Parades held across U.S.

SAN FRANCISCO – Hundreds of thousands of people on Sunday packed gay pride events from Chicago to New York City to San Francisco, with overall attendance expected in the millions for what amounted to a celebration of a freshly endorsed right to marry.

In San Francisco, a parade that at times resembled a rainbow-colored dance party snaked through downtown.

There were “Hooray for Gay” and “Love Won” signs. There were rainbow flags and knee socks, umbrellas and tutus.

SF Pride Board President Gary Virginia said the exuberance was amplified given last week’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling that same-sex couples can wed in all 50 states. Still, he said more needs to be done in housing and job discrimination in the United States and for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people around the world.

“Today, we celebrate,” Virginia said. “Tomorrow, we get back to work.”

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo used his newly granted powers to officiate at the wedding ceremony of a same-sex couple in Manhattan. It was held in front of the Stonewall Inn, where in 1969 gay bar patrons stood up to a police raid, launching the modern gay rights movement.