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[title]Gay Chicagoans and their friends and supporters celebrated the city's 44th annual Pride Parade on Sunday, June 30, just days after major Supreme Court victories for the advancement of marriage equality gave a new burst of resolve to efforts to pass equal marriage in the Illinois Legislature.
The parade featured the usual mix of politicians and public figures (including Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Gov. Pat Quinn, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin and Chicago Teachers Union president Karen Lewis) with floats from local businesses and large corporate interests, as well as marchers from social groups, schools, advocacy organizations and theaters—not to mention those participants who just like the challenge for most fabulous look. An official crowd count hasn't yet been released, but parade organizers expected it to match or exceed last year's estimate of 850,000. UPDATE 11:30PM: The Chicago Police Department estimates the crowd topped 1 million, making this the best-attended Pride Parade in Chicago's history.
RECOMMENDED: Full guide to Gay Pride Chicago 2015