Boston Celebrates Pride With Record-Breaking Crowds

BOSTON (CBS) - Boston's annual Pride Parade got underway on Saturday with record-breaking numbers.

"It's a great day for Boston and a great day for pride, and I am thrilled to be here,' said one attendee.

Walsh said this is the biggest Pride Parade in New England and one of the biggest in the country. The theme this year is "Looking Back Loving Forward."

".A lot of people have fought over the years for a lot of rights, and this is a kind of a celebration of that.," Walsh said.

Folks carried signs of pride and in remembrance.

PHOTOS: 2019 Boston Pride Parade

"Remember the trans people who were killed in the last year. It's exhilarating; it's a little sad," said another attendee.

This year marks Boston 49th pride parade. The 2.2-mile trek goes from Back Bay to South End to City Hall. It also marks the 50th year of The Stonewall Inn Riots,

"It was three night of riots, fighting the cops who were the most visible oppressor for gay people," said Grand Marshal Dale Mitchell, who was at Stonewall 50 years ago in New York City during the violent demonstrations. "We were filled with rage and frustration. The Village Voice paper refused to publish the word 'gay' in 1968. To think that 50 years later, we come to this and I am being honored. It's like being shot through a cannon."

Officials said more than 750,000 people took part in the parade.

"We are fighting for our existence every day. And this world is full of people who don't want us to exist, but we are going to do it loudly and proudly," Mitchell said.

Boston's Pride Parade comes as plans are being made for a controversial Straight Pride Parade in the city.