My new company (since March) has a GLBT Committee who sent a mass e-mail to all employees asking for volunteers to man a booth and march in the parade on Sunday.
I decided to do it. My husband won’t march with me and I don’t know anyone else at work that’s going to do it.
SDMB gays and lesbians, help me out here. Is it a mistake for me to go alone? Is it wrong for me to march without my reason marching right next to me?
I have relatives and friends who are gay and will remain nameless until they out themselves. None of them have marched in a pride parade and therefore don’t know the etiquette.
By the way, I’ll be wearing a bright yellow shirt with the company logo emblazoned upon it. Hopefully I’ll be marching with many others similarly attired.
I can’t think of a reason why you shouldn’t do it. After all I’m sure there will be some gay people marching alone too, most likely. If you’d like to emphasise your support as a straight person, I’ve always been fond of the slogan “Straight but not narrow.”
Sqrl and I will be in New York this weekend for the festivities and the parade on Sunday. I personally think you are doing a good thing…with or without someone in your family marching beside you. Remember, you aren’t marching for gay rights, you are marching for HUMAN rights.
Which group are marching with? We’ll yell CANTHEARYA as you march past.
Well, even though you’re already convinced, I’ll second the motion: Just do it. As far as I’m concerned, the more heterosexuals start marching in Gay Pride parades, the better. What better way to demonstrate widespread support for gay rights, and to reaffirm that “It’s Okay to be Gay”? Let us know how it goes.
I’m just wondering what your reason for marching is, that will not be marching right next to you? I am not questioning your values, I just want to understand. If you are saying that none of the people you know who are gay or lesbian and are not being open about it are not marching with you and supporting this cause, I guess I understand both of your points of view.
This world is not kind to those who do not fit the picture, as many-perhaps most-people see it. Not just gays and lesbians, but fat people, people of color, uneducated people, lost people, homeless people…the list does go on and on.
If you believe in this cause because of your values, as it appears to me that you do, then it does not really matter who or what is marching next to you. If you believe that people have the right to be who they are without discrimination, if you believe that it is not for us to decide whether or not they are right or wrong, or sinning or not sinning, but a matter of basic human rights, and the God-given right of being judged as a person and not a gender, race or sexual preference, then you should go and be very proud that you are an entirely decent and loving person. If I lived even remotely near you, I would march next to you, and be proud to do so. Unfortunately, I live clear across the country and have an elderly parent I don’t feel comfortable leaving alone for long enough to join you.
However, should you choose to march, you may consider that you have me next to you in spirit. I believe in this, very deeply, and you have my complete and total support. And my prayers, also, should you be interested in having them. I imagine this will bring repercussions for you, both positive and negative. You are one of the good ones, darlin’, and I salute you!
I was planning on going and now I can’t remember the date. And, as a straight person, I will say that what you are doing rocks. I have no problems with homosexuals which is why I want to go. I say to each their own. (And as you all get to know me, you’ll hear (read?) me say (type?) that a lot. Unless it’s something I strongly disagree with. Then you’ll hear my opinion.)
[aside]I guess you never know what you’ll get back on a topic…
My brother and I were driving around on weekend day in my neighborhood shooting the bull. He had recently moved to San Francisco, and had been my roommate before that. San Francisco’s Castro district was, at the time, a widely heralded gay community. We were in my neighborhood (Montrose area of Houston) and my brother commented that Montrose seemed as gay on the street as Castro. In fact, he noted as we pulled around a barricade at Yupon out on to Westheimer, there’s a lot of 'em out today. And they’re all waving at us.
As it turned out, we had joined the lead elements of the Pride Parade and couldn’t get off Westheimer (and out of the parade) until about a half mile later.
What I don’t get is that I watch these shows like “After Stonewall” and can relate to these people so much that I forget I’m straight. Until I find myself checking out the lesbians.
I have done it before, and I would do it again. The celebration in San Francisco is getting a little large for my taste, but I still have friends who go… and friends who can no longer go. Good on ya!
You “don’t know the etiquette”? If you feel like supporting gay and lesbian pride, march! What city are you marching in? Cajun Man and I will look for you if you are in NY.
Oh for goodness sakes, go if you wanna go! The pride marches are not reserved for people with significant others, dahlink. And the marchers are not prejudiced against straights and welcome ALL people indiscriminantly (except those they don’t agree with ;))
BTW which one are you going to be in? I watched the big San Francisco one three years ago and I am going to warn you now – wear a hat, sunblock and comfy shoes and bring water!!! Also, bring some munchies like granola bars. Everybody warned us about how long the march is, and they weren’t kidding. I think the march lasted well over six hours. We were pooped! We’d go this year, but are committed to be somewhere else.
After about five hours, most of the larger cavalcades had already gone past. That’s when we started seeing some really interesting groups… like “Baptist lesbian bowlers” and stuff (okay okay, I think I made that one up). After a while we were trying to predict what groups were walking down the street (“I bet those are Hispanic transgendered unioned electricians!” etc. etc.) because it felt like EVERYBODY turned out for the march!
Besides what everyone else has said, in my experiance, Pride parades are DEFINATELY a blast. Last year in Burlington, the Dykes on Bykes attempted to play pedestrian tag with the token guy who was screaming the ONE line in Leviticus over and over again from the curb. Unfortunately, he ran so they didn’t get to him, but it was damn funny anyway.
[hyjack] I found out last night that a friend of mine is a Justice of the Peace, so anyone wanting to get Civily United in beautiful South Hero, Vt, by a guarunteed non-bigot, e-mail me. (that does doubly for the Doc and Cajun.) [/hyjack]
