A large crowd lined Congress Street and the route to Deering Oaks on Saturday for the first Southern Maine Pride Parade since Maine's lawmakers voted to allow gays and lesbians to marry in the state.

Although the marriage law is still not in effect and opponents are gathering signatures to try to force a vote on the issue, Maine's decision to join a growing list of states allowing gay people to marry gave this year's parade and other events a little extra meaning. That helped draw a larger crowd than in the past.

Monument Square was filled with people, including a large group that carried a long rainbow banner in the parade. The sidewalks were packed with people cheering various organizations. In some spots the crowd was four and five deep.