Pride Parade
Yesterday, as I mentioned last night, was completely unbelieveably spectacular... I never knew that that many gay people existed. It wasn't like I felt exactly alone, but it made me feel happier to see all these real people rather than scattered online profiles. Alix Olson once brilliantly said "i believe there are too many lonely lesbians looking for a lover/and if some would lift their cool masks maybe they would find each other" and I believe that's exactly what the parade was about. It wasn't about flanting sexuality. It was about a group of people who share a similar interest coming together to celebrate it. It was just like any other parade in NYC only much bigger, I believe, than the ones I've been to in brooklyn for things like islanders. Oh and the other differance was that I got to participate more in it because it's a comunity that I belong to.
I woke up around 9:30, when Ali was leaving for her Art History class thing at the Met and arranged to meet up with her via calls when she got out. took my shower and dressed my proudest. I wore my superman boyshorts, the ones that actually look like boy's underware with a pocket in the crotch where there would be a hole, aka my favorite pair of underoos (don't ask why the pocket It's never been used for anything partly cause I'm guessing it's a condom pocket). I wore one of my old normal probably too-worn-out-and-needs-to-be-replaced Champion bras under one of my black old navy ribbed tank, which I then topped with my famously loved (by all gender orientaded friends) "recruiter" t-shirt (which I have always worn as a joke on special occasions). I bottomed off with baseball socks, red ufo pants and my brand new duffs skateboarder shoes that match (though wearing them brand new may not have been the greatest idea, but my feet survived. The outfit was finished with my black biker sunglasses with red lenses.
It was about 20 minutes to the start of the parade and I rushed out the door with all my camera gear (pausing briefly at the door to talk to the guard who was going to the festival afterwards and who both complemented me and cautioned me that it was pouring out. I grabbed vince's umbrella that I had borrowed from the day before and left on my bike in the hallway to the lounge and lept down the frount steps into the down pour. Unlike yesterday, for the dyke march that i missed (except for when it passed in front of Victoria Secret to the customers smiling and saying, "oh well they're certainly excited about something!" and me replying, " pride week will do that to people") the day was not started with the world "drowning" as I had put it. I decided to bite my lip and take the train up to 52nd street where it was started because I planned on sneeking into the march and that would be more than enough walking for me. Once I was up there I wondered around, another stanger in the crowed, until I found a spot on the southwest corner where I made me and my 35 mm camera at home. At one point my phone slipped out of my pocket into a puddle behind me and the man behind me rushed to pick it up for me since I had a hard time bending around with my huge backpack.
Thankfully my phone still worked and I was found first by Erin, as she wrapped he hands around me from behind and I greeted her with an excited kiss and then gave Peter (her bf) a hug around his waist ( since that's about as high as I can reach on the guy, haha). Then Ali, who I had thought probably hopelessly loss by the distance between when I last heard from her and when she jabbed me in the sides from behind, arrived.
I returned the violence with a hug... around the neck. (lol i promise it was really a hug). The four of us watched from there, shortest two up front. I had taken so many amazing shots... but saddly the first and probably best 30 were not properly recorded because as I had worried my first attempt with the film was not catching and though I checked it and thought I had fixed it after the first 2 pictures it still had not caught so I had to expose the film again long enough to completely make sure for the latter 25 pictures. I loved the gay police and firefighters of NYC... all in uniform except for a few with tiny flags, smiling with pride.
As we stood there on the side lines there was one moment that hurt... a family (mother and about 3 or four kids, with an aunt or friend) was waiting to cross the parade route on 5th ave. They were all amazed by the floats and costumes that were passing by at the time, their famboyancy lost on one of the boys until he read one word on the side of the float, "gay," and reacted like any small child does to asparagus and brussel sprouts at the dinner table. This boy was a puzzlement, he read no signs of homosexuality as I believe the world to view it with effeminate men in drag or dance costumes with that certain gay "something" until he was outright told what he was seeing. The people in front of him could have been those uniformed police, to all outer appearences, just like everyone else and then told that they were gay, still suddenly found to be utterly disgusted by them. I believe this to be the general state of the world on homophobia. It doesn't matter how straight we act... if we are bi or gay or any other orientation we are freaks to them. It's like that moment in 5th grade when the black girl sitting next to me asked me what religion I was and when I answered her, "Jewish," she got disgusted and asked me where my horns, cloven feet and tail were. It didn't matter that I was just like anyone else in that class in dress and behavior, the idea that I was a Jew was horrific to her (be it that the next dady she had forgotten and we were as usual). At the time it confused me completely and still kinda does because I thought blacks and jews were automatically cool cause of the parallel between Egypt and the American South and the Civil Rights Movements.
