Cleave Jones and others grace Vancouver Pride Parade.

I was at pride today and when i saw Cleave Jones, live and in person, in a car driving in the parade. I started to tear up. This man had done so much for the LGBT movement (he was Harvey Milks protégé and is a leader of the upcoming march on Washington) and i feel like i owe him my freedoms as a gay man. The sad part however is i have more rights than him just because i live an hour across the US border. That just feels wrong to me. But it was AMAZING to see him live in person and it meant alot to me.

One other person who i had no clue was coming was Jack Layton, the leader of Canada's NDP party (Socialist Party basically). He came right up to the crowd and gave every willing person a hand shake and a hello. He chatted people up and was just so nice. It means alot to see such an important and well known Canadian politician coming so far just to march in the parade ( - and on foot! It was a loooong walk and a very hot day. He really knows how to be down to earth).

The parade itself got about 700,000 estimated people for its 31st annual parade. Not bad at all!