Life on Halsted slows to an irresistibly delicious crawl for PRIDE. Transportation is impossible, lines three people deep congest sidewalks and alcohol makes every corner an opportunity for a celebration. Pride makes Chicago look like summer.
After a few weeks of below average temperatures and a miserable coat of grey clouds, the sun decided grace Chicago with some real summer time sun rays just in time for half naked men and women to prance around in them. And prance, and dance, and hump and bump they did, all over the street. So many of them in fact that I could maneuver more than a block away from my little 1800’s house which happens to be sandwiched in-between Halsted and Broadway- the two main streets of Pride.
But of course with K in attendance I had no intention of leaving the Mecca of gay. To the streets we went to partake of the 1st ever Gay Pride Fair, which fittingly was like a summer fair with mimosas instead of beer, leather instead of live cattle and a general surplus of free condoms (including one free female condom- weird). We followed the condom fair with a night making the rounds at Sidetrack, talking up happily toned and waxed couples and drinking copious amounts of vodka seltzers.
And to end off the party of all parties, we attended the 40th annual Gay Pride Parade which was complete with Dykes on Bikes, dancing gay cowboys and more than a dozen politician pandering to the popular gay vote. I also saw a transvestite with tape over nipples and leggings half down straddle a police officer and two hairy bears attempt to dry hump around bulging beer bellies. It was not exactly a family parade, well except for all the families there including the Nettlehorse Elementary School. The parade managed to include the raunchy AND the political AND the family wholesomeness…probably because the gay community like the straight community includes all of this.
So for a slight soap box moment, gay pride parades are not just about getting raunchy and filling your pockets with free condoms (although that is the appeal of it for me). The parades are also to demonstrate gay political power, gay cultural power and gay domestic power. It is a parade to empower every aspect of gay life…which includes sexuality. So many ask why do gays feel the need to display their sexuality at parades, aren’t they just reinforcing stereotypes the “I’m so not a homophob” asks. They feel the need to display their sexuality because so many others deny it. They represent sex to show they are not ashamed, that this like politics and their children and their jobs, the fact that they have sex with a same-sex partner, is also a part of their life. Don’t ask, Don’t tell doesn’t exist for them. Don’t ask and I will show is more their motto.
That said the parade does get gloriously raunchy after float about 50, and by float 250 it is basically a walking naked billboard for everything from vodka to potato chips. Following over 300 floats was an endless night of partying on the streets. This was followed by my rather depressing 6:30 a.m. walk to work among the destruction of rainbow stickers and empty beer cans. Halsted looked like a life well lived.
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kudos for your efforts to let condoms rain down upon you and to keep the issue on the table when so many want to bury it..
ReplyDeletethe message is simple.. "we are people too, and we're not going away"... all anybody wants is equality.. to be treated fairly and not be judged by any number of preset criteria..
Americans as a society are a bigoted and scared lot - and that intensifies when we can hide behind others to toss hatred that hits harder and is more damaging than any rock... Hopefully with a new President and ongoing efforts such as the pride parade by the GLBT community.. we will continue to be more accepting and realize different is - if not good - simply okay.