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With so many players, it had been a long slog to get the parade going, and rumours had been flying for months that it may not be pulled off. People were supposed to meet around 4am at Chiang Mai Religion Practice Centre on Tha Pae Road, walk up Chang Klan Road past the Night Bazaar and end at the Saengtawan old cinema, where a stage was erected in waiting. As the day drew near, rainbow flags were being made, guest speakers lined up, fancy costumes designed and all accoutrements of celebration were being prepared. A total of 22 different organisations in various fields of LGBT activism had come together to organise this parade. Thailand was ready for a big and beautiful shout-out by the gay community, they thought. With the modest success of 2008’s event, organisers and supporters of the 2009 event were aiming for something far more ambitious. Co-organised by Mplus, a local foundation working on sexual health of gay men and the Human Rights Education Institute of Burma, Chiang Mai’s first international gay gathering saw around 150 people from all over Asia attend a conference which ended in a small and cheerful parade down the Night Bazaar.
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You see, one year before, a wonderful, if small, gathering of LGBT activists had descended upon Chiang Mai. Leading up to the date, members of Chiang Mai’s LGBT community were giddy with excitement and pride. February 21st 2009 was a day of ignominy for Chiang Mai, which should be marked down in history to be studied and remembered for years to come.