Hundreds of thousands of revelers were seen rejoicing New York's new law giving gay couples the same marital rights as everyone else. The revelry went beyond floats, music and dancing. It included wedding plans.
"We've been waiting to get married in Central Park for years, and now we got here just in time for history to be made," said Bryce Croft of Kettering, Ohio, who attended the parade with her partner, Stephanie Croft.
The parade began at 36th Street and Fifth Avenue and ended at Greenwich and Christopher streets, near where gays rebelled against authorities and repressive laws outside the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village on June 28, 1969 - helping to trigger the gay rights movement.
Throngs of cheering supporters greeted Gov. Andrew Cuomo as he led off the parade, which comes two days after he signed the historic bill that made New York the sixth state to extend full marriage rights to gay couples.
Revelers hoisted signs that said "Thank you, Gov. Cuomo" and "Promise kept."
Same-sex couples will officially be able to get married in the state of New York starting July 24. New York is now the largest state to legalize gay marriage.
Opponents are vowing a legal fight and say they will mount an effort to vote out any politicians who supported the movement.
Some religious leaders have condemned the passage of the law. A group of New York's bishops said in a statement they were "deeply disappointed and troubled."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
