Discuss: How did you celebrate Pride Weekend?

A French gay husband would certainly make for a nice change.

Dallas's Pride Parade is held in October when it is a little cooler, but this year the Million Gay March was held. This being my first pride event to attend, I can't compare to past years. Unfortunately, just before the march began word got out that Ft Worth police had raided a newly opened gay bar the night before.  It is sad to see that 40 years later this is still happening. Many at the million gay march went on to Ft Worth to protest this action.

However, I watched "Milk" with my roommate Saturday morning (the St. Pete Pride Parade was later that day, but I just can't get into it). 

 Loved looking at the pictures -- just because it's not my scene doesn't mean I don't enjoy reading about it!

I knew about Gay Pride Month and I knew about Gay Pride Parades, but I didn't know that there was one weekend in particular that they all kind of have the parades at the same time. I live in a semi-small town, but they had a pride parade. Since the gay community is so small here, I figured that they wouldn't have one, but if I had known about it beforehand, I would have definitely went and showed my support. Now I feel sad b/c I could have met so many people, and now I won't get to. I've never been to one before, so I'm trying to get into the habit with a new baby boy in my life (not mine, but in the family). Next year I'll know, and I'll definitely go b/c I could have used it after the bummer that was last week. I hope that everyone that did go had tons of fun!!

Kitty

I remember when the bars would rent a flatbed and would design and decorate it as a team effort. Now it seems that each bar gets its float delivered out of a box from different booze merchants. There are some bits and pieces of awesome to be seen but since most of it is booze ads... I can see that just walking down Castro Street any evening. I'm expecting the cigarette companies to join the parade next year.

Needless to say... I stay away from these things. I participated for years. There's noting unique anymore. 

The atmosphere where I am was wonderful - I loved the way all the couples felt free to kiss and hold hands in public. And of course, you have to stock up on the free things - bags, flags and lube!

me and my best friend gina are off to pride! its our 1st, well unless you count thanet pride but honestly we dont ha ha

I was at the pride event in Dublin ireland. The Parade was led by the chair of the National Lesbian and Gay federation Ailbhe Smyth, who is also a distinguished lecturer from Trinity College and the post parade event was MC-ed by the ever witty and hilarious Miss Panti-Irelands most iconic Drag queen.

 The parade was attended by an estimated 12,000 people who were blessed with some of the best weather of the year so far. The parade theme this year was 'Pride and Prejudice', a fitting theme giving the publication of the Bill for Civil partnerships which has been hailed as a half measure and as enshrining in-equality for LGBTcouples and families into Irish law. It has already been criticized by the head of Amnesty International in Ireland. There was a united front presented to the government though as the Bill was shredded on stage to roaring applause from the thousands gathered. My favourite quote of the day came from Miss Panti who gave and amazingly rousing speech, 

“Anyone can get married in this country except you, any soccer hooligan, any gay basher, any fascist, any murderer, any sex offender can get married, but YOU cannot,” - Miss Panti as quoted in the Irish Times.

 

Panti also stressed that while there are differing opinions within our community on the bill, we are united in the believe that it does not go far enough!  

The fantastic work of groups such as LGBT Noise, Marriage Equality and EQUALS made sure the message was gotten across. 

Pride Dublin has grown in recent years into what is now a 10 day festival with superb theatre performances, gay walking tours of the city, art, short film competitions, and much, much more. So even though there was a serious theme this year there was also a lot of fun to be had!! :) 

More links can be found on the day:

http://short.ie/vbi6ji

http://short.ie/xwuad8

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0629/1224249725588.html and pictures here...

http://bit.ly/13uGJT

I feel like I'm really not doing it justice...

 

Ro. 

 

My husband and I went to the Houston Pride festival for the first time. Luckily the heat wasn't as bad as we were expecting. It was nice seeing a few major companies making an appearance: Continental Airlines, Supercuts, Houston Chronicle, Walgreens, Bud Light.

Sadly, as one of the few over-40 couples, we really felt out of place. We don't have tattoos, or wear outrageous clothes, or have piercings and dyed hair. But we are actually gay, so that counts for something I suppose. On the plus side, a nice lesbian couple said we made a really cute couple, and offered to take our picture. I'd like to think our presence made some sort of difference. But most people were too busy getting drunk to notice. I'm sure the guy wearing the "I Like Dick" t-shirt would miss us if we didn't show up next year. 

 

Pride Parade held yesterday in Toronto, but alas once again did not make it  :(

 

Yesterday marked Stonewall's 40th Anniversary. Canadian gays also mark a 40th anniversary this year. It will be 40 years in August that Bill C-150 was passed into law and homosexual acts between consenting adults would be decriminalized.

