The gay pride celebrations scheduled in San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Minneapolis-St Paul, Seattle and St Louis are annual and in most cases decades-old events whose tones and themes have mirrored the gay rights movement's greatest victories and defeats. Local politicians, including mayor Michael Bloomberg, senator Chuck Schumer and governor Andrew Cuomo, marched among gay rights activists, a choir, and a float carrying muscle-bound male models advertising Diet Coke. Wearing a wide brimmed straw hat, sunglasses and an elegant white pant suit, Windsor – who earlier this year was appointed one of the 'grand marshals' of the parade, in honour of her legal battle – waved to crowds lining the route, who erupted in wild cheers as she passed by. The parade was led by a convoy of lesbian and gay bikers, with Edith Windsor, the 84-year-old plaintiff in the case that led to the Supreme Court striking down Doma this week, conveyed behind in a red convertible. In New York, forecast thunderstorms failed to materialise and the annual Heritage of Pride march set off along Fifth Avenue under a baking sun. Proposition 8 supporters could continue their efforts to halt gay marriage by filing their request with another supreme court justice. The opponents said the appeals court had acted about three weeks too soon.
