39th annual PrideFest shimmies through downtown Denver

 
Denver PrideFest is one of the largest displays in support of LGBT rights in the country. The march began with as little as one-hundred participants in 1976 and has since ballooned, with a turnout exceeding 300,000 people per year.

The demonstration started out politically as a protest in reaction to the Denver Police force’s unfair treatment of gay and lesbian residents, among other civil rights issues. Today, the festival is a celebration of LGBT pride and unity in the larger Colorado community.

Some of the state’s best-known Democrats marched in this morning’s parade, including Gov. Hickenlooper, U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette and U.S. Sen. Mark Udall.

June may turn out to be a pivotal month for gay rights, with decisions on same-sex marriage expected soon from the Denver-based 10th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.

The Independent’s video-coverage of PrideFest 2014 right here: