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THIS IS EXACTLY MY VIEW ON GAY PRIDE PARADES

Blog Last Activity 11 years ago 838 views 27 comments
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeixtYS-P3s

If you change the word black for gay in this video it makes perfect sense.

The only reason gay people are ridiculed is because we have parades to celebrate being gay. When is there ever parades to celebrate being straight?
If gay people just stopped talking about it, people will forget and not care.
You don't need floats going down the street with fellas in speedos dancing on them. Because guess what? That draws attention. Mostly negative attention.

Comments

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11 years ago

i agree i have never liked them. i don't see the point in them. i would never go to one all they do is build on stereotypes when to see drag queens in spedos. mabye because i don't feel proud to be gay, to me its like be pround of having toenails. to me its such a small unimportant thing to talk about. if i don't make a big thing about i then nigther dot he other arounds me

11 years ago

tagtyty I agree with you 100% mardi gras parades in New Orleans are full of sexual actions. If you will refer to my last statement. I dont think anyone would disagree with a openly gay wild pride parade in San Francisco's area or other such areas where like New Orleans it is common. A Mardi Gras Sttr8 Parade in Boisie Idaho would never be alowed. The first set of tits would be thrown in jail! You have to look at the venue that the parade is being held in. If you are wanting to proclaim yourself as a proud gay man and get respect, or if you just want to stir up shit and be on the evening news that is the question. Its real easy to push all of the publics buttons so you can pretend to be a martyar for the cause just ask a Kardasian.

11 years ago

klausab...first if you are going to quote me, please do it accurately. I said your view was definitely European. There is a greater, not total acceptance of sexuality in the European culture. That is sadly lacking in the US. This is a puritan culture in its formation. I never said someone "belongs" to the gay community because they are gay. I said that the community that exists, does so to support all people struggling with the issues of coming out and being authentic about being gay. It is a diverse group of people, I can find people that question how they fit in regarding the diversity of the world. To blame drag queens or pride as the reason someone doesn't come out, or doesn't accept their sexual orientation is a slim premise. I do understand his point. I don't identify myself with drag queens or leather men, but at the same time, I support their right to be themselves and be visible in the world. The homogenization of my queerness is not acceptable. and I would not want it to be acceptable for any straight people.

tagtyty
11 years ago

I don't know a lot about gay history, but, I'm doing my best to learn more. I've only been out to a few friends for a couple of years and only out to my family since yesterday, and never been to a Pride festival. But, I've been all over, because of my dad's job, and I've been to Mardi Gras in New Orleans and Carnival in Brazil...tits flopping around everywhere, straight sex everywhere you look. So, if I'm at a Pride festival and I want to kiss another boy or grab his crotch, I have every right to do so. And, others have every right to NOT GO. But, don't tell me to sit quietly in the corner and wait for the rest of the world to decide to accept me. I am here, I am Queer, and if you don't like my attitude, tough shit. I won't shut up, I won't sit quietly while a bunch of bigots decide if I can be who I am...I'll be who I am and they can go to hell. I'm Out, I'm Loud, and I'm Proud, and ain't no one gonna shut me up.

klausab
11 years ago

Tolead I honor your opinion and what you do and did for others. But I am not sure you're living the tolerance you ask for. What I understood is that for you a gay belongs to the gay community. It is my belief that many gays don't come out because they fear the public image of what gays are supposed to be like. How often do you read in stories the question "am I really like that"? Gays need to lead a normal life and the need everyones support to do so, not the overwhelming support of A community they don't identify with. They shouldn't be estranged from the rest of their surrounding.

That is how I understood Tom's entry and I felt that you didn't see his point so far. Maybe I am wrong.

It seems you are a bit prejudices yourself putting me in a drawer labeled "typical European". By the way: The mayor of Berlin is openly gay so is the German minister for foreign affairs.

11 years ago

So indeed we agree, if the parade meets the criteria setforth by the area inwhich it is being held ( as you mention and I agree San Fransisco would be different than Davenport Iowa) then there should be no reason not to allow such a parade. We are askiing for Equality, respect and dignity

11 years ago

mrpenisman...I have never said anything about public nudity, although that is legal in some places (San Fransisco), or public sex...So this discussion becomes increasingly difficult because it is assumed that if there are dykes on bikes, and drag queens and go go boys it is demeaning to others...well they are part of the world I live in, and suffer the same issues. And I will support them in the same way I support other people who are LGBTQ.

