There're parades, and then there are Pride Parades: today's New York's turn, but that doesn't mean that there haven't been awesome ones around the country over the last few weeks as well. Here's a gallery of some of the best:

Via jp1958's Photostream, a marcher in Toronto's Dyke March holds up a sign that reads: Her sign says, "Sex Work is Real Work. Dancers, Escorts, Phone Sex Operators, Massage Attendants, Street Workers, Porn Models, Pro Subs, Porn Actors and Pro Dommes." No doubt, it probably pays more than this as well.

Via anw.fr's Photostream. From the French Pride Parade in Paris. Are French people happy again? Maybe! But seriously, they are probably telling the greatest inside joke ever. Don't you wish you had friends like that?

Via malu teodoro's Photostream. From last week's Pride Parade in Sao Paolo, Brazil. I had a dream one time that I ended up getting on a plane to go to Antartica and ended up in New Zealand, dressed like an eskimo. This is like that, except they were going to Vegas and detoured in Sao Paolo.

Via bettyx1138's Photostream. It's like Michael Alig held a Scooby Doo themed party except he's the one who ended up in prison, and they all took a coffee break. Superb. Tell me they all took the train together.

Via Steve Rhodes' Photostream, revelers from yesterday's Dyke March in San Francisco cheer the parade on from a rooftop in the Mission District. The winged creature is actually native to the Bay Area, and according to several people's parents, has lived there peacefully since 1964, when it fed them a block of cheese and showed them how to get to their hostel before fluttering away into the brilliantly dark night. Not that they remembered that.

More from San Fransisco, via liveintent's Photostream: You are not Glenn Danzig, Sir Purple Of The DayNight. But I wish you were. Oh, how I wish you were.

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Via bettyx1138's Photostream. In New York: now this is how you rock a pride parade/scare tourists home. I hope you took this to Times Square, honey.

Via Ron,Ron,Ron's Photostream, from the St. Louis Pride Parade: These are the nicest roller derby players to ever live. Don't you just want to hug them? They probably get the shit beaten out of them in the rink by all the mean, non-wing-wearing roller-derby-ers.

Via sassyradish's Photostream, from today's NYC Pride Parade: Plumber's Magical Ginger's Crack? Gold Lame Undies: SOHOTRIGHTNOW. But seriously, I think I wore those in Middle School P.E. Do they say "Hyde Park Middle School" on them? If so, please return to tips@gawker.com.

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Via kptyson's Photostream. New York, earlier tod-wait, Aunt Roz?! Hm. If you've ever had Jewish relatives, or know anyone with you Jewish relatives, then you might know that this is what it's like to be "kvelled" or "kvetched" at. This basically sums it up. You're like an acid-flavored shmear from Zabars. Stop it, stop it right now. Seriously.