Sporting a new, extended route right through the centre of the city, the parade was bound to be one of the highlights of Pride 2004. The city was brought to a temporary standstill as local and national community groups and companies took to the streets.

But what is it all for? It's a party, without a doubt. It's a chance for a minority group, often stigmatised, to shout from the rooftops... It really IS okay to be gay.

And why is that important?

For many people, watching a Pride parade helps to reassure them that they are not alone and may be the first step towards coming out to friends and family, or simply to oneself. For those already comfortable and open with their sexuality it is a time to celebrate the relative freedom that we have and to remember that there are parts of the world where the outward demonstration of same-sex affection would be punishable by death. It is a time to regroup and to ensure that we keep the pressure on governments the world over to ensure that everyone has the same right to live and to enjoy life equally.

Brighton and Hove is proud to have a strong gay community, of that there is no doubt. The city benefits from the pink pound, certainly. But much more than that, the city benefits from having a hugely diverse yet relatively harmonious population.

As one mixed Brighton nightclub poster once told us: Intolerance will not be tolerated.