July 4, 2010

  • So, I had gone to the Pride Parade last (I think) Sunday in Chicago. And, for the most part, for those that remember my Xanga entry on it last year, my complaints still hold true. Questionable advertising, at times a lack of any sense of how this represents Queer pride, etc.

    But perhaps I'm just being too negative; you all know, despite claiming to be an optimist, I'm really a pessimist at heart.

    I mean, the fact was it's one of the few events that you draw even Straights who, otherwise, wouldn't bother to get involved in a Queer event to come out (pun halfway intended) to such an event. And you have to kinda love all the Queer-related signs and T-shirts.

    Plus the people holding the signs that read "God is love, not hate" in front of the protestors so we couldn't see them definitely made my day.

    Not to mention the Stanley Cup was there along with a Cubs float that had some of their star players (when we start making mainstream inroads into sports, you know something's going down).

     

    And, just to be clear, two decades ago only such parades (such a statement) had to be hidden for fear of attack. Hell, originally they were burning us at the stake and hanging us from the gallow. Around the World Wars they were castrating us through chemicals. And just 41 years ago they were trying to line us up and take our names and pictures, forcing us out of a job and, at times, out of our families. Until we said, "No," and turned them back.

    Let's face it - it was an event where a guy and a guy or a girl and a girl could hold hands or you might not be fully able to know what sex (or, at times, even a clear gender) a person was without someone yelling Faggot (minus the protestors) or for fear that a pistol butt or billy club was heading for the back of your head.

    And after all these years - that is a very good thing.