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My Sunday at LA Pride – in pictures
It was impossible to escape the politics at this year’s LA Pride parade and festival and who would want to anyway? It’s such an important time in our history as we battle for LGBT equality. I love seeing the energy of activists like these pictured above who are fighting the good fight.
Below are some of the snapshots I took along the packed parade route on Sunday.
This group had every reason to feel damned proud on Sunday. A week earlier, they completed the eighth annual AIDS/LifeCycle – a 545-mile ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles and raised $11.6 million for the HIV/AIDS-related services of the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.
This is especially important since Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is proposing an unconscionable level of cuts to HIV/AIDS services in California to the tune of $80 million.
Here is parade grand marshal Chelsea Handler. Do we like the pink head scarf? I really don’t – sorry. Okay, enough of me trying to be Cojo from Entertainment Tonight. Chelsea is the host of E! channel’s Chelsea Lately on weeknights.
What would any respectable gay pride parade be without a buncha really buff guys in speedos? I haven’t seen this many speedos since I went to Carnaval in Rio in 2005! These dudes were representing the Midtown Spa. My fave is that tall blonde at the left end!
And yet more hot guys in speedos. Yawn. These lovelies are from Mickeys, a West Hollywood institution that finally re-opened its doors in April after being closed for far too long after a fire. The place is better than ever and just what this town needs!
These marchers are from LA’s Gay and Lesbian Center. The handsome guy in the sunglasses is my good friend Jim Key, director of communications for the center.
Sitting on the left is another friend of mine, Doug Spearman. You might recognize hiom as one of the leads on Noah’s Arc. He played sexy professor Chance and reprised the role in last fall’s feature film. I’m not sure who Doug is with there (sorry) but he sure has a nice wave!
It’s awfully nice to have two high-profile mayors who are steadfastly supportive of LGBT rights. They don’t just talk the talk, the walk the walk. They are LA Mayor Antonio Villraigosa and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom who show up and do what is needed.
Gavin Newsom is movie star handsome and was, without a doubt, the star attraction in a very loooooooong parade. He walked the route and shook many eager hands and flashed that killer smile. Hell, he may have even kissed a baby.
Following Newsom on the parade route were scores of his supporters who want to see him elected governor of California next year.
Okay, one last Gavin Newsom shot! I post it mainly because I want to include a shot of the amazing Bill Rosendahl, the openly gay member of the Los Angeles City Council who is a passionate LGBT activist. Bill also honored me and several others a year ago for our contributions to the city.
Who is the hot camerman you ask? He’s Sean Patrick Lewis who shot the entire parade for KABC.
This is me with my great pal Mark Kellam who I’ve watched at least part of the parade with every year for the past 3-4 years. After I covered the press conference and watched part of the parade with other friends, I joined Mark and his group and it was mighty fun.
These two hotties are Mike Bonin, chief of staff for Councilman Bill Rosendahl and his friend Sean.
With my pals Ted Johnson and Michael Finnegan. We all covered the press conference before the start of the parade.
State Senators past and present: Fran Pavley and her predecessor Sheila Kuehl. Sheila has accomplished so much as a politician, I’ll bet there are plenty 0f people who don’t know she is a former actress who played Zelda on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis. She later graduated from Harvard Law School and in 1994 became the first openly gay person elected to the California Legislature.
And finally, one last shot of hot guys in their skivvies. Hey, if they are going to work that hard on their bodies, the least I can do is snao a photo of them and share it with you all!
FILE UNDER: Greg's Galleries, Pride
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