MIAMI BEACH – If South Beach wasn’t the actual center of the universe on Sunday, it did a passable imitation of it, as tens of thousands descended upon Miami Beach for the city’s Fourth Annual Gay Pride Parade and celebration. Ocean Drive was awash in rainbow flags and both gay and gayfriendly straights who came to see the roster of entertainers and parade Grand Marshal Chaz Bono, the transgender son of multiplatinum performer Cher and the late Sonny Bono.
The parade, which began at noon, included Miami Beach Mayor Matti Bower and openly-gay North Miami City Councilman Scott Galvin, as well as a cavalcade of floats, entertainers, political figures, human rights activists, and volunteers. Drag performer Elaine Lancaster performed a duet with “Real Housewife of Miami” Lea Black. The float for Coral Gables Congregational Church depicted the pastor, Laurinda Hafner, presiding over a faux gay marriage rite.
Although 60,000 people were expected to attend what has become the largest, single-day event of the year in Miami Beach, event organizers are still tallying the numbers. In 2011, more than 40,000 people attended Miami Beach Gay Pride, which began as an event in 2009. That year, 7,000 people were anticipated to attend, but 20,000 turned out.
“When I first took office, I was shocked that a city as progressive as Miami Beach had never had a Gay Pride parade,” Mayor Bower recalled. “So the city offered to host it and now we have a wonderful parade.”