Thousands celebrate Gay Pride

(Portsmouth) - Up to four thousand people jammed Market Square in downtown Portsmouth Saturday.

The first annual gay pride parade and rally celebrated the U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing same sex marriage in the U.S.   Participants filled the downtown streets in the small city of just over 22 thousand residents.  Assistant Portsmouth Mayor Jim Splaine, an organizer of the event told the crowd that he has dropped "gay marriage" from his vocabulary, using only the term "marriage."  The openly gay city councilor has worked for years to legalize same sex marriages in the state, and said that over three thousand have taken place since its legalization.  Mayor Bob Lister welcomed the crowd, calling it "a great day for the city."