Here’s a report from Leon Freilich about Saturday night’s rainy gay pride parade:

Gaily, gaily. Through Saturday night’s on-&-off heavy rains and thunderclaps, Brooklyn Pride paraders marched their full mile course along Seventh Avenue. They were led by a drenched vanguard of women bikers and a marching band of more than fifty men, women & youngsters in gleaming white uniforms.

Nothing stopped their high spirits, not the lack of discouraged spectators or feet swimming in shoes. Only when the showers turned into torrents did they break ranks–but only for ten or so minutes–and head for the shelter of store awnings.

Some joined my wife and me in front of Tutta Pasta restaurant, and we were uplifted by the total absence of grumps and groans. “Naa,” said a young trumpet player, shaking a lake out of his instrument. “This is our day and nothing’s spoiling it.”

I’ve seen paraders who trekked through mud or snow (on TV), but never any who slogged through a potentially dangerous rainstorm. (Fortunately no lightning bolts struck nearby, or the accompanying police would certainly have dispersed the marchers.) A brave, determined bunch.

Power to the gays of our lives!

The lighting bolts in the distance Saturday night were striking near Jones Beach in Nassau County. They were close enough to prompt police to halt the REM concert in progress for 90 minutes, according to an account in the Times. Then the rockers and spectators who had taken shelter returned for the rest of the evening’s pounding music.