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NEW YORK (AP) — Gay pride parades stepped off around the nation on Sunday, in cities large and small, with gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people and their supporters celebrating a year of same-sex marriage victories.

New York's Fifth Avenue became one giant rainbow as thousands of participants waved multicolored flags while making their way down the street. Politicians including Mayor Bill de Blasio and Gov. Andrew Cuomo were among those walking along a lavender line painted on the avenue from midtown Manhattan to the West Village.

The parade marked the 45th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, the 1969 uprising against police raids that were a catalyst for the gay rights movement. The parade route passes The Stonewall Inn, the site of the riots.

In Chicago, as many as 1 million people packed the streets of the city's North Side for the first gay pride parade since Illinois legalized gay marriage last month.

Charlie Gurion, who with David Wilk in February became the first couple in Cook County to get a same-sex marriage license, said there was a different feel to the parade this year.

"I think there is definitely like an even more sense of pride now knowing that in Illinois you can legally get married now," Gurion said, as he posed for photograph after photograph with Wilk at the parade. "I think it is a huge thing and everybody's over the moon that they can do it now."

In San Francisco, hundreds of motorcyclists of the lesbian group Dykes on Bikes took their traditional spot at the head of the 44th annual parade and loudly kicked off the festivities with a combined roar. Apple Inc. had one of the largest corporate presences, and chief executive Tim Cook greeted the estimated 4,000 employees and family members who participated. The parade drew more than 100,000 spectators and participants.

U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee and assorted state and local politicians rolled along Market Street along with gay city police officers holding hands with their significant others as their children skipped ahead.

For some veterans of the San Francisco parade, the event has lost some its edge as it gains mainstream acceptance.

"There's less partying," said Larry Pettit, who said he attended the first parade more than four decades ago. "There's less sex. Everyone's interested in politics and no one is having sex."

In Seattle, thousands of people gathered in downtown Seattle for the city's 40th annual Pride Parade. This year's theme — "Generations of Pride," honors civil rights battles in the city that elected its first openly gay mayor last November.

Actor George Takei, who played in the "Star Trek" TV show and movies and is now an activist for gay and civil rights, was celebrity grand marshal of the Seattle parade.

A year ago, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a pair of landmark rulings, one striking down the statute that denied federal recognition to same-sex marriages and the other clearing the way for gay couples to wed legally in California.

In the 12 months since then, the ripple effects of those rulings has transformed the national debate over same-sex marriage, convincing many people on both sides of the contentious issue that its spread nationwide is inevitable.

From the East Coast to the Midwest and the Pacific, seven more states legalized same-sex marriage, boosting the total to 19, plus Washington, D.C. The Obama administration moved vigorously to extend federal benefits to married gay couples. And in 17 consecutive court decisions, federal and state judges have upheld the right of gays to marry. Not a single ruling has gone the other way.

Parades also were planned Sunday across the U.S., including in Minneapolis and Houston. Humbler celebrations were being held in smaller towns and cities such as Augusta, Georgia, and Floyd, Virginia, while festivals were held Saturday in France, Spain, Mexico and Peru.

Among the marchers Sunday in New York were cousins Yaseena Oatis, 20, and Shayna Melendez, 22, from Plainfield, New Jersey.

"We're walking to celebrate, to be embraced being who we are around people who are like us, free to express ourselves," Oatis said. "Everybody has a different story about how they came out as gay, but we're all here."

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Associated Press writers Don Babwin in Chicago, Paul Elias in San Francisco, and Donna Blankinship in Seattle contributed to this report.

BAGHDAD (AP) — The al-Qaida breakaway group that has seized much of northeastern Syria and huge tracts of neighboring Iraq formally declared the establishment of a new Islamic state on Sunday and demanded allegiance from Muslims worldwide.

With brutal efficiency, the Sunni extremist group has carved out a large chunk of territory that has effectively erased the border between Iraq and Syria and laid the foundations of its proto-state. But the declaration, made on the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, could trigger a wave of infighting among the Sunni militant factions that formed a loose alliance in the blitz across Iraq and impact the broader international jihadist movement, especially the future of a-Qaida.

The spokesman for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant declared the group's chief, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, as the leader of the new caliphate, or Islamic state, and called on Muslims everywhere, not just those in areas under the organization's control, to swear loyalty to al-Baghdadi and support him.

"The legality of all emirates, groups, states and organizations becomes null by the expansion of the caliph's authority and the arrival of its troops to their areas," said the spokesman, Abu Mohammed al-Adnani, in an audio statement posted online. "Listen to your caliph and obey him. Support your state, which grows every day."

Al-Adnani loosely defined the Islamic state's territory as running from northern Syria to the Iraqi province of Diyala — a vast stretch of land straddling the border that is already largely under the Islamic State's control. He also said that with the establishment of the caliphate, the group was changing its name to just the Islamic State, dropping the mention of Iraq and the Levant.

