What I'm about to say is going to shock you. This year I went to my first Pride celebration. I know, I'm a bad fag. I have always had the intention of going, and I've even made it as far as the brunch before the parade. I just don't do well with loss of personal space. I get anxious. I get drown-y feeling. Sometimes, if a club or venue is too full, I will go home. I have missed some of my favorite performers because of this quirk.My motto, in general, is "Small Venue, Week Night" which may also double as the title for my memoir. Anyway, the pictures of the masses that I have seen from most parades is the driving factor keeping me away from flaunting my gay-uality on a sunny summer day.
Seattle Pride this year, however, was going to be different. The parade route would no longer traverse the gayborhood, but it would now snake from tourist-heavy Westlake Center and end in tourist-center Seattle Center.
Ahhhh, that's the sound of me breathing easily. I didn't make it to the parade, but I was at Seattle Center welcoming the paraders and joining in the revelry. I have been at Seattle Center when there were too many people for my liking, but the number there today was completely fine for me.
I am glad that my own little foible did not prevent me from joining the festivities this year.
I took a total of 5 pictures. Two of which are total crap. One of which is posted above. Here are the other two:
Hey look, everyone! Its Steve 1 at the PFLAG tent. PFLAG is A-OK with Steve 1!
And this chick in the beer garden was my Person of the Day cuz I absolutely loved her shirt.C is for Crunk, indeed.
So, I'm a little torn because I just read Gay Prof's post about Pride and I would like to respond to that a little more (see his comment section for my initial reaction), but there was so much anecdotal stuff happening--namely Steve 1 almost coming to blows with a homeless guy on the bus ride home--that I feel that should be chronicled.
So, I guess I'll just say this--
Pride isn't a third of what it could be, but what it is, is pretty good.
2 comments:
I didn't make it to the parade or to the Seattle Center yesterday, but I got a report from a friend who had nothing but positive thoughts about the location change. So next year, I think I'll be attending (for the first time in 3 or more years).
blog more, your writing is entertaining.
and enjoy the 4th.
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