 

"I think the view we take here is that there's no place for the state in the bedrooms of the nation. " Former Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau (then Justice Minister)

 

Found the following interesting. Excerpts from the various debates on Bill C-150. While we have come a very long way in 40 years, reading some of the comments and comparing them to what is said against gays today, it seems that we have hardly moved at all.

http://www.xtra.ca/public/National/Excerpts_from_the_Bill_C150_debates_in_the_House_of_Commons-6797.aspx

 

Well I'm gutted, everyones having these pride celebrations around the world and I have to wait til the last weekend of august (which I'm majorly looking frwd 2 as it's my first and then im goin on holiday before going to university! yay!). Although I'm kinda glad as the weather sucked this weekend with flash floods and storms, hopefully it'll still be sunny for cardiff pride.

My tonuge would catch your tongue...were the world mine :-)

That would cause a reaction in my akin to when Lindsey Wagner "rejected her bionics"!*

* If no one else gets this reference, I know Snicks will...

 

 

Check out my new fantasy website: TheTorchOnline.com. It's like AfterElton.com for fantasy geeks! And I Twitter

The Lisbon Pride parade was the weekend before last. It's still a smallish affair compared to others (though this year had the biggest attendance so far) and there aren't really any floats, just a couple of cars and lots of people marching, but it's always quite awesome. I got to carry a banner this year, which was a new experience for me. Loved it. One thing I noticed, a lot more straight allies attended than the last time I went, which was great. I think a lot of people are realising that what we're fighting for is human rights, including but not limited to gay marriage, and are demonstrating accordingly. I haven't been able to upload my own photos yet, so here's a link to the blog of a Portuguese gay rights org, Panteras Rosa, lots of photos there - http://panterasrosa.blogspot.com/

god, is my city the only city that has pride early as hell? i'm trying to remember...i think ours was June 10th...well, it was not this past weekend, thats for sure...

 

In large metropolitan areas it's relatively fashionable to be over it. It does seem to have morphed from political event to quasi ethnic festival. It might be time to take Pride on the road, to where it's needed, the smaller cities and towns where being out is still not an option, and folks need to be given a chance to feel like part of something bigger.  I'll be happy when we can all be as blase as hell about big public displays of gayness.

Nous Sommes Tous Sauvages.

This was my 3rd Pride, I've gone since 2006, but had to miss last year because I was out of town. The theme this year was "Can't Stop Won't Stop", and you could really feel that in the air. About 1 million people showed up (I think we are something like the 3rd largest parade in the world), despite the rain, although that did clear up when the parade started, proving that God loves us. It was also the first year that our parade was televised. And thankfully our civic strike (read: no garbage pick up) was not a major issue, as everything was cleaned up fairly quickly afterwards.

This year was also the first year I marched in the parade. I marched with a group called "Heterosexuals for Same Sex Equality", and I have never felt prouder in my life. It was an amazing experience to show my support, and hear 1 million people cheering and screaming their love and support.

Toronto's Pride Parade has come along way since 1981, when it was essentially a protest against the bath house raids earlier that year, which are our version of Stonewall. Back then, police were the enemy. Today, our officers proudly march in the parade, wearing beads, stickers and smiles, and soaked by water guns. The military also marched for the second time this year, something I'm very proud of. It was also great to see local church groups (including my own!), fire fighters, Mayor David Miller, NDP leader Jack Layton, Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff and other city officials and politicians. Harper failed to make an appearance, but then again, no one wanted to see him anyway.

I can't really describe how amazing the atmosphere is in Toronto. Pride is when I feel most proud of my city, as I feel most strongly the diversity and tolerance my city has. Everyone was there to have a good time and celebrate, and yes, make a stand against injustice, but there was no judgement involved. (There was a small anti-gay group, but everyone pretty much ignored them.) There were people of all races, shapes, sizes, ages, and states of undress. I saw more penis and boobs than I've ever seen, and it was great! (figuratively speaking, not literally :P). Families with kids, couples, elderly folks, teenagers...everybody was showing their Pride.

The moment that stands out most for me though was when I saw a 10 year old boy leaning over the fence, shouting "Happy Pride!" to everybody. I made sure to give him a high five.

You too can be saved by the blog! www.savedbytheblog14.blogspot.com 

I may be straight, but I'm not narrow.

Kind of in the vein of "Make Everyday Christmas", I guess, but I live my life in such a way that I am an out, proud gay man every day of my life. 

No street lined with rainbow flags or huge throng of gays of every description reinforces that more than the knowledge I get looking in the mirror at the end of each day, knowing that I have always been completely true to myself and who I am.

 

PRIDE in NYC was a lot of fun on Sunday.  Michael Urie, Marisa Jaret-Winokur, and Danielle from Real Housewives of NJ were there!!  The weather was beautiful, however it seemed that the parade was a lot longer this year.  It didn't reach Christopher Street, where my friends and I were, until about 1:30 and didn't end until 7:00.  Nonetheless, I love to see the community out and celebrating us!!

Just curious, does anyone know who the smiling gay fathers holding those babies are? That picture is possibly the sweetest I've seen all week! With babies as adorable as those, it's no wonder they look so happy. lol