If you are NOT out enjoying Homosexual-themed activities, CHIME IN!

Me, I'm about half an hour away from devouring some delicious meat loaf and am reading my camera's manual for the first time even though I've had the cam for a few months now. I'm also really craving a cig.

What about you?

Park earlier this afternoon. Walked around a little, got some food and then came home.

It seems like it's a big comsumerist thing at the St Louis Gay Pride Festival. It also seemed like there were fewer people there this year and the temperature was only in the mid 80s, VERY good for this time of year. I recall MORE people when the temps were in the 90s.

At this very moment I am watching Matewan...one of my FAVORITE movies. This is a must see movie for anyone who is interested in justice for all workers.

...and talking to you! :hug:

And I cancelled my subscription.

I just can't handle the drama. I'll go to my local Mom & Pop video store. They need the support anyway.

I'm reading DU, surfing http://www.digg.com">Digg and GD (I'm bored!). S'bout it...

Gay Pride is one month a year. The Gay Pride Parade is basically 3 hours out of the year...and which, btw, heterosexual families attend. In Chicago, it looked like there were about 200 - 300 hundred thousand. In spite of the bad weather.

Gosh, I'm so sorry that you were so innundated by all of those icky "Homosexual-themed activities" For gay people such as myself Gay Pride is an opportunity to remember our history and to just celebrate ourselves.

But it's just about over, so you won't have to deal with it.

it out. (As you know, I live in a small town and am oblivious, so I didn't know about the parades.)

Redstone

Placebo's post says it better than I ever could. (see right below)

Number one, I'm gay. Number two, when did I ever attack gay pride? Or are you just so wound up and nutty that you wanted to deliver that canned speech today no matter what? :shrug:

Pride is way too commercial these days and filled with utterly non-related themes. And why can't we remember year round? I like your POV, but it's been subverted by too many non-GLBT intersts. I, as a GLBT person as most DUers definitely know by now, have some problems with these festivals these days.

For a GLBT-themed celebration, I do not care about marijuana legalization. I do not care about having my pet parrot being put in a suite for ungodly sums of money. I do not care about Wells Fargo's promotions. I do not care about Animal Ark. I certainly don't care for PETA being there either, they are relevant because...? I do not care to see the airplane above flying this big banner reading "10 WEEK ABORTION - 1-800-xxxxxxx". :wtf: I'm gay. Neither I or my partner can get pregnant, assuming I ever had one. :(

Well, I do care about those other issues to varying extents, but none of it is relevant to GLBT causes and therefore dilutes the entire proceedings.

When I go to these things, I look for the smaller tents. They are either relevant to the cause, or the obvious leeches peddling utterly irrelevant junk. Indeed, I will be going to this Toastmaster group. It's a social function where people meet and share experiences.

Last year, I overheard one person asking what happened to the 3M tent. :eyes: Gee, what about the celebration and awareness of what started these festivals in the first place? Nope. The lack of corporate presence seemed to be of greater concern.

There is a history booth with GLBT events and historical people suspected of being gay and all that... that is cool. Otherwise it's Target this, Barnes & Noble that, Coca-Cola the other thing. Coca-Cola -- for supporting us, they have a funny way of abusing their workers... funny how they'll "praise" some and piss on others... or, let's face it, they're just targeting our wallets because that's all we are to them. I don't like being reduced to that of a walking wallet, just because I'm gay and therefore have millions of extra dollars to spend unlike the heteros who breed and raise children. :sarcasm:

But I saw some of the parade this morning. I'm sorry, but seeing (amongst other things) a gigantic, inflated, floating phallus balloon surrounded by a bunch of near-naked, hootin' and hollerin' tan overmuscled men is something to be proud of?! They sure as hell are not representing me, and no doubt they have reservations in wanting me to be gay either. It was just a shock parade. Ala Howard Stern. What's being said? And, worse, how is it being perceived? If festival holders could afford big inflatable dick -shaped balloons, would they have been used?! The Parade is one thing, but it's just a lewd circus act these days -- and that's what the media is going to home in on.

Yes, it is a great gathering for GLBT couples so they can hold hands (and other body parts) in public without getting arrested for once, but apart from that and the crafts sale and corporate visibility, there is little there that's fighting our cause.

in our town today. It's a pretty small town.

Redstone

In our family, we were busy celebrating the men who actually married their women, enjoyed it and reproduced effectively.

Besides, a couple of years ago, my conservative daughter took her kids to the Gay Pride parade and got completely upset and turned off... by the nudity! (Didn't bother ME a bit.)

... I'm late, folks, so goodnight!

Radio_Lady/Ellen Rainbow

watchin' Married w/Children season 5...

I had my fill of the corporate laden shockfest this morning and for many hours yesterday.

I'm watching Britcoms on DVD that I purchased. This has been a nice quiet weekend and I am enjoying the rain we are getting here in Florida.
:hi:

:hi:

the complete Are You Being Served, Keeping up Appearances, Take a Letter Mr Jones, Are You Being Served Again, Mulberry, Bless Me Father, Hetty Wainthrope Investigates, Mapp and Lucia, Rising Damp, Rosemary and Thyme, Wodehouse Playhouse, Jeeves and Wooster, Dame Edna Experience, Agatha Christe's Tommy and Tuppence Mysteries, Mrs Bradley Mysteries. (Of course some of these aren't comedies)
:hi: