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MADRID-Hundreds of thousands of gays, lesbians and their supporters on Saturday took part in a colourful parade across Madrid, the capital of a country that has become a world leader in gay rights.Equality Minister Bibiano Aido led the parade of more than 30 floats, mostly related to gay bars and other businesses, but also one devoted to the Abba-themed musical "Mamma Mia", under a hot sun and to the beat of techno and Brazilian music."It is a day of joy, to demand the rights of people and all citizens," said Aido.The minister, 31, appears on the cover of the latest edition of Spanish gay monthly magazine Zero in a bright purple dress alongside a lesbian, a gay man and a transsexual as characters from the 1939 film "Wizard of Oz" which is popular with gays.Behind her in the parade were hundreds of lesbians in keeping with this year's theme of "Lesbian Visibility."One large banner read "Lesbian, because I like it and because I want to be." Others said "Stop homophobia" and "No More Persecution.""It's beautiful, there is no other party like this in Madrid," David Ruiz, 33, from Mexico, said as a float passed behind him with a giant inflatable condom."It's great not to feel like a minority for one day," said Ligia Fernandez, 47, a rainbow-coloured Gay Pride flag tied around her waist.Serge Castro, 42, from France, said the parade was much better than those in his own country."It's much bigger, more colourful, the people are having more fun."Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's Socialist Party float, a multi-coloured double-decker bus, had the slogan "Building Equality" splashed across it.Spain became only the third member of European Union, after the Netherlands and Belgium, to allow same-sex marriages in July 2005 with a law that also legalized adoptions by gays and lesbians.On the eve of the march, Zapatero defended his government's decision to allow same-sex marriages, telling a Socialist party congress that it had provided "private happiness and public dignity" to thousands of Spaniards.But the measure has drawn the ire of the Roman Catholic Church in Spain and a section of the conservative opposition Popular Party.At Saturday's parade, many carried signs reading "Secular State."Homosexuality was legalized in Spain in 1979 shortly after the death of dictator Francisco Franco whose regime shipped off gays to institutions that some activists have likened to concentration camps.http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080705/ts_afp/spaingaysrights_080705193523;_ylt=ArE26lRabYVlLivHTry5gKGFOrgF
As in the days of Noah....
