Happy High-Holidays Everyone

[Unimatic1140]

To me this holiday weekend is one the most important holidays of the year so I wanted to wish everyone a very happy and joyful Gay Pride Weekend, the majority of GLBT parades and festivals happen across the USA this weekend, being that this weekend is the official anniversary of Stonewall.

Anyway, Neal and I are going to celebrate by going to “Krave” tonight at club Karma, then we have the big Loring Park Pride festival tomorrow, the Parade on Sunday morning going up Hennepin Avenue all the way into Loring Park and then all the block parties celebrating Pride throughout downtown on Sunday afternoon/evening. I’m sure I’ll be real tired on Monday.

Hopefully I will run into some of our AW.org Twin Cities and Outstate washer contingent sometime this weekend.

So how is everyone else going to celebrate over the holiday weekend???

http://www.tcpride.org/calendar.html

 

[brettsomers]

thanks Robert for telling us how you feel. a lot of fuddy-duddies are nervous about gay pride themes. when i was a teenager i LOVED going to the various Pride events here. to me Pride events carry the message of *I Refuse to be Ashamed or fell like Less*. and that is exactly the message our gay youth needs. maybe you can even post some pics or an album of the festivities? David

 

[petek]

Our parade was two weeks ago and it rained causing pools of fouundation,makeup and eyeliner flowing into the sewers enough that the mayor had to request government funding for an environmental cleanup.

 

[brettsomers]

pete

thats some good imagery there!! i can just see the seas of wet Abercrombie and Hollister tshirts. and, those makeup spills you saw must have been from amateurs. a TRUE makeup diva could make her face last through Katrina.

 

[mixfinder]

Gay Pride

In my judgemental pre honest life, I watched the depictions of Gay Pride on the National News, with disgust. Certainly this most appalling stereotypical portrayal of homosexual life styles was not what I wanted to believe was represented who I longed to be.
I attended Pride in 2005, for the first time, expecting a flagrant display of lewdness.
I walked onto Broadway and something so much bigger than who and what I was I was, surrounded and transported me to a place I had never been. For the first time in my cognitive existence, I was normal. There was no need to moniter my behavior and firtively look to see who was judging me. I was surrounded with people like me. For the first time in cognitive memory I belonged and I felt safe. I was also very aware that a presence, bigger than I could explain, the One who created me as a beloved and perfect child, the One who was well pleased with this child, was there, with me, with us all and the sense of love was palpable.
The feeling of oneness with the Universe has never left me. I am convinced I am who and what I was always destined to be. I no longer fun from or criticize the creative mastery of the Infinite Father/Mother God of us all.
I hope to be with you all on Sunday.
Peace and Love,
Kelly

Home - GFAS.org

 

[nmaineman36]

Pride

Well 2 weeks ago Boston had its Pride celebrations and it rained. Not that we needed the rain since we have had sooooo much of it. They had the booths on the Boston Commons this year on the grass and you guessed it it was Mudville. Not too bright on the part of the Pride Committee I thought. In a nutshell it was a miserable time. Most years its always sunny and hot around Pride time and last year was a scorcher. It makes for interesting eye candy when people try to stay cool and see what they can get away with on taking so much off.
Hopefully next year will better. They said that the turnout for this year was estimated at 100,000 which was nice to see.
I do have to agree about the drag Divas...it was too funny watching the spackling fall of these "bitches" faces and some of them had dresses on that were a few sizes too small. It was like watching a bunch of walruses walking down the road...but I shouldnt cast stones here..although I do live in a pexiglass house...

 

[foraloysius]

Overhere in the Netherlands we celebrate Gay Pride on Saturday. The town that is organizing it this year is Zwolle (!) I'll be there, especially since we had a few gay bashing incidents in the last year.

Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend!

Louis

 

[48bencix]

San Francisco

I live in Sacramento but I called San Francisco my home from 1969 until 1990. I attended many parades and the gathering in front of City Hall after. In 1989 the last time I went, we went to the dance at Gallera after. The Galleria is a huge showcase for the interior design business and has a huge atrium where they held dances over the years.

Probably around 1975 or so we followed Grace Jones down Market street, singing "I need a man". But Kelly is right, you really felt great, free and part of something great, not part of something negative.

