Gay Pride...for or against?- Page 2

[SamIAm]

Posted: 6/25/04 at 12:38pm

I have to agree with you. The only comment I have about Gay Pride that isn't totally positive has nothing to do with being gay and proud of who you are. It has to do with the element of society who don't want ANYTHING shoved in their face and who turn even more against it when you do. You always risk alienating these people with anything that is too over the top.

To the extent that Gay Pride is expressed with intelligence and thoughtfullness, we can hope to get people to understand and accept everyone for who and what they are and stop stereotyping and/or being afraid of those who are in any way different from us.

I too am straight but have LOTS of friends and family that are gay and want equality and open acceptance for all of my loved ones.

It is only by speaking out that we can keep it in the forefront, but we have to think carefully about our audience and try to work on ignorance with a bit of tact and subtlety thrown in the mix.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 6/25/04 at 12:41pm

We may have come a long way--but there is a LOT farther to go. Gay Pride is just one opportunity to stand up for ourselves. I agree with everything Zola, robbiej, and Rathnait said.

I feel proud at the parade when I see

Parents and friends of gays proudly marching
Elderly gays and lesbians who went through all they did
Churches that defy the notion that being gay is a sin and a crime
Politicians who risk votes by standing by us
Corporate sponsors (who may or may not have the proper motives, but who choose to stand by us regardless)
Gay teens who are proudly marching
Transexuals, who prob go through more crap than any of us
Drag queens, who are fabulous and fun
Men and women of all shapes and sizes and races who say, "Gay people look like this, too"

And, I'm even proud of the leather men and the go-go boy clones, who are a part of this community.

Maybe some people use this as a chance to do drugs and have sex (but these people use every event as a chance to do those things), but when I look at the majority of the marchers and the audience, I see people who are not like that.

Maybe it depends on where you stand on 5th Avenue.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 6/25/04 at 12:41pm

most of the commenst here echo my feelings.. so....

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 6/25/04 at 12:44pm

I just want to add that they day we start excluding certain groups in the community in order to create a better image (NAMBLA is an exception here) is the day we lose.

Posted: 6/25/04 at 1:24pm

i just hate vomit on my shoes...but then it happens on Halloween too!

[Broadwaybaby614]

Posted: 6/25/04 at 1:44pm

I am not gay, and I don't think I ever will be because women tend to bother me (I don't want any angry posts from women, because that wasn't exactly a dis. Well, maybe it was. But honestly, almost all of my friends are male.) ANYWAY...

I am all for gay pride. Being in theatre, I have a lot of gay friends and some of my family members, too. Surprisingly, my family is very, VERY Roman Catholic. But they understood and were accepting to everyone. Too bad not everyone is like that.

And I understand how the parades could be a bit much after a while. But come on, it's got to be a LITTLE fun, right? Almsot as fun as a drag club? lol...Now I'm not making any sense...I'll go now.

[SMichaelK]

Posted: 6/25/04 at 2:05pm

As a signed suporter, I'm all for gay pride. Honestly, I am for any pride other than the norm. In a country that's supposed to be a melting pot and have segregation eliminated this is really the last complete govermental sponsered form of segregation. I will not go into complaints about the proposed anti-gay marriage amendment, which is absolute BS. But Hey I say why not, everyone deserves a chance to show off what they believe in... This is supposed to be a free country after all.

[JamieMcG]

Posted: 6/27/04 at 9:51am

I am a little dumbfounded at the number of young gay men out here who don't believe in Gay Pride. Not that it's your fault. As many of you said, you're growing up in a different world, so your feelings are understandable.

Here is where the problem lies: some of you have argued that the parade only represents a small portion of society, the flesh, etc... You're not correct. Today I am marching with The Matthew Shepard Foundation, last year I marched with the LGBT Community Center. There are dozens of organizations which represent dozens of different aspects of our community. It's just that the only ones you see on television are the colorful ones.

It is up to all of us to be seen as we are. And yes it is still a big deal to march. In a year when half the country doesn't think we should have equal rights, it is more important than ever that we march.

Also-it is not a parade. It is a march. It is a commemoration of The Stonewall Riots. And will be necessary until the GLBT community is recognized as equal.


