The first Gay Pride Parade was held in the Cayman Islands Saturday, when hundreds of people, many clad in rainbow colours, marched along West Bay Road. At the front of the parade, in a show of support for gay rights and diversity and all clad in Cayman LGBTQ Foundation T-shirts, were Premier Wayne Panton, Opposition representative Barbara Conolly and Governor Martyn Roper. Noel Cayasso-Smith, founder of the Cayman LGBTQ Foundation, which organised the event, thanked the politicians for their support. He described the first Pride parade as marking a “truly, truly special day” for Cayman, saying that everyone on the islands should be able to live the lives they want to live. “I’m so pleased that we have the government on our side, as well as the governor and… the opposition. That sends a strong message that we are here and we need to be accepted. It shouldn’t matter to anyone what your sexuality is … you should be identified as a human being and not for your sexuality.” Despite some opposition from certain quarters in Cayman in the runup to the parade, there were no protests along the route. The only people on the sidewalks were those supporting the Pride participants, waving flags and shouting encouragement.