SHOW OF UNITY; GAY PRIDE FESTIVAL ATTRACTS 350,000.

Byline: Lelani Albano Daily News Staff Writer

After weeks of frenzied preparations, Los Angeles-based artist Antonio Escalante woke early Sunday to piece together the rows of terra-cotta colored columns, wooden platforms and hand-crafted flowers he made to celebrate the city's diverse gay community.

``It's a way of showing pride in being Latino and gay,'' said Escalante, who designed the Hacienda and two other floats for the West Hollywood Gay and Lesbian Pride Parade.

The floats featured a mock same-sex wedding ceremony, a mariachi band and scantily drag queens dancing atop the four-wheeled platforms making their way down Santa Monica Boulevard.

The floats were completed with the help of more than 100 volunteers from the Bienestar service organization.

``Participating in the parade is a show of unity,'' said Bienestar spokeswoman Elizabeth Escobedo, whose organization provides HIV and other health services geared toward Latinos in six locations in Los Angeles, including a branch in Van Nuys.

Festival officials said more than 350,000 people attended two days of activities in West Hollywood that featured domestic partnership commitment ceremonies as well as a 300-person lesbian march Saturday led by a contingency of women on motorcycles.

A variety of organizations were represented at the parade, including churches, AIDS organizations and gay advocacy groups.

The number and variety of organizations participating ``is a reflection of gay pride as a whole,'' said Kendall Williams, spokesperson of Christopher Street West, the organization that sponsored the event.

``Compared to the San Francisco parade, the West Hollywood parade tends to be more festive,'' said Williams, noting the political air of the Bay Area festivities.

But political dignitaries could be spotted throughout the Los Angeles parade, including Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan and county Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky.

PoliceChief Bernard C. Parks rode behind the Golden State Peace Officers Association, a gay-advocacy organization composed of police officers and firefighters.

``The enthusiasm and positive nature of the parade has been a plus for us,'' said Parks, who is the second Los Angeles police chief to appear at the parade.

Other paradegoers added to the upbeat atmosphere: celebrants dancing under huge tents at the country-western music stage, fans under rainbow-colored umbrellas waving at parade participants and teens creating a ruckus with their noisemakers.

``Next to Halloween, gay pride weekend is one of our biggest events of the year,'' said Rage restaurant and bar manager, Sam Cunniniello, whose establishment is located along the main parade thoroughfare. ``It's extraordinarily busy.''

``It's like a whole weekend party,'' Escobedo said.

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2 Photos

Photo: (1) The City of West Hollywood Dancers move in time to the Village People's ``YMCA'' during Sunday's Gay and Lesbian Pride Parade.

(2) David Murray shows off his dog-walking outfit on Santa Monica Boulevard during the Gay and Lesbian Pride Parade on Sunday.

Tina Gerson/Daily News