The Stonewall Rebellion

[thirdrowcenter]

Posted: 6/27/04 at 10:47am

I used to go every to the parade every "Last Sunday in June" (loved that play) just to have fun and watch the spectacle of "Dykes on Bikes." Being straight it sort of became, been there, done that gawking at the floats and exhibitionism.
This parade brings huge revenue into the city and it's an event.

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 6/27/04 at 11:26am

I agree with jrb. I also think that for all the supposed celebration of diversity, the parade has gotten rather less inventive and homoginized over the years. One bar float filled with gyrating shaved twinks looks just like any other.

Where are the floats devoted to the great gay artists, composers, writers etc? The Franz Schubert Society used to have a great float that celebrated many of these great individuals, but I think the group disbanded some time ago, alas.

Updated On: 6/27/04 at 11:26 AM

Posted: 6/27/04 at 12:00pm

I've lived in Manhattan 30 years. I've watched the parade twice I think. Never seen the whole thing, never been to the Village on the last Sunday in June.

The most fun of those two times was watching a group of FDNY, whose truck was parked on 52nd Street off 5th, allowing themselves to be photographed with with the elegant (and not so elegant) drags who came running in their heels to the firefighters. The FDNY were mostly relaxed and playful. That was fun to watch.

I have a neighbor who marches every year in drag. This year he's going as Queen Elizabeth II in her coronation outfit. But he never shaves off his beard. Never, ever.

My reaction to the parade is that it has both pluses and minuses. Great to see the support for tolerance and equality for gays. Not so great to see negative stereotypes of gays reflected by the behavior of many who march.

Bottom-line is that I'm indifferent to it. I don't go out of my way to attend.

[sabrelady]

Posted: 6/27/04 at 2:47pm

Thank god someone remembered Stonewall!!!

[SexyMelvin]

Posted: 6/27/04 at 5:10pm

Is this fair? How do you think the gay people feel about all this?

[newyorkuniq]

Posted: 6/27/04 at 5:56pm

Im not gay, but I think if you are then be proud of it. Hey my roomate had his own FLOAT in the parade today!! LOL!

[Jon]

Posted: 6/28/04 at 10:26am

I think there should be Straight Pride Parade - where heteros can show off all their various proclivities - there could be a "Guys Who Like Women with Enourmous Boobs" float, a "Guys Who Spend Thousands of Dollars at Strip Clubs" marching brigade, the "Women Who Get Off By Humiliating Men" float, etc., etc...

[Zola Q. LaPlaya]

Posted: 6/28/04 at 10:46am

Jon:

Straight people (especially those who espouse the aforementioned proclivities) don't need a parade for that. They have it every day in every city in every country of the world -- and society acknowledges and accepts it.

Yes, Gay Pride is about being in society's face (and not, Jose, about putting on a drag show or providing a photo op for firemen -- but thanks for reminding us of that pernicious pandering). It started as a protest and is still a protest about equal rights. Of course, it is unsettling to some people. It rocks their world and takes them out of their comfort zone. And, to be honest, some of the parade, and the views expressed by some in the gay community, are alien to me too.

So, it does not surprise me that our younger gay bros here don't see the world -- or the need to protest -- the way those of us over 30 do. The world is a different and better place because of the men and women who struggled to make it so. But, does anyone really believe that without protest and agitation, straight society would have just magnanimousely allowed gay people any sort of equal protection?

Now, if we could work on the gay community protecting itself better against racism, ageism, crystal, and rising rates of venereal diseases, we'd be a long way to creating a better society.

[ALittleNorthofKansas]

Posted: 6/28/04 at 12:25pm

Just an FYI the Toronto Pride Parade included marchers such as gay geeks - librarians, Sci Fi, wathcers, and the pocket protector crowd. They were a return favourite form last years parade/march. Also there were the primetimers whooping it up "walkers" mainly in tow. Great to see the Italian, Portuguese, Muslim and many other communities represented.

Politicians of all stripes - Conservative, Liberal and NDP - NDP by far the largest contingent.

Oh yeah there were the drag queens and kings, buff boy floats - but I didn't look, well not much, ok a lot.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 6/28/04 at 1:50pm

No, I think Jon is right on. It's the same reason we need a White Pride Parade around the time of the MLK, Jr Parade or the Latin Heritage Parade--because whites have suffered so much cruelty and have such a history of struggle.