Pre-Pride Planning

Crunch time

by j. brotherlove

Big gay pride day is less than 24 hours away and I still don’t have concrete plans. I blame it on getting older. And the heat. And not having enough fun gay folk to hang out with on the regular. And feeling fat.

John has declared "i’m embracing it this year, 70’s style and to excess. look for freedom rings, cut-off daisy dukes, timberlands and chest hair in the very near future…" (you’ll have to scroll on his page because the permalink is wonky). I won’t be nearly as noticeable (well, except I’m black and tend to stick out at these types of events).

Most likely, I will wander up to Piedmont Park (utilizing the wonders of MARTA) around noon, find a spot on 10th Street and bump into a few people I know as we cheer parade participants like Dykes on Bikes, YouthPride, Baton Bob, Atlanta City Council President Lisa Borders, and Gay Fathers of Atlanta.

Then it’s off to wander some more around the park, eating greasy food at inflated prices, browsing gay art (that I never buy), and listening to loud cover bands. Oh, and boy watching; what kind of Pride day would it be without that?

But that’s tomorrow. Today I need to refabulize, assemble a proper (or improper) Pride ensemble, and decide on the essentials I want to drag around with me on a hot summer’s day.

For those who still wonder why Gay Pride events exist, check the About.com primer or click over to Blue Bayou where amongst other great notes, John surmises:

"Why is it that every year in DC, there’s a Cherry Blossom parade? Why are there St. Patrick’s Day parades? Why is there an Art Car Parade in Houston? Why do we have a Go Texans Day? Why was there a Puerto Rican Day parade in my old Boston neighborhood? Why are there Mardi Gras parades?

Maybe people just like parades."

Let’s hope the weather cooperates, though. Last year, the parade ended in a torrential rainstorm and yesterday, a sudden evening thunderstorm knocked out power around Atlanta and demolished the Pride stage.

I feel the same way for many of the same reasons. They’re talking thundertorms here in NYC and I don’t do parades in the rain. I’ve always been in the gay pride march here in past year, riding on the float sponsored by my employer. But since I’ll be an ex-employee this same time next week, I feel no impetus to join them.

Bernie, I never figured you for one who enjoyed being in a parade. I tried that once, in a former life. Now, I prefer to watch (hmmm… that reminds me of a future blog post).

In the parade is the only way to do it. You get to see the entire city and total strangers cheer you just for being gay. It doesn’t get any better than that.

Ah, YouthPRide… I remember those days… Have fun boy watching!

Pride - I had every intention of going this year. I at least usually make the festival, if not the parade, every year. But it’s been raining all weekend, off and on, and like Bernie, I don’t do parades and the like in the rain. Plus, Pride had the misfortune on falling on the same day/weekend as my anniversary. LOL