I think gay pride parades are great. It makes it easier to take a bunch of 'em out with a molotov cocktail.
Of course, I'm just kidding.
Pretty much every gay person I've ever met has been the nicest specimen of humanity. Aside from the few that are just so annoying that I want to rip my own throat out, that is. Showing that someone is proud to be gay is definitely not a detractor, it is just to show other people that they aren't afraid to be different. Granted, if there was a "straight pride" parade, people in the gay community would be up in arms, but that's a different issue for a different time.
Oh, and as a side note, I just realized that I hate the term "gay community". It makes it sound like they all live in one village.
In short, all of these problems that we talk about here, (as much fun as it is,) are things that we shouldn't really care too much about. People are gay. Great. People are also men, women, blonde, redheads, tall, short, disfigured, amputees, etc. I say we just do what we have to do, and not worry so much about everyone else.
Also, I've never seen an "amputee pride" parade, but you can bet your next paycheck that I would watch that one.