Happy Holidays!!

Martin

 

[brisnat81]

In AU its in Februrary and March

And we call it the glorious Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Grais. Other cities have Gay pride festivals, and they're spread accross the country at different times.

Unfortunately, we've missed Gay Pride week in Minnie and Boston during our stay, and after discovering how laid back, friendly and non pretentious the gay nightlife is in Minnie, its a shame. I'll have to schedule our visit better for next year.

 

[hoover1060]

Chicago

Is this weekend, Fred and Joe are coming down from Milwaukee on Saturday night, and we will spend that in the city at Thomas' house, then take the "EL" up to Boystown for the parade. It should be a good time.

BOYSTOWN The Series

BOYSTOWN

www.boystownchicago.com

 

[may63]

"Unfortunately, we've missed Gay Pride week in Minnie and Boston during our stay, and after discovering how laid back, friendly and non pretentious the gay nightlife is in Minnie, its a shame."

It is? Hmmm...I'd better take another look, this time through Nathan's eyes so I can see that friendly side... Many of us who live here (not just me) experience 'the cities' as having a very clicky side to the gay community. Not that there aren't nice GLBT people here, but it is clicky. Probably due to the emotionally conservative and serious Scandahoovians that originally settled this area.

Going to pride used to be a big deal to me, but now I can take it or leave it. Besides, it's a lot of work ducking in and out of all those booths to avoid all my ex's...(just kidding!)

Any Kate Clinton fans out there? "We are a movement, not a market..."

 

[maytagbear]

It was last weekend in Cleveland,

but most days it's right in my heart.

Love and laughter!

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[brisnat81]

I'm sorry to hear what lurks beneath

Hi Jim,

True I wasnt there by myself, or there to meet people, but I just found it to be a positive friendly environment.

In Australia, you walk into a bar and you can feel the judgement. I'm just an average guy, and I didnt feel any of the judgement that I'm used to. Everyone who entered was still looked up and down, but it seemed to stop there.

 

[brettsomers]

folks, yall are bringing me down with the superficiality of f@g$ here. im afriad i know exactly what ur talking about. i have lost count of the times i have had to chastise my friends for making fun of older guys or feminine queens. like i always say, there enough evil people out there for us to despise for us to judge and mock our brothers and sisters.

 

[tomturbomatic]

Kelly, If you felt that good at a PRIDE celebration, you might not be able to stand how good you will feel at a WASH-IN & for all the same reasons.

 

[appnut]

As the early members know, the 2001 Minneapolis Convention was my combined pride & washer celebration.

 

[appnut]

Hmm, so does this mean many of my brothers are having a celebration for my b-day across the country?

ducks and runs

 

[Unimatic1140]

Wow, how sad Jim. I always have found the gay community here in Minnie very open and friendly, but there are mean and/or stupid people all over and I suspect what you describe happens everywhere in the world, you certainly can't pin it on a certain ethnicity or location, that’s not fair.

But this thread was meant to celebrate what is so wonderful about our community, so lets be positive and talk about what fun will have/and or did have at everyone's pride celebration this year.

If I remember to bring the camera I will take some pictures of our celebrations and post them here, I encourage others to do the same as well.

 

[scott55405]

Have fun! Club Karma must be something new. I always thought Minneapolis did a nice job with the Pride festival. It must be one of the larger ones for a city that size. For a while there was a separate one in St. Paul too. At one time on certain years, the parade would be on Lake Street and the festival at Powderhorn Park, but they haven't done that in some time now. I haven't been to the parade in close to 20 years, but I've been to the festival in the last few years.

No Prides this year for me. I had wanted to go to the one in Long Beach, which I'd thought was in June but it's at the end of May. The LA/West Hollywood one was last weekend, but I'd had a big day on Saturday and didn't have the energy for another on Sunday. Maybe next year. I imagine it must be quite something. Maybe I'll drive to Palm Springs and see that one in the fall. They have it in the fall since it's hot in the summer. Also going to check out the LA Aids walk this fall too. I did that for several years back there and really enjoyed it. I need to check out our MCC Church and Gay Mens Chorus here too, I haven't done that yet.