Back at the parade the family soon moved on and we were greeted by a man on rollerskates who noticed Erin's Poly and Proud sign to tell us about the Poly-NYC group that was marching farther behind that he had drifted from. And so we waited until we saw the banner and hopped onto the group. It was awesome because we were between the Empire State Pride Agenda (who were jewish themed) and HRC behind us. I don't remember most of the peoples names in the group (because I am aweful with names) but I remember their faces and individual personalities. The girl from germany who rode her bike around us as we marched, her camera wheilding friend who I had the confidence to speak to only after she spoke to me, saying I was very cute, to which I blushed on the inside. I mentioned that I was thinking of buying a Canon though and I believe that killed our conversation, though I then got to talk to the guy in the shawl with the umbrella about Canon who was quite a nice guy. I met the short cute guy with the Queer brand laundry detergent shirt and his tall, quite, irish-freckled bf John. There was also the man with the kilt who helped carry the banner and the old guy I didn't notice until near the end of the parade. There was the girl would made me think of Ani and my miss-interpretation of what Flo looks like in Tipping the Velvet and her friends, including the other pale girl in a white flowy summer dress who was as light hearted as her attier suggested. Ali and I hung out most for the main part and we danced a lot and playfought and just had a lot of fun paling around that I missed us doing. I even dared kiss her on the cheek twice. : ) (<3 to conor)
Most of the pride was the same and around 14th street Peter left us a few blocks after Ali to lunch with a friend and find a restroom. Erin and I held out and as she well proclaimed it was worth it. The Nikon girl pointed out that we were matching, her in her black shirt and shorts with red stockings and bondage straps- me in my red rave pants and black shirt. More importantly the streets narrowed and as I explained last night, "people packed in like cattails on the edge of a stream of gay." It ment we got to be more intimate with the crowd. I firted with a few girls before realizing their gfs were kinda scowling a bit at me from behind. One girl in pigtails cept checking me out and her gf was giving me the most horrible looks and then the pig-tailed girl called me over (the parade had stopped for a min) and gave me an invite to a bar name Saylo's "Fuck Your Money" BDay Event this Friday. I thanked her and smiled at her girlfriend and her gf smiled back, which made me feel better. Inside I was a little conceted (besides looking in the mirror that morning and thinking myself a fairly damn fine looking girl if I do say so myself, and I do. Haha) i was flattered that anyone else (not to mention that many other people) thought me cute because I know sometimes I get conceted though I often think that no one agrees with me and that I'm horrid looking in truth... So yes the last portion was more interactively intensive and many high-fives were given. One girl grabbed my hand a little more than I expected and it yanked me back for a moment before she let go. Thankfully she did let go. Oh and then there was the girl I saw with the blond mohawk and I never know if I will see her again but I got a picture of her with my slr.. hope it comes out. Once I pulled out my camera downtown people were almost aching to have their picture taken in the crowd... I wish my light meter had been working. I wonder how much it will cost to get that fixed. : /
After the end and waiting but not long enough for the s&m group that Erin had intended to march with we ran off to find a restroom and found a not-port-a-potty at this mexican place a few blocks away. Then we took a walk through the overly crowded festival. It was the same as most except for the pride themed things every couple of tables instead of other things. I kinda wanted to stay longer but also wanted to sit and spend time with people so I decided I could hang more next year. So when we had to meet up with Peter (and the quite girl who is their friend who was actually there before we started marching too but whom I didn't much notice because she's so quite) I told Erin that I was fine with leaving. Plus I need a bathroom and actually found one closer at the dunkin donuts where the women's room sign was velcroed to the wall and the men's sign was missing. The guy who was the only other person in line went into the unmarked one and I went in after wondering if I would have gone if it was marked men's even though it was a one stall room.
When I returned Erin had left to get a fried corn pattie thing with cheese in it she had been craving and when she returned we took the subway to Peter's office. We all deshoed and Erin faxed some things for the possibility of their new apartment while Peter busied himself on another computer and I relaxed on the floor. Not much later I openned my sunglassed eyes to and Erin sitting straddled over me and smiled. We shared a kiss (and that's as much detail as you get you voyeristic sickos!!) ; ) Then a little later we went to Chipotle for free gay burritos and then back to Peter's office to watch the Graduate (an Amazing movie) after Vince showed up.
