This is a remarkable time of the year, Pride parades, marches, demonstrations are taking place in cities around the world, from little gatherings of thirty or so dedicated people to tens of thousands of party goers, every single one holds the common bond of being united under the rainbow flag with the desire for acceptance and equality!
In Europe, tens of thousands of people in Paris marched and danced through the streets of the French capital on Saturday supporting gay pride and call for further gay rights. They partied to the thumping hedonistic beat of techno music as the 80 strong parade of floats wound through the city - their message ringing out loud and clear "Enough violence and discrimination! Liberty and equality everywhere and forever!"
Organisers also called for France to recognize gay marriages, like many of their European neighbours, they also called for the right for gay couples to adopt. "Polls show 65 percent of French people are in favor of gay marriage and 57 percent in favor of adoption, all left-wing parties support marriage and adoption, but some on the right block any further advancement of rights," said Vincent Loiseau, a spokesman for the Lesbian, Gay, Bi and Transsexual Inter-Association.
However, it's known that President Nicolas Sarkozy's ruling conservative UMP party is not a big supporter of equality and gay rights, this is much in evidence when the party blocked it's own party members from marching or attending the event.
Yes, it's time to celebrate, to party, to give thanks for the freedoms we have, it's also time to remember that the fight for equality must not stop, it must go on and on, until such times as we end all discrimination, hatred, prejudice and inequality.
Wherever you may be reading this, I wish you a happy pride!
Jason Shaw is GayAgenda.com's UK Correspondent he's also a gay rights campaigner and writer.
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