At Buffalo Pride this weekend, the theme of this year’s event was “Transformation.” And rightly so. New York State, of course, has seen an extraordinary transformation thanks to last year’s passage of marriage equality.

The community came together Saturday night for fun-filled Dyke March and Allen Street Festival. Lesbians hula-hooped in the streets while the party spilled out of bars, clubs and galleries. Morning rainstorms made the Pride Center of Western New York nervous, but the sun came out as thousands of men and women lined Elmwood Avenue and celebrants stepped off and marched through town.

Young members of Gay and Lesbian Youth Services served as the grand marshals to this year’s parade, which concluded with an enormous festival alongside the picturesque and historic Erie Canal Harbor, where local drag queens joined The Albrights and Buffalo’s Gay Men’s Chorus for a raucous performance center stage.

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Check out the GayCities guide for more information on Gay Buffalo. Special Thanks to Visit Buffalo Niagara. Photos: Jeffrey James Keyes