When Henry Amador and his partner Joe Batten attended South Florida PrideFest
last year, they were only contemplating having a family. This year they were
there as parents.
"This is his first festival," said Amador, 48, cradling in his arms the
couple's adopted 4-month old son Benjamin, who seemed eager to take in the
sights and sounds of the gathering in Holiday Park at War Memorial
Auditorium.
"And he seems to be enjoying it."
The theme of this year's two-day event was "Beyond the rainbow," a phrase
that suggested a celebration of social and legal gains made by gay, lesbian and
transgender people as well as the work left undone.
"The importance of this festival is to remind people that we have to continue
fighting," said Marc Hansen, co-chair of the 35th annual edition of the festival
sponsored by Pride South Florida. "The fight is not over. We don't want special,
we want equal."
As an example of remaining inequalities, Amador offered his own example.
Benjamin is one of the first Florida children to be adopted by a gay couple
since a Florida appeals court struck down a ban on same-sex adoptions in
September 2010.
Yet the couple, who run a Fort Lauderdale hair salon, cannot legally marry in
Florida as they did in Massachusetts.
Another of several new parents on hand for music, food and community was
Irene Annunziata, her partner Karen Friedman, 37, and their 9-month-old daughter
Luciana.
"I hope that when she grows up she will know that there are many other
families like hers," said Annunziata, 44, an attorney who lives in Pompano
Beach. "Events like this will give her the tools to understand that."
Hansen said he expected up to 10,000 people to turn out for final day of the
festival, which opened Saturday. Scheduled performers included singers Beverly
McClellan and Taylor Dayne.
Along with offering the usual range of fair foods like corn dogs, beer and
smoothies, PrideFest also featured several rows of booths offering rainbow
flags, massages, "Born this way" T-shirts, and gay-themed cruises.
Also present were campaigners for political candidates, information on
Tri-Rail and H&R Block, and information on how to join the Florida Gay Rodeo
Association.
"This is fun, but we also want to remind people to get out and vote in
November and the importance of issues such as equal rights and safe schools,"
said Steve Bard, 61, a volunteer with the Human Rights Campaign of South
Florida. "There are still 1,037 federal rights denied me because I'm gay,
including inheritance and survivor's benefits to partners.
"We are looking for inclusion. Not special rights, inclusion."