11 years ago

Ok how about this I respect your opinion Tolead, you are in deed my elder and as such you have seen much more in your lifetime than I have and I understand that. Your issue is EQUALITY am I correct? Not special treatment or superior treatment but fair and equal treatment under the law. Therefore I have no issue with any gay pride parade as long as it follows city ordanances state statuates and federal law regarding such things. Like public nudity indecency obsecinty etc. You can march to your hearts content but the minute you start whipping out cocks and violate the laws you cannot hide behind the I'm gay and proud banner. You cant have it both ways. Prostitutes cant have a hooker days parade and spread thier legs and shoot ping pong balls at on lookers saying I 'm a hooker and I'm proud.

11 years ago

klausab. your view is definitely European, No one is required to do anything. So your opening statement is a false statement since I never said that. However, here we support people where they are, and we are a community...we are a community of individuals, of organizations and groups. We support each other where we are and who we are. And we celebrate Pride in all its glory and with all the glory of the people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer. And the celebration of that Pride is still necessary for us, for where I live, I can still be denied housing, services from a business or fired from a job, just for being a gay man. And we will cling together as a community of oppressed and discriminated people until the time that we have all the rights that any other human being has. And we will support and honor all of the people in our community that are oppressed. We stand together around that one issue and we will not exclude those that don't measure up to some straight persons idea of what we should be.

And I am not offended by your words. I understand your point of view. I just do not agree with it. But my point of view is valid, it is different than yours, but it is not wrong.

lilmanjeep
11 years ago

I sm a proud and out gay man who is engaged to my partner of 10( ) years. Our friends , famiies, and co-workers know our story of who we are and accept us! Both of us are in agreement that we don't need to "flaunt" pur sexuality by marching in a Pride parade, paste rainbow flag bumper stickers on our cars, etc. And to the individual who said being gsy has to do with the sex...WRONG!! I have told him if we never had sex again I would still love him and never want to be w/o him! (It's actually homosexual BTW.) OK I'm through guys, thanx for your time.

klausab
11 years ago

tolead, I am sorry, but I not only disagree but I think you are wrong. Being gay doesn't require to become a member of THE community. The public image of THE communitiy is that of a bunch of extrovert queers. Can you imagine, that there are men and boys who don't come out of the closet because of that? It is not a sect. It is not even an organisation. There are so many different kinds of heterosexuell men and women, homosexuell man and women and all of those in between. The world is changing, becoming more individual. Help others with their coming out but don't embrace them by making 'em part of something they may despise. Strengthen the selfconfidence, give support. Don't get me wrong. I accept your view and understand them, seeing where you and gay life comes from. But THE community, I think, is becoming obsolete for more and more gays.

I hope this doesn't com over to frank or unkind. I am not a native speaker and so not familiar with the subtleties of your fine language.

11 years ago

klausb...I will have to respectfully disagree with you. Embracing all parts of my cultural heritage is what I want. I do not want to be assimilated into a heterosexual society. Respect me for who I am, do not ask me to conform to your world view. That is the essence of diversity and inclusion. I am gay and that is more than who I sleep with. It has cultural attributes, just as my ancestry is German and Welsh, it is a part of me. And I am special because of who and what I am.

kokswallow, I would also disagree...being gay is just not who I have sex with. It also includes my view of the world. My understanding of who I am. And frankly, hetero's shout their sexuality by assuming that everyone is like them. Hetero sexism is the world view of straight people. And I do not accept that as the given in my live.

That is my world view. I understand yours. And believe you all have the right to it. But, from my experience, the road to inclusion is not paved by fitting in. It is by being real.

11 years ago

Or we could just all hide like cowards and wait for the rest of the world to decide it's okay for us to join the rest of society no matter how we look or act. Every group has a "fringe" element but that doesn't make everyone in that group a freak. America needs to grow up and get over itself instead being so puritanical.

klausab
11 years ago

Tom I agree! Tolead, I can understand your feelings but also consider, that those in the parades who attract the most attention (the most queer in every sense) are taken as that what to be gay means. But that is entierly wrong and you know it, stating yourself the community diverses in many directions. As long as you feel as a special community you won't be fully respected.

11 years ago

For me, gay is the type of sex you enjoy. Hetro people don't run around shouting out their sexual preference. I don't run around saying I like anal with other guys - thats between me a partner.
Still, it's nice looking at all those hot guys in the parades LOL.

