Gay Pride, Living Happily Ever After in NYC
Wild celebrations are expected in New York today for the annual Gay Pride March after the NY state legislature passing of same-sex marriage.
Recently, reading the dramatic and interesting Boy: On Boys, the following comment gave me pause to think.
“By the way, what is Pride? Not the bullshit with the floats and fancy underwear and lube samples. June 28, 1969–42 years ago this weekend–hundreds of gay men and a gaggle of ferocious trannies said enough is enough.”
Which of course is true enough considering the plight and the fight for gay rights. But, in commemorating the distance from those dark days of the past, when it was wrong to be gay, to be black, to be a woman wanting equal rights, indeed to be human, celebrating that basic human right sure beats the hell out of a beating.
The floats, the marchers, the whole kit, caboodle and she-bang of the day in New York is one of the best days out ever. This is a day when every person on the planet can think about coming out of whatever closet we find ourselves in, to be the “me” we happen to be, to take pride in the fellow humanity of man to man, in the generic sense. That we have far more in common with each other than what sets us apart.
And, whoever we are, and from wherever, we have all come from that wonderful little nugget so beloved of politicians who fight for its values – the family!
Out of the city for this year’s march I leave you with some shots from the fun of 2010 which doesn’t seem that long ago . . .
Further reading in today’s NY Post and Gothamist
EDIT: How could I forget it? The best of all! Gawker and as always, the comments tell the best tales!
Diversity rules! Gay or straight it’s good to be out of “our closet” and just be who we are. I love this post.
My closet is being “shy and retiring” when sometimes I would love to be “loud and out there” -with feathers, flowers and sequins! Thanks for the post love!
I’ll second that.
What wonderful collection of photos. 🙂
Thank you TT and if we can’t be loud and out there at least we do make an appreciative audience!
leave me out – closets are for old clothes – gay is gruesome
Ooh Peter, you provocateur!
Even the Flintstones were having a gay old time!
Scrawled on the wall
‘ my mother made me a homosexual ‘
scratched beneath it –
‘ If I gave her the wool would she make me one too? ‘
You spin a good yarn Peter and I do remember this graffiti, so beloved of many a pub drunk in the quest for literary perfection!
Great photos and writing. I’m stuck in Texas so I need to surf around to see some photos of reasonable and sane folks.
Ooops, I just deleted my original reply! Thanks so much for popping in and for the reassurance of reasonable sanity in the neighbourhood where it is all relative. I want to know more about Texas!
Also, on surfing around, along with talk of reasonable sanity or otherwise, take a look (if not already) @peterbowes, above!
I live in the bay area for almost 2 years. San Francisco has their version of it too. I never saw one but a friend attended one of the parades and she said it was a lot of fun. great post.
You should go next year, and take your camera with you. Your friend is so right abut it being alot of fun. For everyone!
Pingback: But Why Is The Writer Gone? | Just Another Gay In The Life