John Heller, Post-Gazette "Marsha Mellow", left, and "Miss White Trash" parade across the Roberto Clemente Bridge toward the North Side as part of the annual Gay PrideFest parade yesterday. Click photo for larger image.

The group waited at the corner of Fifth and Liberty, shielding their eyes from the bright and relentless sun, and searching the maze of Downtown streets for any trace of the Pittsburgh Three Rivers PrideFest parade.

After some initial confusion about the parade route, they were hoping to catch up with the procession as it made its way toward the Roberto Clemente Bridge and the North Side's Riverfront Park.

It was overdue, and the crowd grew larger as the time ticked by.

"It's 10 to noon," said Scott Moeller. "They're on drag queen time."

"They're on Gay Standard Time," agreed Ron Siler.

Still, despite the holdup, the hundreds who gathered for the event seemed happy for the beautiful weather, as well as the location. For many years, PrideFest paraded along Ellsworth Avenue in Shadyside, and space was very cramped. Now that it is Downtown, Moeller said, turnout has increased.

"I still wouldn't say it compares to other cities," he said, citing Washington, D.C. and Toronto. "Our gay population in Pittsburgh is so small."

"Just the fact that we even have one," said Siler, who lives in Clairton.

"The people you see in the bars, now you get to see them out in the daylight!" Moeller said.

"Which may or may not be a good thing," added Siler.

Soon the sounds of beeping horns and shouting rounded the corner. The crowd moved toward Sixth Street to join the parade.

"It's gonna be a mad rush of homosexuals down the street," said Moeller.

The air filled with the fumes of more than a dozen revving motorcycles. Drag queens tossed candy to an adoring crowd. Floats emblazoned with "Equal Rights, No More, No Less" -- the theme of this year's Pridefest -- passed by, as did an effigy of U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, complete with gray slacks and a pink balloon for a head.

At certain points along the route, streets were not properly blocked off, causing traffic to flow against the marchers. Parade coordinator Mike Natale cited a miscommunication with the police working the event.

"We had some ladies on motorcycles block off the streets for us," said Natale. "We kind of had to improvise in the middle of the parade, but we took care of it."

PrideFest is produced by the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Pittsburgh. It started out as an activist event, said Natale; now it is more of a celebration of everything the gay rights movement has achieved.

A crowd of about 4,000 filled Riverfront Park, thick with baby strollers and drag queens, little dogs and leather dudes.

"This is such a diverse community," said Natale. "This is one event where everybody can be represented, and everybody should be represented."