Pride parade in Cleveland sees record numbers

The pride parade in Cleveland Saturday was the city's largest on record, a fact some attributed to the U.S. Supreme Court tossing the Defense of Marriage Act Thursday.

Some 25,000 people lined West Third Street and St. Clair Avenue, about 3,000 more than last year, The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer reported.

An estimated 60 groups representing about 2,000 people walked in the parade.

Todd Saporito, board president and CEO of Cleveland Lesbian Gay Bi Trans Pride Inc., said the supreme-court decision, combined with the parade's 25th anniversary and the knowledge that the Gay Games will be held in Cleveland in 2014 helped boost attendance.

The only clash occurred at the end of the parade route where a Christian group used a loudspeaker to shout at the parade-goers. A group of members of a Unitarian Universalist church dressed as angels and created a wall blocking the protesters from the parade-goers.