A spirited show of gay pride filled the streets of New York on Sunday during one of the largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender events in the world.

The Gay Pride Parade, which took place along Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, had a strong contingent from the Bronx.

?It's letting people know that we're out there, that there are gay and lesbian people and youth that are here and they should be proud and don't have to stay in the closet,? says Joel Czarlinsky, of the Bronx Community Pride Center.

A team from First Project Health also participated in the parade and traveled down Fifth Avenue on their own float. The group was one of 300 organizations and more than 500,000 attendees who participated in the parade.

Many revelers also used the parade as an opportunity to educate and raise awareness about the AIDS epidemic.

?The highest rates of aids [are] in the Bronx ? we try to promote safe sex so we can put a stop to that,? says Sal Cordero of Bronx-based Exclusive Entertainment.