Author Topic: Gay pride parade (Read 5884 times)

buginme2 · « **on:** June 26, 2011, 05:18:38 pm »

I went to the gay pride parade in Seattle today. After the Microsoft float and Orbitz float and Alaska airlines float and Chipoltie burrito float it occured to me the gay pride parade isnt very gay. It seems the meaning or purpose is missing. Has the gay pride parade lost its message?

On a side note, granted Seattle is not New York but with the recent victory in ny it wasnt even mentioned in the pride parade here.

Dachshund · « **Reply #1 on:** June 26, 2011, 06:24:38 pm »

Honey, everything is for sale these days. Corporations are well aware of the buying power of the homosexual. They ain't being altruistic.

Miss Philicia · « **Reply #2 on:** June 26, 2011, 06:37:57 pm »

This has been going on since the mid-90's at NYC gay events. I think even Wigstock did it before Gay Pride, but only by a year.

David_CA · « **Reply #3 on:** June 26, 2011, 07:51:38 pm »

We were at Atlanta's Pride last year. Honestly, it seemed pretty gay to me, though I'm sure it's more commercialized than it has been in the past. Still, lots of REALLY hot men, which can help keep any event fun for me.

GSOgymrat · « **Reply #4 on:** June 26, 2011, 08:16:00 pm »

I attended Pride in Seattle years ago. It was a very festive party atmosphere and a lot of fun. I also attended NC Pride march when they had it in Asheville back in late 1980s and it was a completely different atmosphere. Local religious nuts rented a football stadium the night before the march for a "pray the gay away" sermon. We were all nervous during the march because there were police on the rooftops with rifles and a lot of police presence. Religious people were praying and chanting. People were yelling "FAGGOTS" and such. One guy told me he had a gun a would blow my head off. It wasn't a party but it seemed much more important.

David_CA · « **Reply #5 on:** June 26, 2011, 08:26:37 pm »

We went to one in Durham a couple or so years ago. It was pretty nice and very relaxed. There were a few of the religious crazies picketing during the parade, but they were on the far side of the street. The Dykes with Bikes (with no baffles in their mufflers) pretty much drowned them out as they zoomed back and forth on the 'other' side of the street.

drewm · « **Reply #6 on:** June 26, 2011, 08:31:59 pm »

Sorry that some folks didn't have a 'gay ole time,' but down here in Houston, it was a HUGE party. It helps to have a lesbian mayor I suppose.

thunter34 · « **Reply #7 on:** June 26, 2011, 09:16:06 pm »

Quote from: GSOgymrat on June 26, 2011, 08:16:00 pm

I attended Pride in Seattle years ago. It was a very festive party atmosphere and a lot of fun. I also attended NC Pride march when they had it in Asheville back in late 1980s and it was a completely different atmosphere. Local religious nuts rented a football stadium the night before the march for a "pray the gay away" sermon. We were all nervous during the march because there were police on the rooftops with rifles and a lot of police presence. Religious people were praying and chanting. People were yelling "FAGGOTS" and such. One guy told me he had a gun a would blow my head off. It wasn't a party but it seemed much more important.

Yeah. I was doing the march stuff way back around 1990 and got paper balls thrown at me and water tossed in my face by folks standing in front of the First Baptist Church of Atlanta. There was only a grand total of about 30,000 that year, I think (like in the park altogether)...a far cry from the few hundred thousand that party down for days now.

It was much more of a political thing back then.

buginme2 · « **Reply #8 on:** June 26, 2011, 09:57:56 pm »

Its still a huge thing here. Had to be several hundred thousand people. Its not that there arent a lot of gay people watching the parade. I just don't see wha Microsoft, Boeing, Amazon.com , Starbucks, Orbitz, Best Buy, Alaska Airlines, Chipoltle, Budwiser, the list goes on and on of corporate floats. I mean, what does that have to do with gay pride?

Looks like the gays sold out their pride parade!

drewm · « **Reply #9 on:** June 26, 2011, 10:08:26 pm »

Quote from: buginme2 on June 26, 2011, 09:57:56 pm

Looks like the gays sold out their pride parade!