11 years ago

''mrpenisman'' Thank you Thank you Thank you. You have read my mind. Thats exactly what i'm talking about! I feel them Pride parades ruin the image for the rest of us. It's like Muslims. Theres a few bad Muslims and now people think all Muslims are bad. And every person wearing a turban getting on a airplane people think straight away ''oh god this is it were gonna die''. I could garentee if we stopped gay pride parades give it a couple of years and gays will be respected more! One person ruins it for everyone when you're a minority. I have no intentions of ever going to a Pride parade. And even some of the straight gay people i know say the same. I think i would be embarrassed even more of who i am if i went to one.

11 years ago

mrpenisman, I am not saying you need to participate in it. I agree it is a personal choice about who you want to know about you. At the same time, our community is diverse in many dimensions. Some of those dimensions are probably not pleasing to other parts of our own community. And I have been participating in Pride celebrations probably since before you were a twinkle in someone's eye. Have I seen things that I was not proud of, yes...but, I will support those people to make the statement about who they are anytime anyplace. Just as you fought in ways I didn't for those rights...it is about freedom of expression and speech. We may not like the speech, but it is their right to make it. So, I appreciate and understand your point of view. And in no way will slam you for it.

My last point...Good Taste is in the eye of the Taster. What is good taste for you, may not be for others. Personally I don't find a bar filled with leather bears to be tasteful to me...but I won't stop them from being in the parade.

Thomas

11 years ago

Tolead, I do agree with you, but there is a time and a place. I believe it is a personal choice for me to decide about who I want to know what about me. I just dont think that there should be a parade with half naked MEN OR WOMEN going down the public street. Now a veterans day parade, a St. Patricks Day Parade, A macy's Thanksgiving Day parade sure. If the Gay pride parade was in good taste sure I would be all for it but the ones I have seen videos on were so over the top that guys were popping their (well endowed) cocks out now and then it was like a rolling sex show. Now I fought for the right of freedom and free speach in the country but just because we are gay doesnt give us the right act like dogs in heat on the public streets

11 years ago

I have hesitated to join this discussion. I am a strong believer in Pride, the celebration and the parades. And I think if we are going to celebrate who we are as a community, it means all of us. Str8 acting gay guys, drag queens, gogo boys, dykes on bikes...everyone. We need to remember that Pride in this country comes from the Stonewall Inn Riots. And the people i that bar who fought back the hardest and took the most punishment, were the drag queens...not the so called butch guys hanging out there. I embrace all the parts of my community, and while I am not a drag queen or a leather man...they are part of my community and I will not have them swept under a rug. For too long, we have been expected to stay hidden, go in the closet, pretend we do not exist. And I ain't going there...I have been there...and I ain't going back.

Now I will get off my soap box and find my Donna Summer 12"....Thomas

11 years ago

I must say one thing and I know I am going to get slammed so I ask forgivness in advance. It is one thing to be gay and act like a normal human being. It is quite another to be gay and run around town acting like something out of RuPaul's DragRace. I can still remember working at the local JCPenneys part time when I was in High School and this gay man used to come in he went by the name Jolanda. He always wore feathers and 5 lbs of makeup and dressed like a whore. When he walked in the store he was loud and obnoxious drawing attenion to himself just daring someone to say something to him. I was 16 and a stockboy. I liked cock and pussy, and I always felt ashamed because I thought that was what it meant to be gay. As I got older I realized that I can just be myself and I dont have to be a label. I don't need to wear my sexuality on my t-shirt. IT'S NONE OF ANYONES BUSINESS UNLESS I CHOOSE TO MAKE IT THEIRS! If I am out at the grocrey story, what I do with my cock has no bearing. If I am at local walmart buying jeans I dont need to look for a GAY MANS CUT! I believe People should get to know the person, not the sexual prefrence 1st. Unless ofcourse you are trying to hook up then forget it.

swiftjohn
11 years ago

I agree with anjinsan. Gay people have always been made to feel inferior by conventional social mores. By being in straight peoples faces, we're saying that you no longer have the power to frighten and intimidate us. We are taking that power away from you by not caring what you think and if you don't like it you can go fuck yourself. Power is a zero sum game. The gaining of power for one invariably means a loss of power for another. And they who stand to lose power will always desperately to keep it. The over the top behaviors exhibited at some PRIDE marches may make some gays uncomfortable, but sometimes "bad" behavior is the only way to implement change. One need only look at the Stonewall Riot or the entire Civil Rights movement for that matter. No one ever made a difference by being a sheep.