text: It's pretty simple. A large portion of the world is anti-gay and the parades are a way to show that gay people aren't going anywhere and demand the same rights that everyone else has.  It's especially useful for the gay teenagers that are put out onto the street by their christian families and feel like they dont belong anywhere. Being able to see that people like you are celebrating and proud of who they are when everyone around you wants to make you feel ashamed for being gay is something that saves lives.nnHope that answer explains part of it