At Buffalo Pride this weekend, the theme of this year’s event was “Transformation.” And rightly so. New York State, of course, has seen an extraordinary transformation thanks to last year’s passage of marriage equality.
The community came together Saturday night for fun-filled Dyke March and Allen Street Festival. Lesbians hula-hooped in the streets while the party spilled out of bars, clubs and galleries. Morning rainstorms made the Pride Center of Western New York nervous, but the sun came out as thousands of men and women lined Elmwood Avenue and celebrants stepped off and marched through town.
Young members of Gay and Lesbian Youth Services served as the grand marshals to this year’s parade, which concluded with an enormous festival alongside the picturesque and historic Erie Canal Harbor, where local drag queens joined The Albrights and Buffalo’s Gay Men’s Chorus for a raucous performance center stage.
Click through for more images from Buffalo Pride
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Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Check out the GayCities guide for more information on Gay Buffalo. Special Thanks to Visit Buffalo Niagara. Photos: Jeffrey James Keyes
Andreusz
The two guys in the centre of #5 make a gorgeous couple. #18 is very cute! Looks like it was a great party.
Chris
How knew Buffalo could be so much fun!! What great pix and looked like a great time!
randy
@Chris: I do! Buffalo is my hometown, so allow me to plug it, so to speak, at this opportunity. It’s a great city and you won’t find people with attitude like you do in other places. Plus, it’s one of the most beautiful cities in America, with the best architecture by all the greats, like Sullivan, Wright, Saarinan, Richardson, and many lesser knowns. The park system was designed entirely by Olmstead, and was the only city-wide plan he drew up that was entirely built as he envisioned it.
It’s also one of the leading arts cities in the country. Yes, it snows there, but they actually get less snow than many other cities, and the other seasons are really very nice.
Right now, the city is rehabbing and preserving most of it’s really great architecture, making it one of the best places to see and do things.
MACK
Its interesting your photographer did not include anyone over 40 , you know the people paved the way to make it easier for you to you come out. And all us gray hairs that fought for gay rights and marriage equality while all the twinks hugged their cosmos and bars stools
Bailey
@MACK:
get over yourself.
MACK
thanks bailey, I’m sure you wrote your fair share of letters, visited legislators, made phone calls, ran around with petitions,and put up a good fight for our rights. Just giving credit to those that did.
CCJ
Photo 14 are the handsome men that record The Queen City Experience, a local Buffalo podcast. So for a taste of Buffalo tune in each week at http://www.thequeencityexperience.com or find us on iTunes.
The Queen City Experience…
Al
Mack, the photos in the slideshow are pretty indicative of the parade imo. There are a few over 40 pics, which was about the percentage of the participants. This is not a case of the photographer editing. The parade was a blast, and this oldster enjoyed standing on the curb (nursing a sore back) watching the youngsters with their pride on.
Rodder
Buffalo is a hidden gem–no doubt. Nonetheless, the “scene” is small (but growing), and a bit on the conservative side (in terms of visibility, etc.) Truth is, Buffalo is a pretty blue collar town (though the city-proper is very progressive, and increasingly affluent).
It is really nice to see the young people carry the torch–and, I agree–they should know about their forefathers and mothers who fought the fight…..if only to make them appreciative and more interesting people.
I think Buffalo could really stand to use a vibrant LGBT center, like that found in NYC, San Fran, etc. That would have a huge impact on the region.
Paul T.
It’s just a jump to the left!!!
Paul
Drag queens are so 1970s. I agree with Mack it’s rather ageist not to mention monosexist, biphobic, and transphobic that queerty says that it’s all about “Gay youth”.
Justin Azzarella
@Rodder: It’s always great to see a healthy debate within our community. To clarify, Buffalo does have a vibrant LGBT Center. The Pride Center of WNY is located at 206 S. Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14201. PCWNY is part of a larger collective LGBT health based organization – Evergreen Health Services – with more than 150 employees that services thousands of Buffalonians and WNY’ers each year. The organization’s physical campus is expanding as well with the recent purchase of a nearby former church. Reuse plans are still in the works but initial plans include a LGBT community meeting/performance space and much, much more. If you’d like to learn more about Buffalo and it’s progressive and dynamic LGBT community please feel free to email me directly at [email protected]. Here’s a link to the church building which will join the three existing buildings at the Evergreen Campus. Happy Pride!
http://buffaloah.com/a/geo/262/tc.html
Rodder
@Justin Azzarella:
Justin: thanks for the reply. I know there is a center, but I also know of a lot of people who (unfortunately) don’t consider the center as a viable option for support, entertainment, community building, political galvanizing, etc. I trust that, under your incredible leadership, that will change.
And, what an incredible facility for an LGBT center–that WILL trump the other aforementioned cities.