Sunday June 28, 2009 (noon)
Years from now, when equal rights for gay people have taken their place next to women's suffrage and the end of slavery among enlightened revisions to the American experiment, we'll look back with wonder at today's intolerance. Until that time, as with flowers placed by hippies into the barrels of rifles, the best response to hate is love. Cheers, then, for the Pride Parade, an annual celebration not just of sexuality in all its forms, but of life itself. The big shebang winds through the North Side, leaving the weekend's liveliest party in its path. While a massive, over-the-top gay-pride parade may be ripe for parody, that doesn't make it any less important a reminder that it's everyone's America.
– Ben Bass