Pride

[rm]

Pride was awesome. We're tired from too much sun and too much dancing on concrete, but it was awesome. We planned well, we ate good food after, and Patty cracked me up, wearing a sticker she got from the Bears and saying, with great frequency "I'm a bear, grrr." This entertained not just me, but also pretty much everyone we interacted with, including the clerk at Trader Joe's.

I did note that the groups that were massive in the parade maybe a decade ago, barely seemed to exist now. The Bears numbered about twenty, the Leather Men were even fewer; in the parade of various religions, I didn't even see a pagan group (unless you count Radical Faeries) and the poly group was tiny. We didn't stay to the end, so maybe we missed certain groups, but it felt like everyone had dispersed into political causes this year, which isn't a bad thing. But it was the first time since the late-80s and early-90s, when the parade was so about the AIDS crisis, that it felt quite like this.

There were levels on which I was glad for the politics. But I did also miss the level of hot, mostly naked making out I remembered from the last couple of years. Which brings me to another point: way more sexual displays from lesbian floats this year, which I also liked, as I really do have a problem with this idea both from within and without the gay community that men party and are hot and women doing politics and scold.

There were also larger and more vocal transpeople groups this year.

General notes -- if you're representing something really specific with a small group, dress well! Choose clothes that fit you! They don't have to be formal or expensive, but man, the amount of slovenly stuff I saw on people who would have no problem finding affordable off-the-rack clothes that would fit them well and represent their thing (butches, I'm looking at you) MADE ME CRAZY.

At the dance, it rained right before we got there, and there was an actual massive rainbow in the skyline! The music wasn't my thing (not because it was modern, but because it was more hiphop than I can really get into), but it was still good to move, and I danced like a lunatic to a ridiculous mix of Michael Jackson stuff, not because I particularly liked it, but because it was familiar and easy.

Patty, btw, is ridiculously hot on the dance floor.

Comments

[billijean.livejournal.com]

I still have to write it up and gather some photos, but Jordan walked in Toronto's Pride parade last Sunday (I couldn't go *sad*) with our church. Of course, Jordan being just-turned 13 and at his first event, his perspective is not the same as others who have been to more - but he informed me there were lots of guys making out (but I don't know.. lots=100 or lots=4?) and he described what I assume to be bears.

I only watched part of the parade on tv (broadcast live and then again later that evening) looking for Jordan. I didn't pay attention to which religious groups were there, but my congregation seemed to be represented mostly (but certainly not only) by people from the Pagan group.

Tangentially related is this sermon/blog post by a UU minister http://chalicefire.blogspot.com/2009/06/invisible-to-visible-how-far-have-we.html . He talks about the transition from invisible to visible, gay shame to gay pride and the current lack of (American) news reporting on pride events. This surprised me as here, Pride has always been big news. The Canadian military in is the parade, as are the police and firefighters, politicians... and the events all week, but most especially the parade, are big news - always the first or second story on news reports complete with video and there are lots of colour photos in the newspapers. It is nearly impossible to not know it is Pride week. I was surprised to hear the coverage described as in the link above.

[rm.livejournal.com]

I think the coverage here is -- weird. It's a weird situation. I mean, the New York Pride parade, on some level, that's boring. It's New York, it's been going on for ages now, we do have large groups of police marching and local politicians (city and state), and so forth. So maybe not so much coverage.

And then in other places, such things don't get coverage, because gay is still really shocking or those communities don't have Pride parades and only report on ones like New York and SF as a way to differentiate themselves from the people who live here.

It's very strange. I get annoyed when people talk about the courage of being out in these times. It's really not that much of a big deal most of the time, and certainly not compared to how it was when you think of ten years and then twenty and thirty and so forth years ago. If one more person in fandom describes an out actor as a hero for kissing his partner in public, I'm gonna smack somebody.

On the other hand, someone just got gay bashed a couple of days ago a mile from my apartment.

We're in flux here, and it's not graceful.