# Anybody going to the Pride Parade?



## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

My husband and I and one of our sons will be walking in the Pride Parade tomorrow with the Vancouver School Board's float, and I was just wondering if anybody from BCA will be there?


----------



## neven (May 15, 2010)

I'll be the dude only wearing a leather harness with magenta hair


----------



## Ursus sapien (Apr 21, 2010)

neven said:


> I'll be the dude only wearing a leather harness with magenta hair


... and that will distinguish you in the crowd how? 

Unfortunately I'll be missing it this year, though I will be having an early morning pride coffee with a few other old radicals Sunday morning. 
Did some anti-homophobia work with the VSB in the '90s; always cool to see you guys at Pride.


----------



## neven (May 15, 2010)

i actually never have been to it before, i tend to stay away from large gatherings of any sort


----------



## Ursus sapien (Apr 21, 2010)

neven said:


> i actually never have been to it before, i tend to stay away from large gatherings of any sort


 It's more party than political now, but it's still an empowering experience.

bring sun screen, don't turn your back on your drink and toss a snack and a toothbrush into your backpack.


----------



## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

That's impressive, Ursus Sapien. The people who worked against homophobia with the VSB in the 1990s did some ground-breaking work.

I sat as a parent rep on the VSB's Pride Education Committee a few years ago and was so impressed with the work that the committee did. They'd come up with an idea and put their own time into it and make it happen almost right away. Inspiring.



Ursus sapien said:


> ... and that will distinguish you in the crowd how?
> 
> Unfortunately I'll be missing it this year, though I will be having an early morning pride coffee with a few other old radicals Sunday morning.
> Did some anti-homophobia work with the VSB in the '90s; always cool to see you guys at Pride.


----------



## thefishwife (Apr 21, 2010)

Ursus sapien said:


> Unfortunately I'll be missing it this year, though I will be having an early morning pride coffee with a few other old radicals Sunday morning.
> Did some anti-homophobia work with the VSB in the '90s; always cool to see you guys at Pride.


And you didn't invite me to this sunday morning coffee!!!! Then you did some great work with the VSB  way to go!


----------



## gimlid (Apr 23, 2010)

All I want to know is when the hetero pride parade starts.
Although it seems so politically incorrect to be proud of being (dare I say it?) non gay.
How about the lack of tolerance parade? haha (ha?)


----------



## neven (May 15, 2010)

Im sure they have one in mississippi


----------



## Ursus sapien (Apr 21, 2010)

thefishwife said:


> And you didn't invite me to this sunday morning coffee!!!!


It was absurdly early for a Sunday I'll make up for it on the next duckweed exchange!


----------



## Ursus sapien (Apr 21, 2010)

Morainy said:


> ... The people who worked against homophobia with the VSB in the 1990s did some ground-breaking work.
> 
> I sat as a parent rep on the VSB's Pride Education Committee a few years ago and was so impressed with the work that the committee did. They'd come up with an idea and put their own time into it and make it happen almost right away. Inspiring.


Equity work in general brings together the most disparate individuals. One finds allies where adversaries are expected; and enemies where support is assumed. There's just no predicting. On the youth front, straight allies faced enormous personal and professional risk to advocate for queer kids. Whatever change that occurred was the result of many individuals pulling together. 
Ain't it always?


----------



## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Back from the parade. What a wonderful, upbeat, life-affirming event. Half a million people,from toddlers to seniors in wheelchairs, cheering you on and celebrating diversity. It's impossible to be there and not be grinning. 

Lots of businesses have floats and it's easy to think that the parade has become commercialized. But one of the floats there was by a big bank that fired my friend's father (a manager) in the 1980s when they discovered that he (the father) was gay and having an affair with someone in the bank. That family went through hell at the time. Seeing that bank's big, overblown float in the parade and knowing that my friend's dad, now probably close to 70 years old, was in the crowd watching, brought tears to my eyes. In a good way.


----------



## thefishwife (Apr 21, 2010)

Ursus sapien said:


> It was absurdly early for a Sunday I'll make up for it on the next duckweed exchange!


Sounds good and a couple bn's.


----------



## Ursus sapien (Apr 21, 2010)

thefishwife said:


> Sounds good and a couple bn's.


That I can help you with

_Morainy: "Seeing that bank's big, overblown float in the parade and knowing that my friend's dad, now probably close to 70 years old, was in the crowd watching, brought tears to my eyes. In a good way." _

There are a lot of moments like that. It's always bittersweet for me, knowing what it's cost to get here.


----------



## josephl (Apr 21, 2010)

Spent about 3 hours watching on Denman today, what a great parade, great atmosphere, great people


----------



## josephl (Apr 21, 2010)

gimlid said:


> All I want to know is when the hetero pride parade starts.
> Although it seems so politically incorrect to be proud of being (dare I say it?) non gay.
> How about the lack of tolerance parade? haha (ha?)


??? Seriously?


----------



## gimlid (Apr 23, 2010)

josephl said:


> ??? Seriously?


Just a thought.
Or how about the "Right wing Old school Parade" ????
hahahahahaha????


----------



## rescuepenguin (Apr 21, 2010)

I couldn't make it this year. I'm glad it was a good parade, of course, the parade is only 1 event for the whole weekend.

Steve


----------



## lotus (Apr 22, 2010)

It was a wonderful atmosphere and the parade was a feast for the eyes. I didn't expect to see a naked man in the parade. I didn't stay for the whole thing as I was cooking in the sun and was sick the night before.


----------



## josephl (Apr 21, 2010)

lotus said:


> It was a wonderful atmosphere and the parade was a feast for the eyes. I didn't expect to see a naked man in the parade. I didn't stay for the whole thing as I was cooking in the sun and was sick the night before.


Yes, that naked man should have kept that globe in front of him as he was "parading"


----------

