Today is the day. The Gay Pride Parade used to be one of the "can't miss" events of the summer for me and my friends. This year hubby and I decided that attending the celebrations would be just too much of a hassle. The parade used to be a fun way to show support for the gay/lesbian community, the floats were just fabulous and so many businesses came out to salute their members. Now the parade seems to have lost some of its appeal. It is not really family friendly, it is nearly impossible to navigate a stroller through the crowds on the crazy busy downtown streets and the floats have been getting chincier and chincier with each passing year.
Does this mean we support the gay community any less than before? No of course not, it just means we will support them from the comfort of our living room or through other, quieter means.
As I get older I have also started to realize that the eccentricities displayed in the parade are not neccesarily the norm of the gay community and many (if not all) gay individuals are just normal everyday people like me and you. They go to work, they date, they cook, they shop and they just live their lives. Do you think these parades are neccassary? I have enjoyed them in the past but wonder what you readers really think about all the fuss :)
Let me know...
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There are many Gays and Lesbians who avoid the parades as well for the same reason mentioned.
ReplyDeleteAnother complaint is that the Parade has become way too...Corporate. I fuly agree though that the Gay Parade is more a show of eccentricities rather than the norm in the gay community. In this universal respect it is therefore somewhat of a failure.
I've never actually been. I have often wanted too...but I hate crowded summer events. Attending these kind of things is like begging for a migraine.
ReplyDeleteI don't think most gay people are like this most of the time...but then again I have never seen a black person dress or act like they do at Caribana except at Caribana. A lot of gay people get involved, so I suppose they feel it represents them, or is at least a fun way to celebrate their community. Some don't, but isn't that the same of any event/community? I know gay people that love it (and are not into those eccentricities at all) and others that don't go.
I guess I don't really have much of an opinion, except that when I was younger I wanted to go but never did, and now I have no desire to be in a hot sweaty crowd.
D, I remember going with you and some other friends when I still lived in Toronto. I used to love going. It was so festive, colorful, fun...but feel the same way you do now (minus the manneuvering the stroller part!).
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Dina!
PS. I love the rainbow writing! Cute!
I always wanted to go before we had kids (there are so many things we SHOULD have done before we had kids). Actually thought about taking Liam when he was a baby, but had stroller concerns as well; now it would be extremely difficult with the 2, and we'd have too many questions to answer, I think!
ReplyDeleteIt does look really flamboyant and colourful; but also hot and sticky, crowded and uncomfortable at the same time. Yup, I'm getting old!
Hahaha! Karen, I'm with you! I don't like doing the hot, sticky, crowded, uncomfortable thing! LOL! I was beginning to think that I was getting old! Glad I'm not alone on this one! ;)
ReplyDeleteYay! You added the ClustrMaps to your blog! It's sooooooo neat, isn't it? :)
ReplyDeleteHappy Canada Day, Dina! :) Hope you guys had a fun day celebrating with Elie! xoxo
ReplyDeleteWell said.
ReplyDelete