they most likely were originally put at the front of the parade for logistical reasons and have remained there as a symbol of lgbt pride, defiance, liberation and empowerment. the contingents are fiercely independent and self-reliant in the diy and feminist traditions and have been studied as a social phenomenon as a "complex, multilayered form of consumption-related cultural resistance that raises awareness of social injustice and discursively informs social meanings in everyday life outside the festivals."