Greg’s Gallery: 2014 LA Pride Parade!

I have to say, the LA Pride Parade in West Hollywood yesterday did, at times, seems endless.

There were 130 entries!

At one point, I paraphrased Shirley MacLaine’s 1984 Oscar speech and posted on Facebook: “I’m gonna cry because this parade has been as long as my career!

But it was wonderful.

From the special group of “Pioneers” at the front of the parade (including retired LA City Councilman Bill Rosendahl) to the grand marshal Demi Lovato who was the absolute last entry.

In between there was LA Mayor Eric Garcetti riding in the back of a convertible with a microphone so he could engage in repartee or just shout out: “Happy pride!”

I enjoyed when the mayor conversed in Spanish with Chico’s Angels who served as parade commentators and were, as usual, a hoot!

Close behind Garcetti was a fire truck filled with elected city officials including our openly gay controller Ron Galperin and our openly gay council members Mike Bonin and Mitch O’Farrell.

Other familiar faces in the parade included: World Wrestling Entertainment superstar Darren Young who came out last year; actor Wilson Cruz who came out 20 years ago; trans actress Candis Cayne, and outspoken attorney Gloria Allred who is a parade regular.

US Congressman Adam Schiff also rode in the parade one day after finishing the 545-mile AIDS LifeCycle – a seven-day bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles.

Among the groups and businesses marching or riding in the parade were the LA LGBT Center, Lambda Legal, Project Angel Food, PFLAG, Outfest, Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles, GLAAD and Bank of America.

And many, many, many, many,. many more.

The parade kicked off the final day of the three-day festival in West Hollywood.

On Saturday night, festival grounds were packed for a highly-anticipated performance by Oscar and Grammy winner Jennifer Hudson.

Her mini-concert was a lot of fun as was walking virtually the entire grounds of West Hollywood Park and visiting the booths, having some food and bumping into friends – and even making some new ones.

Sidenote: In past years, security has been absolutely over-the-top all during the parade along Santa Monica Boulevard. You would stick a toe over the curb and some deputy would ride over and scold you. This year it was very, very relaxed – until Demi Lovato was coming by. As if she was Queen Elizabeth, the deputies cleared the way as your royal pop highness rode by. She was lovely by the way.