Bug, you make a very valid and real point. We have 'been bought' by corporate America who is chasing our "gay dollars." While I understand your tepid reaction to this, I like the fact that we are a marketing target of mainstream corporations. In a way, it's the inclusion we seek! I remember a door man at a gay bar denying entry to a heterosexual couple in the 1980's...when they threatened to sue, he reminded them that there were 'no laws protecting straights.' In Omaha at a bar called the Stage Door, there was a sign at the entrance that said 'THIS IS THE GAY COMMUNITIES NIGHT-CLUB, IF YOU ARE STRAIGHT AND NOT PREPARED TO PAY A $10.00 COVER, PLEASE GO ELSEWHERE.' (The cover for gay folks was $3.00) I guess it's all a sign of the times. At the end of the day, perhaps part of being proud is being accepted by corporate America. Just a thought

Miss Philicia · « **Reply #10 on:** June 26, 2011, 10:17:30 pm »

Meanwhile 4 million turned out for Gay Pride in Sao Paulo. I sure hope those aren't corporate sponsor signs I see along the street!

Jeff G · « **Reply #11 on:** June 26, 2011, 10:35:12 pm »

The corporate thing doesn't bother me much . I was a bartender for years and was very happy to see the beer and liquor company's pony up some cash for banners , floats and decorations .

It was about the same time that bar owners and gay business's began to insist that these corporations donate to HIV groups and start acknowledging that they must give back if they were to take from the community . After we stopped selling and drinking c**rs beer and they were literally begging us to sell there products , that's when the rest of the vendors fell in line and opened the purse strings wide .

Dachshund · « **Reply #12 on:** June 26, 2011, 10:39:46 pm »

I imagine NYC was full of pride.

Jeff G · « **Reply #13 on:** June 26, 2011, 10:43:50 pm »

Every pride weekend I used to ask my buddy Todd if he was proud yet while he was puking in the gutter out in the front of our bar .

buginme2 · « **Reply #14 on:** June 26, 2011, 10:46:15 pm »

I understand that this may just be a sign of progress. Maybe I just long for the days of 1970's San Francisco. Speaking of which, one of the grand marshals of the Seattle parade this year was Amistaud Maupin (sp?). I bet most of the kids at the parade today didn't even know who he is. Ahh memories.

mecch · « **Reply #15 on:** June 27, 2011, 12:52:50 am »

Fading in vitality, creativity, authenticity, and numbers here in Switzerland.

gerry69 · « **Reply #16 on:** June 27, 2011, 07:44:16 pm »

Quote from: Dachshund on June 26, 2011, 10:39:46 pm

I imagine NYC was full of pride.

The unfortunate thing is that the event is now often referred as a parade rather then a march.
Parades cost a hell of a lot more to plan and produce then the original spontaneous demonstrations (marches) did.

Fortunately for New York this year the event felt more like the good old days. There was a spontaneity and joy which filled the air as the result of Fridays 'victory'.

That being said we still had our share of corporate sponsors -- There was Delta, Bud Light, Coors, and Mastercard amongst others.

http://www.hopinc.org/sponsors.php

And the rear of the 'march' which in days of old I remember being a group of Philadephia Mummers other street musicians followed by anyone and everyone who wanted to join the 'parade' was brought up by a group of Macy*s Stars (think Thanksgiving Parade) --

All in all it was a 'wonderful day'

Jody · « **Reply #17 on:** June 27, 2011, 09:10:25 pm »

Yes the crowd at New York's Pride parade was noticeably more joyous, hopeful and loving than in many of the most recent years past. The friendliness was more outgoing though my friend Frank and I got tired later on and he had a very busy week and we left around 4 pm or so.

But I did get good vibes from the parade and the participants and viewers and BIG kudos to Governor Cuomo, as well Quinn, Bloomberg and of course Tom Duane, amongst many others who really helped to make this possible, including all of the activists and hard working voters, callers and letter writers.

Maybe I really feel good about this cause in particular today because my very nice friend Frank reached out and held my hand for a few seconds as we stopped walking at a traffic light in Chelsea. It felt so loving and I told him today how much it meant to me and I do really care for Frank, or as I call him Francis, when we joke that the ladies (Jody and Francis) do lunch. No one else calls him Francis except his mother. He has two nice fellows he has been seeing and our attraction is as friends, at least now, but he is more so than anyone else a great friend I'm so glad came into my life.

