When he marched in the first Gay Pride Parade

When he marched in the oakley sunglasses best quality outlet first Gay Pride Parade, on Fifth Avenue in New York, the mood was decidedly less celebratory than Sunday's pageant. "We were all scared," he said. "I was with a friend, a teacher, and every time he saw a camera, he hid his face. ... But I went because I had decided I was gay, and I didn't want others to define me. It was an amazing time, but also terrifying." Not only did young gay people face widespread discrimination, many were disowned by their families, further alienating them from the mainstream, he said. Beyond societal challenges, AIDS - the scourge of the 1980s and '90s - killed thousands of young gay men, galvanizing the gay-rights movement but also leaving a devastating void in the community, he said. "A lot of young people don't know oakley sunglasses discount 2012 new arrival what we went through 30 years ago, that they're the end result of our generation's hard work, pain, abuse, deaths," he said. "I'm grateful for the young people today, but they need to know that we cannot stop fighting." The fight for gay rights is alive and well in San Leandro, whose school district was the only such contingent in the parade. As part of a decade-old legal settlement, San Leandro schools now boast a comprehensive antibullying curriculum that includes LGBT tolerance and parent education. That's a far cry from the late 1990s, when a San Leandro High teacher was disciplined for discussing racism and homophobia in his honors English class. The teacher sued, won and now San Leandro is one of the most gay-friendly districts around, faculty said. "I felt like I could seek employment in San Leandro and feel safe," said Victoria Forrester, principal of Roosevelt Elementary in San Leandro, who marched Sunday with several dozen parents, teachers, administrators and high school students from the quiet East Bay suburb. "The kids and parents here are more likely to be accepting oakley sunglasses cheap for women online outlet, respectful, open."