Footballers, ministers join gay pride TENS of thousands of pink-clad partygoers have feted Gay Pride along Amsterdam's canals. Professional footballers and ministers joined in Saturday's massive techno-beat chorus of support for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights. Many at the celebration took aim at the anti-gay stance of Russia's President Vladimir Putin, who visited Amsterdam earlier this year. The Dutch football federation KNVB had a boat taking part in the day's high point, a colourful pageant along the city's historic canals, for the first time. "The football world is a macho world where it is easy to make jokes, especially about gays," former Dutch international Pierre van Hooijdonk told AFP. "I never came across any gays in my team and I don't know any either but we are here today to say OK, if you are (gay) we'll support you, we won't discriminate," he said. It goes slowly but we have to start at some point, right? National team coach Louis van Gaal as well as former Dutch players Ronald de Boer and Patrick Kluivert also joined in the festivities, the climax to a week of celebrations in the famously gay-friendly city. "Everybody has the right to do as he likes, if you like football and are homo, it doesn't have to be a problem," Dutch former league player Regillio Vrede told AFP. "We want to show that we have respect for the people," he said, pointing to the pink arm-band on his black T-shirt emblazoned with 'Respect'. Families, including children and the elderly, flocked to watch the colourful flotilla parade down the canals. "This is my first time, but you have to do it once in your life," Wil, a 70-year-old Dutch woman, told AFP. "It's a proper party and at the same time it's important to show that everyone has the same rights," she said, blowing kisses to a boatload of men in leather mini-shorts. The Netherlands was the first country in the world to legalise gay marriage, in 2001, and Amsterdam is home to the world's oldest existing gay rights group.