Like I said, I think gay people in a parade is a good thing. Homosexuals are a different matter entirely. They aren’t gay. They are homosexuals. Words mean things. “Gay” has a very specific definition, and it has nothing to do with sex of any kind, much less homosexual behavior.
You think casual readers will understand what you meant?
Just use the term homosexual. This is the proper term to describe them. When you play semantics, you're already accepting their premise.