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Gay, Lesbian, Transgendered Shortwave Club


By MALIA WOLLAN, Associated Press Writer 10 minutes ago

SAN FRANCISCO - A lesbian motorcycle group dressed in bridal veils,
wedding gowns and leather lent a matrimonial touch to San Francisco's
gay pride parade Sunday as revelers celebrated their newfound freedom
to marry.
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The riders tossed bouquets as they led the city's 38th annual gay
pride parade down Market Street. Some of the motorcycles were adorned
with signs that read "Just Married."

Huge crowds lined the route as city tourism officials predicted the
largest turnout yet for the parade, which typically draws tens of
thousands.

The county clerk's office was busy Friday handing out marriage
licenses and handling wedding ceremonies. Same-sex marriage has been
legal in California since June 16, after a state Supreme Court
decision.

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom received ovations along the parade
route for his role in working to overturn the state's gay marriage
ban.

Though City Hall was closed Sunday, parade organizers put up a wedding
pavilion across the street where couples could get information about
tying the knot or celebrate newly sanctioned unions.

Wade French, 51, and his partner, Brent Lok, 54, wed in San Francisco
the day after the court's decision took effect. At the parade, Lok
wore a T-shirt reading "Finally married..." while French's shirt read
"after 30 years together."

"We always come to the parade, but this year is a different feeling
because we're celebrating something that's personal to us," Lok said.

The couple said they were asking friends and family not to send
wedding gifts and instead make donations to a nonprofit group working
to fight a ballot measure that would once again ban gay marriage in
the state.

In a taped interview Sunday morning on NBC's "Meet the Press," Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger called the measure "a waste of time."

"I personally believe that marriage should be between a man and a
woman," Schwarzenegger said. "But at the same time I think that my,
you know, belief, I don't want to force on anyone else."

The initiative set to go before voters in November would provide that
"only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in
California." Its language was taken directly from a gay marriage ban
enacted by voters in 2000, one of two the state Supreme Court found
unconstitutional and struck down on May 15.

Julie Kendall, 59, walked with her partner of 23 years, Melinda
Kendall, 50, holding a sign that read, "We're here, we're queer and
we're registered at Macy's."

Though both women were grinning, they said they were worried voters
might pass the ballot initiative.

"I'm calling and e-mailing my friends urging them to get involved in
the campaign. I'm reminding them this is a civil rights issue," Julie
Kendall said.

The pair first wed in 2004 when Newsom ordered the city to begin
issuing licenses to same-sex couples in defiance of state law. The
state Supreme Court later nullified those marriages. The couple said
they got a new marriage license and plan to wed next month.

In New York City, residents cheered Gov. David Paterson as he joined
the city's annual gay pride march a month after he directed state
agencies to provide full marriage benefits to same-sex couples who
were legally married elsewhere.

Jim Saslow carried a bouquet to the march down Manhattan's Fifth
Avenue and wore a wedding gown stamped with the words, "Coming Here
Soon?"

"Everyone here is thinking if California can do it then we should be
able to do it here soon," he said.

Overseas, gay pride marches in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia and the
Czech Republic city of Brno came under attack Saturday by extremists
who threw rocks and eggs. No serious injuries were reported.

In Paris, more than half a million people celebrated in the streets
below a river of rainbow flags.

In India, hundreds chanted for gay rights in Calcutta, Bangalore and
New Delhi in the largest display of gay pride in the deeply
conservative country, where homosexual acts are illegal. The marches
came days before the Delhi High Court is expected to hear arguments on
overturning a law against homosexual sex that dates to the British
colonial era.