I was at the gay pride celebration in West Hollywood on Sunday and what a fun time it was [pics to be posted later today]. Sunday was a long day what with the French Open starting at 6 a.m. and getting calls from the studios starting at 8 a.m. for a box office story.
Rushed over to Santa Monica Blvd. just before the parade's 11 a.m. start time (had to eat a $20 parking fee at the Pacific Design Center...ouch!). Found my friend Mark Kellam (pictured w/me) and a big group of his friends and we had terrific curbside spots. [Click HERE for additional pics}. For the next few hours, there was the usual fun and flamboyant, the shirtless boys etc. that you will see in most mainstream coverage. But there is so much more to the parade.
There was a warm reception for retired NBA player John Amaehci, the grand marshall, who spotted me on the
street and said once again, "You're everywhere!" There are the PFLAG marchers, the gay-straight student alliance partners, Project Angel Food, the LA Gay and Lesbian Center, the LA Police Chief William Bratton marching next to LA County Sherrif Lee Baca, actor Chad Allen on a bicycle with other recent finishers of the AIDS Ride, there was singer Deborah Gibson - a wonderful straight ally, there was the hilarious Alec Mapa, there was Jackie Warner from Bravo's "Workout," there was Reichen marching with his hot new boyfriend, there was LA City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo who parade-watchers cheered for getting Paris Hilton back in jail, and scores of LA and West Hollywood City officials and activists. We had a blast waving and giving shout outs to all.
Mark's friend, Dan, was standing next to me with a cute little poodle named Co-Co that got us a lot of attention from people in the parade...they'd point and wave. Between the little dog and my big mouth, we were pretty much in contact with most people who went by...There was a real hunky Sheriff's deputy who kept riding by to keep us up on the curb. I stepped off it and said: "Arrest me?" He just smiled and rolled on. At least I snapped this picture of him!