25 June, 2007 | Chicago, IL

Gay Pride has a new figurehead.

On Sunday, June 24, 2007, one of the city's largest parades, the 38th annual Gay & Lesbian Pride Parade features over 250 floats and groups along Halsted Street and Belmont Avenue, down to Halsted's northern end at Grace Street.  The parade turns onto Broadway, travels to Diversey and east to Lincoln Park.

This year parade attendance peaked out at around 450,000 and there is no wonder why.  Gleaming crowds of half naked bodies roared with hysteria as the motorcade of Grand Marshall Warrick Burgmann passed by.  The jubilation carried on on to an overwhelming point as one excitable parade attendee, through tears of joy, explained just how big of a deal this years Grand Marshall was.  'This is really a giant step for our community and I think most of us knew all along this was going to happen.  Warrick was finally able to look into his heart and let his true self out.  Far too long his spirit was wrapped in a cocoon of denial now he can fly free like that great big beautiful butterfly he is.'  Warrick Burgmann, who gained recognition in our fair city and throughout the US with the Chicago Australian Football Association, approached the parade commission on Friday June 22 just two days before the parade.  'Once he came to us, we could not say no.'  Said one parade official.  'We certainly had to jump through some hoops and cancel with our original Grand Marshall John Amaechi, but it was well worth it.  We could not ask for a better figurehead than Warrick Burgmann'.

Warrick, until now, was a self proclaimed ladies man.  His shameless reputation proceeded him evident as the infamous inventor of world renowned pick up tactics such as the 'Australian Kiss' and 'Map of Tasmania'.  The news came abruptly not only to the cities gay community but to the Chicago United Australian Football Team as well.  Club President Andrew Ehlers and Vice President Al MacGlashan received word late Friday on the eve of the teams match against the MAAFL Championship Division St. Louis Blues.  'Road games are never easy and when you find out the night before one of your better players is not making the trip you tend to get a bit concerned', said Ehlers.  'As far as the other thing, I am not surprised in the least.  Turns out that we didn't need him for the game anyways'.

We were not able to obtain any comments from Warrick about his announcement or his plans but sources close to him say he is going to fully embrace his new found lifestyle.  He will be leaving the United States this Tuesday heading back to Australia to play the part of Mitzi in Melbourne's running Priscilla Queen of the Desert Musical.

Burgmann poses to promote the Chicago Beef Revue as well as major event sponsor Colt 69.