Hundreds of thousands of people attend Manhattan's gay march

NEW YORK, June 29 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of thousands of people gathered here on Sunday at the colorful parade that celebrates the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

The parade began at noon at Fifth Avenue and 52nd Street and made its way down to Greenwich and Christopher Streets in Greenwich Village.

The parade featured some 300 organizations and a half-million participants, the www.ny1.com reported.

Starting off the parade were Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Governor David Paterson, who defied doctor's orders and marched one day after undergoing cataract surgery.

Paterson, the first head of state to march in the Pride Parade, was thanked by fellow participant Council Speaker Christine Quinn for calling on New York State to recognize out-of-state same-sex marriages.

"We will honor the marriages that were sanctified in other states, we will honor them in New York," said Paterson.

An estimated 1 million people lined the route to watch the parade, according to the Web site report.

The parade also commemorates the 1969 Stonewall Riots, a clash with police at a Greenwich Village bar that many believe led to the birth of the gay rights movement.