And who knows, maybe I'll chase Francis and one day he will catch me!

Jody

Ann · « **Reply #18 on:** June 28, 2011, 12:57:53 pm »

Quote from: buginme2 on June 26, 2011, 09:57:56 pm

I just don't see wha Microsoft, Boeing, Amazon.com , Starbucks, Orbitz, Best Buy, Alaska Airlines, Chipoltle, Budwiser, the list goes on and on of corporate floats. I mean, what does that have to do with gay pride?

Looks like the gays sold out their pride parade!

What this brings to my mind is that any gay employees of participating corporate sponsors must get a good feeling inside when they see their employer lending their support to Gay Pride.

Even if the corporation is touting for business (they call it the "Pink Pound" in the UK), think of all the businesses out there who would rather turn gay people away. Isn't there some fried chicken outfit operating in the southern states who has some sort of corporate anti-gay policy that was fairly recently exposed? I bet you'd never see that company sponsoring a Gay Pride float!

What I'd like to see are floats sponsored by the various branches of the military, or ranks of gay men and women soldiers marching in uniform as representatives of their regiments. Now wouldn't that be something?

GSOgymrat · « **Reply #19 on:** June 28, 2011, 01:48:04 pm »

I remember when getting a large corporate sponsor for a gay event was a big deal. Corporations risk boycotts for supporting the gay community.My friends wanted to work for American Express because they not only supported gay events but had a sexual orientation nondiscrimination clause and you be out at work and not worry about being fired.

In North Carolina there is still no state nondiscrimination policy. Fortunately my employer not only has a non- discrimination clause but also partner benefits. Unfortunately those benefits may become illegal if the House anti-GLBT bill is passed.

leatherman · « **Reply #20 on:** June 28, 2011, 01:57:19 pm »

Quote

Isn't there some fried chicken outfit operating in the southern states who has some sort of corporate anti-gay policy...?

Chick-Fil-A (with it's yummy food

) which is based in the South and has already expanded into other parts of America, not only remains closed on Sundays to observe the Christian Sabbath; but they contribute to many anti-gay/anti-same-sex-marriage causes
http://news.change.org/stories/yes-chick-fil-a-says-we-explicitly-do-not-like-same-sex-couples
http://equalitymatters.org/blog/201103220005

Quote

Chick-fil-A (pronounced /tʃɪk fɪ'leɪ/, referring to "fillet") is a fast food restaurant chain headquartered in College Park, Georgia, United States that specializes in chicken entrées[1][2] and is known for promoting the company founder's version of Christian values.[3] Though long associated with the southern United States, where it has been a cultural icon, the chain has expanded into more of the country. As of June 2011[update], the chain has 1,558 locations in 39 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, and is expanding especially in southern California and the Midwest.[4]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chick-fil-A

mecch · « **Reply #21 on:** June 28, 2011, 02:31:47 pm »

In honor of Gay Pride Week and Gay Marriage, Michael Musto had a great piece about blasé, uninvolved, materialistic navel-gazing narcissistic tendencies among some gays, which ended with this paragraph:

But the worst thing of all about being gay is that you wouldn't be caught dead at the Pride Parade. For decades, that event has strangely been considered déclassé, banal, and practically shameful. ... See you there! Happy Pride!

The whole piece, below
Why I Hate Being Gay! 62 Reasons!
Here's why we hate being gay
By Michael Musto Wednesday, Jun 22 2011
http://www.villagevoice.com/2011-06-22/columns/why-i-hate-being-gay/
________
You assume the Super Bowl is a large household item at Pottery Barn. ... Your fake tans are even more life-threatening than your real ones. ... Your entire wardrobe consists of male designers having a midlife crisis.

You spend your whole life fighting for rights you don't even want for yourself. (Marriage and the military? No thanks!)...Gym was the bane of your entire childhood, but now you spend $1,350 a year on it. ... You gym all day and unsafe all night. ... It's not even called "barebacking" anymore. It's just "sex."... You think "modern dance" means Britney. ... You strangely turned off to Gaga the day she released a song about how great gays are. ... You haven't followed a female singer with two names since Alanis.

