HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - After the last of hundreds of gay pride supporters paraded past James Robinson, the organizer of the second annual Rocket City Pride declared the event a success.

The nearly day-long event at Huntsville's Roundhouse was successful, not just because it appeared that about 2,000 would have attended by the time activities ended at 10 p.m., but because of a conspicuously missing entity, he said.

"We had no protestors," said Robinson, executive director of GLBT Advocacy & Youth Services. "I was a little worried we might this year because we had more publicity."

It shows Huntsville is a "progressive" community, he said, noting no one demonstrated against the event last year, either.

The event, however, wasn't so much about making a political statement, Robinson said, as it was to simply provide a fun activity for families. It appeared about the half the attendees were with their entire family or were part of a straight couple, he added.

Kevin Bolton of Trinity was there with two of his daughters and a granddaughter.

"So far it's been amazing," he said of being able to be himself in a large gathering and not feel judged.

He said he has known he was gay since he was a teenager, but lived in secret for more than 30 years before he publicly revealed he was gay five years ago.

"I wish I had known things like when I was young. I just did what I was supposed to do, you know. I'm glad my kids are being educated," he said.

The free event was hosted by GLBT Advocacy & Youth Services Inc. The Huntsville-based organization was founded in 2009 to engage in effective advocacy for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, with a special emphasis on supporting youth and young adults struggling due to sexual orientation or gender identity issues.

It appeared most of the gathering were under age 30, and there were dozens of groups of teens.

Taylor Sisk, the 16-year-old Grissom High School Jr. ROTC student, who challenged the Huntsville City Board of Education with her claim that her instructor bullied her by using his biblical beliefs to preach to students against homosexuality, was given the Rocket City Pride Social Justice Award.

"It was really cool," Sisk said. "I wasn't expecting it. And having more awareness for my story now is really cool."

Her mother, Mia Gonzales, was almost at a loss of words to describe the award and the event itself.

"It's kind of overwhelming . . . but it wasn't about getting any recognition. It was about awareness. I'm just trying to raise my daughter right, and that means teaching her to fight for those who can't fight for themselves," she said.

Rocket City Pride also gave community service awards to AIDS Action Coalition and Spirit of the Cross Church.

The coalition, represented by Mary Elizabeth Marr, supports about 600 North Alabama patients with HIV with clinics in Huntsville and Florence. The church, founded in 1986, offered its facilities three years ago to GLBT to use for a youth group.

"One of the great dangers is the feeling of being isolated, and gay and lesbian people of any age need to understand they are not alone," said the Rev. Richard Barham, pastor of Spirit of the Cross, which has 190 members.

Marr said it was "amazing to see the amount of people" who came out to support the gay and lesbian community and it pleased her to see Huntsville showing its progressive side.

"It's really a beautiful thing," she said.

Activities started at 1 p.m. and included speakers, live music and DJs. At 5 p.m., about half the gathering - 400 to 500 - lined up and drove and marched around two downtown blocks before coming back to the Historic Huntsville Depot.

Miss Rocket City Cosmos Kari Lewis led the procession that included several organizations: North Alabama Freethought Association; The Studio of Huntsville; Spirit of the Cross Church; Parents, Family & Friends of Lesbians and Gays; Rocket City All American Goddess at Large; and an entire float of the transgender Diamond Dolls.

Robinson said six months of planning made Rocket City "everything we dreamed it would be," and it will be back for a third year. He added the move from Big Spring Park, where the event was held last year, to the Roundhouse was the right call.

"It was hot last year, and we had people who had to leave early," he said. "So the air-conditioned Roundhouse allowed people to cool off. And the self-contained area helped to create a diversified village inside the park."