Friday night's legalization of same-sex marriage in New York isn't just being hailed as a major victory for the Empire State, but has also emboldened lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) activists and their allies around the world.
As the Associated Press is reporting, many Parisian revelers demanded that France follow New York's lead as they marched under a sea of rainbow-colored flags and jigged to thumping techno beats in a gay pride parade on Saturday. Despite the festivities, the mood was bittersweet in France, where lawmakers had rejected a bill seeking to legalize same-sex marriage despite growing public support for gay rights a mere two weeks ago.
Elsewhere, in demonstrations across Germany, Israel, Mexico and even Russia -- where 14 gay rights activists trying to hold an unsanctioned rally in St. Petersburg were reportedly detained -- New York's legalization wasn't too far from everyone's mind, and many hoped it would be just the start. "The state of New York isn't the United States, unfortunately," 26-year-old German marcher Frederick Hartwig is quoted as saying. "The great victory for the United States will be when the middle of America — the middle of nowhere — will allow everyone to have such rights."
Take a look at gay pride celebrations around the world below:
