Nation IN BRIEF : NEW YORK : Gay Pride Parades Attract Thousands

Tens of thousands of homosexuals from the flamboyant to the political marched down Fifth Avenue in the annual gay pride celebration marking the 1969 riots that gave rise to the gay rights movement. The New York City parade and marches in at least 11 other cities around the nation featured a variety of participants, including representatives of AIDS organizations and ethnic gay groups. The parades mark the Stonewall riots that erupted when police raided a New York City gay bar in 1969 and gave rise to the gay and lesbian rights movement. Black-clothed lesbian bikers led the New York parade on their motorcycles. In San Francisco, a parade was led by the women’s motorcycle group “Dykes on Bikes,” whose dress varied from wedding dresses and tuxedos to leather.