good look at the guys' faces, and my inclination is to say no, that we were all witnesses to their marriage. Gorgeous. Gavin Newsom got a big hand from the people around me, as did all the other elected officials, lawyers, and couples who were involved. And almost every contingent had at least one person carrying a sign asking us to vote "No" on the anti-marriage amendment. I don't know whether it was an official theme of the event, but it might as well have been. Lots of warm fuzzy feelings.

I took pictures, of course, but I haven't downloaded or sorted through them yet. But I will.