Lady Gaga Takes The Lead At TriBeCa Pride Rally
NEW YORK (AP/CBSNewYork) -- Lady Gaga's activism was on display at a pride rally in the in New York City on Friday night.
"We are not a niche. We are a part – a big, giant part – of humanity," she said at the rally. "You saved me, my friends in the LGBT community, time and time again."
It appeared as though some were following the singer's lead to emerge as more than a niche. Some fans even took the advice of another pop star and "put a ring on it," CBS 2's Dave Carlin reported.
"We took Beyonce's advice and put a ring on it and here we are today," Tasha Lathroum said.
Tasha and Deena Lathroum said they moved from Florida to Old Saybrook, Conn., in 2011 to get married.
"We're from Florida, where Florida doesn't allow gay marriage and we moved to the Northeast, where we have the same rights as everyone else," Deena said.
The Supreme Court recently struck down the Defense of Marriage Act, and gay couples are now entitled to the same federal marriage rights as traditionally wedded couples. However, it only applies to states that allow legalized same-sex marriages.
Lady Gaga capped off the festivities with a rousing rendition of the National Anthem.
The NYPD will be posting patrols in uniform and plain clothes to provide security at the weekend's events, something that City Council Speaker Christine Quinn reminded New Yorkers of at a pride event in Harlem on Saturday afternoon.
"I don't want people to lose one minute of beauty sleep tonight, I want them to rest up, look fabulous, and have a great time tomorrow, the NYPD have our security covered," Quinn said.
Quinn was getting a temporary tattoo to show her support for same-sex marriage.
Sunday Pride Schedule:
11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Gay rights advocacy organization Heritage of Pride concludes ``Pride Week'' events.
11 a.m. Musician Harry Belafonte, Center for Black Equity Inc. President and CEO Earl D. Fowlkes Jr. and U.S. Supreme Court plaintiff Edith ``Edie'' Windsor serve as grand marshals of the annual Heritage of Pride march; note: 11 a.m. gathering followed by noon start of march; march begins at Fifth Avenue and 36th Street.
11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The 20th annual ``PrideFest'' festival takes place; Hudson Street between Bleecker and 14th streets.
Noon to 6 p.m. ``Pride Poolside'' party takes place; Hotel Americano, 518 W. 27th St.
3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Musicians Cher and Deborah Cox perform during the ``Dance on the Pier,'' concluding with a fireworks display; pier 26, West Street (state Route 9A) between Hubert and Moore streets.
As pride festivities continued on Saturday Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a new pitch aimed at bringing gay visitors to New York with a new ``I Love NY LGBT'' tourism website.
Cuomo said the website will help lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender travelers plan their vacations by suggesting must-see destinations.
The website will offer lists of LGBT events and resources throughout the state
New York is also promoting itself as a same-sex wedding destination since the state legalized gay marriage in 2011.
The new tourism campaign will be represented by the familiar ``I Love NY'' logo with a rainbow-colored heart.
(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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