Way more of your friends bookmark Manhunt than nytimes. ... You spend half the day Photoshopping your Manhunt photos and the other half adjusting the lighting in your apartment so it'll match when they show up. ... The different subgenres of LGBTs hate each other. ... I hate muscle queens! ... The LGBT community pressures you to be a toned-down gay to move things forward, so you've basically come out of the closet to enter into a whole other form of oppression. ... You're furious when you catch your lover cheating, but you're convinced your own dalliances are perfectly acceptable and in fact worthy of applause. ... You started Botox treatments at 25. ... You work a cash register, but tell people you work "in retail."... You refer to your trick from last week as "my ex."

Thanks to the Internet, hustler bars are now just hangouts for elderly johns without any tricks. Tragically, some of the old men don't seem to realize this. ... Most gay men have never seen a lesbian except on daytime television. ... Just like a hetero will only pay to see Phantom or Wicked, a gay will only shell out cash for Priscilla or Sister Act. ... Gay plays and movies are marketed with, "It's not a gay play or movie. It's about the human condition."... Some gays still wear their collars up. ... Celebrities who were deeply closeted when they were famous now get awards for coming out to revive their careers. ... Gays are the last group on earth it's routinely OK to bash in movies, music, and life. ... Still, the haters routinely bitch about how gays are "the last protected class in America."... An exploitive trip to third-world nations to sleep with starving underage nymphs for $3 a pop is considered a glamorous vacation.

All cute gay guys somehow know they're cute. ... After a certain age, only women come on to you. ... Though their ultimate goal is to assimilate, guys spend the entire summer in gay-ghetto retreats where there hasn't been a straight since the colonial days. ... Dummos still think being gay is a choice. (No, it's coming out that's a choice. More dummos should try it.)... Everyone fights your views and vilifies you for years, then suddenly declares you an icon. ... No one under 50 has heard of the Stonewall bar, let alone the Stonewall rebellion.

You actually think that if a guy says he's negative, then he's really negative. ... You think that if their status is "Ask Me," it still might be negative. ... You're owed a fortune by various gay media outlets and actually believe that the check will be sent out next Tuesday and they won't come in your mouth. ... Your cologne bottle is in some sexy shape that makes it impossible to use or even keep on a shelf. ... You actually mark the Macy's flower show in your calendar. ... You still audition with that Pippin song and that monologue from A Chorus Line. ... Your growing collection of Shirley Temple dolls has your friends worried. ... You have twin Chihuahuas named Christina and Christopher. ... You look so much prettier in drag than as a man that you consider living as a woman. ... You're a militant gay on Facebook, but with your parents, it's "I haven't found the right girl yet."...You did a poignant "It Gets Better" video talking about how it's way easier to find sex partners past your teens. (Fortunately, no one clicked on it.)

You're "versatile," which means you can bottom in 15 different positions. ... You've been known to seriously cruise mannequins in Barney's windows. ... You have heated fights with co-workers over topics like "Wendie Malick or Jane Leeves?"... The Oscars are more important to you than the November election, though not as important as the Tonys. ... You check your ex-boyfriend's Facebook page at least once a week to make sure he isn't "friends" with any new cuties. ... Your Ivy League days are long forgotten. Nowadays, your existence centers around new episodes of Freaky Eaters. ... You've kept the Playbill for every Gypsy you've ever seen, including the ones at Paper Mill Playhouse and the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

You've sent back sorbet because it was actually sherbet. ... The more straight and unavailable someone is, the more wildly attractive you find them. ... If a cashier gives you five cents less than you're supposed to get, you start stomping your feet and screeching, "Homophobe!"... You assume that everyone famous is gay, including Doris Roberts and Larry the Cable Guy. ... You actually worked out a way to get college credit for fluffing gift bags for charity events. ... You have a "fag hag" for every occasion—bar, club, red carpet, funeral, phone calls. ... When someone asks, "Where were you on the day when..." you assume they'll finish with "the Spice Girls broke up?"... You think Kylie is better than Judy Garland. ... You kissed a girl and you didn't like it.

But the worst thing of all about being gay is that you wouldn't be caught dead at the Pride Parade. For decades, that event has strangely been considered déclassé, banal, and practically shameful. ... See you there! Happy Pride!

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Author Topic: Gay pride parade (Read 5884 times)