Seattle Pride Parade, June 2006

The photos in this series were taken Sunday morning in the staging area for the Seattle Pride Parade, before the parade began. I like wandering around taking photographs of people getting ready, practicing, and just hanging out with others, and occasionally talking with people, like me. It's the best part and time of the event. Some like the parade, and that's cool, but I like the time before.

This means the photos aren't always the perfect pose or situation, but that's the reality of being there, it's a controlled chaos affair, so you have to just work with what the situation presents to you, and beware of your presence. The whole thing is fluid, people moving around, vehicles and floats getting into position, lots of motorcycles, occasional police, and other photographers, as you'll notice in some of the images.

I want to make one last point. It may be the Seattle Pride event, but it's about people. About 150,000 people attended the parade, the whole diversity of people and families, just enjoying life. And the best part we should remember, the children loved it. They love the whole diversity of people expressing themselves, the whole range of us. Something we should keep in mind the rest of the year. Acceptance and tolerance, not a bad idea from our own children. Something they know and we forget. There are more photos on Page 2 and Page 3.

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