Police lead London's gay parade
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Metropolitan Police's Commander Brian Paddick joins other openly gay police officers as they march through central London
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LONDON, England -- Europe's biggest gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender festival was led by uniformed police officers for the first time.
About 60,000 people were estimated to be taking part in the £1.5 million festival, including police who were allowed to march in their uniforms.
Campaigners hailed the landmark as a "sea change" in police attitudes toward the gay community.
The thousands who were taking to the streets on the Pride Parade, dubbed the Pink Parade, hail the event as a celebration of sexuality, with pop stars Liberty X and aging 80s stars Bananarama among the bands performing in Hyde Park.
Britain's most senior police officer was urging gays and lesbians to join the force in a video message to be played at the festival.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir John Stevens was appealing to festival-goers attending the parade to consider a career in the force and help cut homophobic attacks.
Marchers were waving banners celebrating political struggle and human rights successes over 40 years of campaigning.
Organizer Jason Pollock said: "The Pride Parade is our day to demonstrate for what we have still to achieve. We still have a long way to go to get what is rightfully ours in society."