Muslim extremists have long dreamed of recreating the Islamic state, or caliphate, that ruled over the Middle East, much of North Africa and beyond in various forms over the course of Islam's 1,400-year history.

It was unclear what immediate impact the declaration would have on the ground in Syria and Iraq, though experts predicted it could herald infighting among the Sunni militants who have joined forces with the Islamic State in its fight against Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and his Shiite-led government.

"Now the insurgents in Iraq have no excuse for working with ISIS if they were hoping to share power with ISIS," said Aymenn al-Tamimi, an analyst who specializes in Islamic militants in Iraq and Syria, using one of several acronyms for the Islamic State. "The prospect of infighting in Iraq is increased for sure."

The greatest impact, however, could be on the broader international jihadist movement, in particular on the future of al-Qaida.

Founded by Osama bin Laden, the group that carried out the Sept. 11 attacks on the U.S. has long carried the mantle of the international jihadi cause. But the Islamic State has managed to do in Syria and Iraq what al-Qaida never has — carve out a large swath of territory in the heart of the Arab world and control it.

"This announcement poses a huge threat to al-Qaida and its long-time position of leadership of the international jihadist cause," said Charles Lister, a visiting fellow at the Brookings Doha Center, in emailed comments. "Taken globally, the younger generation of the jihadist community is becoming more and more supportive of (the Islamic State), largely out of fealty to its slick and proven capacity for attaining rapid results through brutality."

Al-Baghdadi, an ambitious Iraqi militant who has a $10 million U.S. bounty on his head, took the reins of the Islamic State in 2010 when it was still an al-Qaida affiliate based in Iraq. Since then, he has transformed what had been an umbrella organization focused mainly on Iraq into a transnational military force.

Al-Baghdadi has long been at odds with al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri, and the two had a very public falling out after al-Baghdadi ignored al-Zawahri's demands that the Islamic State leave Syria. Fed up with al-Baghdadi and unable to control him, al-Zawahri formally disavowed the Islamic State in February.

But al-Baghdadi's stature has only grown since then, as the Islamic State's fighters have strengthened their grip on much of Syria, and now overrun large swathes of Iraq.

In Washington, the Obama administration called on the international community to unite in the face of the threat posed by the Sunni extremists.

"ISIL's strategy to develop a caliphate across the region has been clear for some time now. That is why this is a critical moment for the international community to stand together against ISIL and the advances it has made," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.

The Islamic State's declaration comes as the Iraqi government tries to wrest back some of the territory it has lost to the jihadi group and its Sunni militant allies in recent weeks.

On Sunday, Iraqi helicopter gunships struck suspected insurgent positions for a second consecutive day in the northern city of Tikrit, the predominantly Sunni hometown of former dictator Saddam Hussein. The Iraqi military launched its push to wrest back Tikrit, a hotbed of antipathy toward Iraq's Shiite-led government, on Saturday with a multi-pronged assault spearheaded by ground troops backed by tanks and helicopters.

The insurgents appeared to have repelled the military's initial push for Tikrit, and remained in control of the city on Sunday, but clashes were taking place in the northern neighborhood of Qadissiyah, two residents reached by telephone said.

Muhanad Saif al-Din, who lives in the city center, said he could see smoke rising from Qadissiyah, which borders the University of Tikrit, where troops brought by helicopter established a bridgehead two days ago. He said many of the militants had deployed to the city's outskirts, apparently to blunt the Iraqi military attack.

Military spokesman Qassim al-Moussawi told reporters Sunday that government troops in full control of the university and had raised the Iraqi flag over the campus.

"The battle has several stages. The security forces have cleared most of the areas of the first stage and we have achieved results," al-Moussawi said. "It is a matter of time before we declare the total clearing" of Tikrit.

A provincial official reached by telephone reported clashes northwest of the city around an air base that previously served as a U.S. military facility known as Camp Speicher. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media.

Jawad al-Bolani, a security official in the provincial operation command, said the U.S. was sharing intelligence with Iraq and has played an "essential" role in the Tikrit offensive.

"The Americans are with us and they are an important part in the success we are achieving in and around Tikrit," al-Bolani told The Associated Press.

Washington has sent 180 of 300 American troops President Barack Obama has promised to help Iraqi forces. The U.S. is also flying manned and unmanned aircraft on reconnaissance missions over Iraq.

Iraq's government is eager to make progress in Tikrit after weeks of demoralizing defeats at the hands of the Islamic State and its Sunni allies. The militants' surge across the vast Sunni-dominated areas that stretch from Baghdad north and west to the Syrian and Jordanian borders has thrown Iraq into its deepest crisis since U.S. troops withdrew in December 2011.

