The Capitol Pride Parade combined two aspects in 2011: On the one hand, a rainbow of community groups came out to strut their stuff. On the other hand, nearly all of them except the motorcyclists were on the back of the bus behind first the police GLLU unit, then the Mayor, then half the Council.

Some of the politicians who marched ahead of community groups have brought untold grief to DC's GLBT communities, especially Jack Evans. Jack Evans was one of the biggest reasons baseball got a publicy-funded stadium in DC, built on the ruins of the fomer SE Gay neighborhood. Only now are any of the clubs closed by the stadium back in business and recovering, and only two of them, one of them having a float in the parade, far behind Jack Evans of course.

Having the police lead the parade other than traffic control was equally shocking, given that Pride celebrates Stonewall, and Stonewall was a military victory by street queens and hustlers over a police raid on an "illegal" Gay bar in 1969. There were 4 raid on Gay bars in New York that summer, the riot occurred at place called the Stonewall Inn, a place well named in advance of that stone wall or rioters blocking the raid!

Now, 42 years later, we had to sit through cops who could be asked to raid Gay clubs today like the 2009 shut down of the Men's Parties, and politicians kissing you know what, before the groups that do the real work in the community ever got to march.

There were corporate themed floats as well, but thankfully far fewer than in previous years. Maybe the economy kept them home?

Once the politicians had gone by, the real parade began! The Spirit of Stonewall could only be felt once groups who truly represent the traditions and heritage Pride stands for appeared, and thankfully they were many. It was particularily appropriate that Zeigfields/Secrets, the first club destroyed by the stadium to reopen, had a presence in the parade, with a trailer featuring both drag queens and go-go boys. Since transgender folks and "hustlers" or young make hookers were a lot of the fighting power that defeated New York's riot squad and the BATF at Stonewall, their presence in any Pride parade is crucial to historical continuity!