This weeks poll asks: Are you going to any Pride parades this month?
So far the overwhelming response is: I never go to Pride.
For those of you who don't go I'd like to ask why not?
I rarely go myself. I support the community in other ways but I never had a great time going to a Pride parade. I don't like huge crowds and I'm not a big dance-n-party kind of guy. I do better in smaller groups.
Of course if I could be sitting on the back of this guy's bike I'd go in a second!
Marc
Why don't you go to Pride?
I agree with your reply, Kelley. We grew up in homes were we did what were told, we had chores, we had to be students and children, we had home training. There was someone there for us. Now the kids only have Paris HIlton to look up to and they emulate her. The generations after me really need codes of conduct and home training brought back into their lives. What we are seeing now is kids being left to their own devices and of this "femme" and "flamboyance" is for attention--negative as it may be--but it is more than what they have gotten at home. I just think that there should be less negative press towards Pride from gay people and better responses to why one doesn't like Pride. If the personality of another is the ONLY reason someone refuses Pride, if the way someone lives hurts someone so bad that person is either the Perfect person or a miserable person. If the nellies are nelle, the drag queens are flamboyant, the butch too mean so be it, I cannot let these arrest what I want to do; I have learned to enjoy myself, my friends, the musicians, the set up, the clean up--I go to be involved and have fun. If i do not want to attend pride it is because I do not want to go, it will have nothing to do with the people who participate. Most of the gripping comes from people standing on the side walk and not marching with groups or being apart of the process, the people who are just unhappy with whatever life they have. It takes as much energy to be positive as it does to be negative. I just want those who do not like Pride to just look at the big picture.
If I had my way in the pride parade, I would have all men wear what they wear to work - totally normal men. But that will never happen as it would upset the flamers, queens, and drunks... You have two rules of the road I guess - normal and abnormal. Seems the abnormals always gets the vote as they are the ones promoting their way of thinking. Myself, I am a normal person who wants rights and wish to go the normal route to address them. I used to live across the street from a Mormon family - when my other half and I moved into our house 10 years ago, she came over and introduced herself. We introduced ourselves also as Dave & Charlie. She said, "Oh! father and son?", and I said "No, we are together" - so much for the peach pie she in her hand. Thru the years, she and hubby came to realize that we were two great people, someone to count on in case of need. When she lost her husband a few years back, she came to us on a weekly basis for help in little matters such as opening a stuck jar, or needing her lawn mowed, or putting her garbage can put away while she was away for the week. She gave us peaches off of her tree and we gave back freindship that she still enjoys. This is my way of "Gay Pride", I don't need a parade, I just need someone who will listen and enjoy my company be it straight or gay.
Owen
I've been to 5 pride rally's/gatherings in my life the last one I attend was in Lexgington KY and I Love Kentucky deeply however I hadnt been to a pride rally in well over 7 years,san diego's was great,but after my experienc ein lexington kentucky and granted ot could've been anywhere in the country- my expereince was such THAT THATS IT FOR THIS LIFETIME,that wss the straw that broke the preverbial camel's back.
I will nevert go to anothe rof these so called Gya pride gathering in my life,ever! I am 53 years of age...and I echo what a LOT of them Men have said here. first of all I Know who I am on a very veyr deep level,including my sexuality
#2) Until the gay cmmmunity at large grows up and matures more I want nothing to do with most of it.
#3) Until 'they' learing to love themselves in a deeper more authentic way I'll not have much to do with them fer these reasons and more. So NO I do NOT attend "Gay Pride" rallies,ect. I havent found much inclusiveness in all the time and energy I'd invested over a 25 year period amoung the homosexual communties. I Put my time in,Im DOne,on to higher bigger and greater things. Tractor supply here I come! Keith
If I had to come up with any criticism of these events, I don't think it would be people's behaviour necessarily. What kind of bugs me is the 'tourist' aspect of it all. Hordes of straight people who show up not out of support, but with the mindset of "Let's be entertained by the gays!" Then they spend the next day at work talking about the fun they had. Then after THAT, well, it's business as usual.... I don't think they are being mean-spirited about it, I just don't want to be somebody's sideshow entertainment for the day.
Someone mentioned the younger generation not knowing the history on how we've come this far. I completely agree with that. I worked for a company and the GLBT group had one large presentation to the company the week just before Pride. I was fortunate to have worked on the committee that put together a slide show and talking history lesson which was well received. I'm sure you can find omissions, but this was done in an hour time frame.
http://www.cowboyfrank.net/archive/ComingOut/01.htm
walking the streets. Or fights arrise everytime a girlfriend looks at another girl.... I don't get it and don't want to be around it. So NO to Pride Events, has been years.
For me, the Pride events have been subsumed by the twinkies. And many of these guys have no idea what the gay men went thru here in Philly during the mid 60's to mid 70's. And Drugs are entirely too rampant at these events --a little MaryJane, ok, but some of these guys trot out really serious stuff. In addition, the political emphasis is on supporting gay marriage, DOMA, female priests, etc. and made to feel "bad" if I don't support those causes. I just am so beyond that business and I don't support a lot of it.
And before anyone counters that "only I can make myself 'feel bad'", I get it!
But anyway, Happy Pride Week to all my gay brothers out there.
I did my share of PRIDE events in the past, and the "junior" drag queens and the bitter "we're here, we're queer, get used to it!" crowd always seemed to garner all the media attention. I didn't necessarily identify with those groups, but that was always the topic of conversations later. I also do not feel I have to put my bedroom antics and fantasies on public display.
I am glad people are proud of their sexuality, but they need to have some PRIDE about themselves and the rest of the community. We are more then just sexual beings.
(getting off my soap box, now.) LOL