June 23, 2001 was the 23rd annual Pride Parade, and this year's event included a rally before the parade began.  Around 6: 30 p.m., a rally was held at the intersection of Lincoln at Westheimer, where Mayor Lee Brown, Councilwoman Annise Parker (At-Large #1), and candidates for the 2001 election were present during the proclaimation.  These were the attendees that were present:

During the rally, volunteers with Progressive Voters in Action canvassed the crowd, to sign up new volunteers in order to defeat two anti-gay ballots for the November 2001 city elections.  Volunteers included members of PVA, the Ada Edwards campaign, and the Harris County Green Party.

The West End of Westheimer, near the Waugh/Yoakum Blvd. intersection.  October 16/17, 1999, was the last time the Westheimer Street Festival looked like this, and during the glory days of WestFest, the rooftop of Mary's had a diva impersonator on top.  Last year's Pride '00 wasn't like this, since there wasn't a stage for a political rally.

The following pics were snapped during the rally, which was held around 6:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.  A lot of 'purists' that are fans of the Westheimer Street Festival in Exile would find these pics as a mirror image of a Houston tradition that has been evicted from this strategic location.  Does anyone remember the Star Trek episode "Mirror, Mirror"?

Mayor Brown was speaking at the Pride Rally, where the anti-discrimination ordinance was upheld by the Texas Supreme Court, after Councilman Rob Todd filed an injunction back in 1998.  Also present was Councilwoman Annise D. Parker.

Although the Pride Parade is the only event that allows Westheimer to be shut down, the last thing is for this event to be relocated on Downtown streets, if there was another opposition by businessowners and residents. The Neartown Association might have boycotted the Westheimer Street Festival, and this has led to the formation of the WestFest Purists Organization. It's mission is not only to liberate the WestFest back to the Montrose, but to curtail overdevelopment and push for a tougher historical preservation ordinance in H-town. Online donations are accepted through PayPal; let's keep the Pride Parade in Montrose.  Click below to donate $$$, if 'snail mail' is of no other alternative:

Copyright 2001 WEstfest Purists Organization.  All Rights Reserved.  Unauthorized use of any images for exploitation is illegal, without the sole copyright of the author.