

LAMBERTVILLE - A bistate parade planned for May 17 will take participants from New Jersey, which recognizes same-sex marriages, to Pennsylvania, which doesn't.

Two of them, men living in Bucks County, plan to be wed by Mayor David DelVecchio during the parade, on Bridge Street in Lambertville, N.J.

Then the New Hope Celebrates Pride Parade continues to the men's home state, where lawsuits are challenging the 1996 statute in Pennsylvania defining marriage as a union between "one man and one woman."

It's the first year the parade will wind through streets in both states. It will start at 11:30 a.m. near City Hall in Lambertville on North Union Street and end on South Main Street in New Hope.

The parade theme has historic and current connotations: "Bridge to Equality." It was 200 years ago that the first bridge linking the rivers towns was opened, equalizing access to both sides of the Delaware River.

"It's a nice tie-in," said New Hope Celebrates President Sharon Fronabarger, "Our parade comes over the bridge and highlights the fight for marriage equality."

Lambertville was the site of what may have been the first same-sex wedding in the state, performed in October by DelVecchio for city Councilwoman Beth Assaro and Joanne Schailey.

Supporting events such as the Pride parade, Fronabarger said, is one way for residents in a marriage-equality state to show support for neighbors that don't enjoy the same rights.

Pennsylvania, she pointed out, is "the only state in the Northeast" that doesn't permit same-sex unions today, and it shares boundaries to the east, north and south states that do.

Last year's parade drew marchers from near and far, including the perennial parade-ending float sporting Miss Pumpkin â John & Peters bartender Michael Gardner â and New York City's Lesbian & Gay Big Apple Corps Marching Band.

"We have a pretty diverse group," said Fronabarger, a "good mix of walking, bands, cars and floats. We arrange it to keep things fun and exciting as it goes through town. We like to have something new every year, make it a little different."

New Hope Celebrates is a nonprofit organization formed to showcase the borough's history and culture and promote business. The parade draws visitors, and is also "a great day to have a little party with friends," said Fronabarger, particularly for those who live along the parade route.

Her group will send letters to properties fronting the parade route, to make them aware of what to expect on May 17. She said her group will pay for city services associated with the parade, such as overtime for police officers and clean-up costs afterwards.

Registration is open.

This will be the first parade of the year passing through both river towns. The annual Lambertville-New Hope Winter Festival parade was canceled in January because of predicted snow.

Lambertville will hold its Memorial Day parade on May 26.

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