Hundreds of thousands of people marched, danced and dressed up to celebrate and support gay pride around the world Saturday as part of global LGBT Pride Month.
There were gay-pride festivals in many major cities, including in such culturally conservative countries as Croatia, Poland and Italy.
Italy recently passed a civil union law for gay couples, but some of the marchers in Rome said they were still far from meeting their goals, including legalized gay marriage and adoption.
A gay-rights activist parading in Athens said Greece was making its first steps toward recognizing that people can be different and said Saturday's march reinforced the change in attitudes toward lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
Marchers in Seoul watched as police dragged away protesters who tried to stop Saturday's parade. One of the organizers of Saturday's march said he wanted to send a message of equality and respect to Korean society.
Parades were also held in more than a dozen cities in the U.S., where the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage one year ago this month.
The U.S. parades were marked by joyful music and dancing, bright costumes and a family atmosphere.
More gay-pride events are scheduled around the globe throughout June.
