Gay Parade in Vienna? Don't Bother.

Well, the straight-rainbow flags have been up since sometime in June (official gay pride month, at least in the States, and apparently here, too), and so I knew it was time for the annual Regenbogenparade (Rainbow Parade) gay pride parade here in Vienna. Once again, I was dismayed to see how pathetic the festivities were. Floats? Cheap-looking things stuck on top of trucks (not covering them, like in New York). Stands and activities? Lamer than words can say. The "crowd" at the end of the parade, which this year was at much-too-small-and-devoid-of-grass Schwarzenbergplatz, or at least the part that didn't run for the hills immediately upon seeing the loser-esque display of homoparade-attempt-uality was drunken and throwing trash on the ground everywhere. What a place to hang out. Interested in a gay parade in Europe? Try Cologne (generally considered Europe's gay Mecca), or maybe Zurich (small, but I've heard it's good). I could imagine that London and Paris would be good, but I haven't heard much about them. Berlin should be good if you like bears and leather. But Vienna? Don't bother.