More ominously, the insurgent blitz, which prompted Kurdish forces to assert long-held claims over disputed territory, has raised the prospect of Iraq being split in three, along sectarian and ethnic lines.

For the embattled al-Maliki, success in Tikrit could help restore a degree of faith in his ability to stem the militant tide. Al-Maliki, a Shiite who has been widely accused of monopolizing power and alienating Iraq's Sunni and Kurdish minorities, is under growing pressure to step aside. But he appears set on a third consecutive term as prime minister after his bloc won the most seats in April elections.

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Associated Press writers Sameer N. Yacoub, Qassim Abdul-Zahra and Sinan Salaheddin contributed to this report.

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) — A businessman looking to invest more time in his traveling concession business is seeking a buyer for his rural, southwestern South Dakota town — for the price of $400,000.

Lance Benson is the sole owner of Swett, an unincorporated hamlet in Bennett County about two hours southeast of Rapid City. Benson — who bought the town in 1998, gave it to his ex-wife in their divorce and reclaimed it in 2012 — put the town on the market last week, according he told the Rapid City Journal (http://bit.ly/THGUQ7).

In the 1940s, the town had a population of 40 people, along with a post office, some houses and a grocery store. Over the years, ownership of the town concentrated to a single person until it wound up in Benson's hands about 16 years ago. Now, what remains is a bar, workshop, three trailers and a house, where Benson and his current wife live.

Although the town is a shell of its former self, its bar still serves a hearty purpose. As the only watering hole in a 10-mile radius, the Swett Tavern is still the de facto gathering place for local cowboys and wheat growers.

"This place is pretty much where the highway ends and the Wild West begins," local patron Gerry Runnels told the newspaper.

Benson said if it doesn't sell in a year, he'll probably hold onto his small empire.

"I hate to get rid of it," he said.

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Information from: Rapid City Journal, http://www.rapidcityjournal.com

A fatal shooting and a separate stabbing at unsanctioned parties celebrating Sunday's BET Awards cast a shadow over the event, where top superstars like Lil Wayne, Chris Rock and others were set to mark the best in black entertainment.

One person was killed and five injured in two separate incidents ahead of the show at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live, Los Angeles police said. The events were "unauthorized and unaffiliated with the BET Awards," BET said in a statement.

"The network and all organizers will continue to maintain a safe environment for all planned activities," the statement said.

The death and four of the injuries followed gunfire early Sunday at a restaurant, Officer Drake Madison said. Separately, a man was stabbed in the stomach Saturday night at a nightclub.

The violence could change the mood at the ceremony.

Rapper Nelly said on the red carpet that "you can't place (the blame) on BET."

R&B singer Ne-Yo had not heard about the incidents until arriving at the show, but he said he doesn't fear for his safety at industry parties and events.

"I feel like the energy I give off is the energy I get back, and I don't give off that kind of energy," he said.

Stars arrived for the show where Pharrell, John Legend and Nicki Minaj will perform, among others. Top nominees are Drake, Beyonce and Jay Z, with five each.

Drake, who was originally set to perform, will not attend, BET said Sunday. A representative for Beyonce also said the singer wouldn't attend, and her husband's rep wouldn't divulge if Jay Z would be there or not. Their attendance had nothing to do with the violence at the weekend parties.

Drake didn't attend last year's show, where he won video of the year. This year, the 27-year-old rapper's "Worst Behavior" is nominated for the top prize, competing with Beyonce's "Drunk in Love" and "Partition," as well as Pharrell's "Happy" and Chris Brown's "Fine China."

Beyonce and Jay Z launched a co-headlining stadium tour days ago. She is nominated for best female R&B/pop artist, with little competition aside from Rihanna, while her husband will battle Drake, Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole and Future for best male hip-hop artist.

Pharrell scored four nominations, including best male R&B/pop artist, best collaboration for Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" and the viewer's choice award. Beyonce, Drake and rising newcomers August Alsina and Jhene Aiko are also up for the fan-voted award.

Thicke, who is set to release his new album, "Paula" — an ode to his wife, Paula Patton, whom he is separated from — on Tuesday, will perform Sunday. Usher, Mary J. Blige and Iggy Azalea will also take the stage.

Minaj and Azalea — whose anthemic "Fancy" has spent its fifth week on top of the Billboard charts — will compete for best female hip-hop artist, an award Minaj has won consecutively for four years.

Lionel Richie will be honored with a lifetime achievement award at the show, where presenters include Kerry Washington, Kevin Hart and Gabrielle Union.

The BET Awards will air live at 8 p.m. EDT.

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Online:

http://www.bet.com/shows/bet-awards.html

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AP Entertainment Writer Sandy Cohen and AP Entertainment Producer Marcela Isaza in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

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Follow Mesfin Fekadu at twitter.com/MusicMesfin