Oh and one after note I relized that I never mentioned that there were many transactions with tampons and I wonder what caused me to think that less significant to write about than other things though it somewhat equally tranformed the course of the day from finding restrooms to after Chipotles spending and Duane Reade beting.
Anyway, we all parted ways after bad dessert service at the lyric where milkshakes and giant black and white cookies are the only edible dessert items. Erin had seen a little glum but from what she talked about i'm guessing it was her not looking forward to work the next day and I was just glad to think that I got her to smile a few times while we were at the diner. Vince was nice enough to walk me home and I wished him good luck on the paper for class before going upstairs writing a blurb and passing out and sleeping until 4 today.
I woke up around 9:30, when Ali was leaving for her Art History class thing at the Met and arranged to meet up with her via calls when she got out. took my shower and dressed my proudest. I wore my superman boyshorts, the ones that actually look like boy's underware with a pocket in the crotch where there would be a hole, aka my favorite pair of underoos (don't ask why the pocket It's never been used for anything partly cause I'm guessing it's a condom pocket). I wore one of my old normal probably too-worn-out-and-needs-to-be-replaced Champion bras under one of my black old navy ribbed tank, which I then topped with my famously loved (by all gender orientaded friends) "recruiter" t-shirt (which I have always worn as a joke on special occasions). I bottomed off with baseball socks, red ufo pants and my brand new duffs skateboarder shoes that match (though wearing them brand new may not have been the greatest idea, but my feet survived. The outfit was finished with my black biker sunglasses with red lenses.
It was about 20 minutes to the start of the parade and I rushed out the door with all my camera gear (pausing briefly at the door to talk to the guard who was going to the festival afterwards and who both complemented me and cautioned me that it was pouring out. I grabbed vince's umbrella that I had borrowed from the day before and left on my bike in the hallway to the lounge and lept down the frount steps into the down pour. Unlike yesterday, for the dyke march that i missed (except for when it passed in front of Victoria Secret to the customers smiling and saying, "oh well they're certainly excited about something!" and me replying, " pride week will do that to people") the day was not started with the world "drowning" as I had put it. I decided to bite my lip and take the train up to 52nd street where it was started because I planned on sneeking into the march and that would be more than enough walking for me. Once I was up there I wondered around, another stanger in the crowed, until I found a spot on the southwest corner where I made me and my 35 mm camera at home. At one point my phone slipped out of my pocket into a puddle behind me and the man behind me rushed to pick it up for me since I had a hard time bending around with my huge backpack.
Thankfully my phone still worked and I was found first by Erin, as she wrapped he hands around me from behind and I greeted her with an excited kiss and then gave Peter (her bf) a hug around his waist ( since that's about as high as I can reach on the guy, haha). Then Ali, who I had thought probably hopelessly loss by the distance between when I last heard from her and when she jabbed me in the sides from behind, arrived.
I returned the violence with a hug... around the neck. (lol i promise it was really a hug). The four of us watched from there, shortest two up front. I had taken so many amazing shots... but saddly the first and probably best 30 were not properly recorded because as I had worried my first attempt with the film was not catching and though I checked it and thought I had fixed it after the first 2 pictures it still had not caught so I had to expose the film again long enough to completely make sure for the latter 25 pictures. I loved the gay police and firefighters of NYC... all in uniform except for a few with tiny flags, smiling with pride.
As we stood there on the side lines there was one moment that hurt... a family (mother and about 3 or four kids, with an aunt or friend) was waiting to cross the parade route on 5th ave. They were all amazed by the floats and costumes that were passing by at the time, their famboyancy lost on one of the boys until he read one word on the side of the float, "gay," and reacted like any small child does to asparagus and brussel sprouts at the dinner table. This boy was a puzzlement, he read no signs of homosexuality as I believe the world to view it with effeminate men in drag or dance costumes with that certain gay "something" until he was outright told what he was seeing. The people in front of him could have been those uniformed police, to all outer appearences, just like everyone else and then told that they were gay, still suddenly found to be utterly disgusted by them. I believe this to be the general state of the world on homophobia. It doesn't matter how straight we act... if we are bi or gay or any other orientation we are freaks to them. It's like that moment in 5th grade when the black girl sitting next to me asked me what religion I was and when I answered her, "Jewish," she got disgusted and asked me where my horns, cloven feet and tail were. It didn't matter that I was just like anyone else in that class in dress and behavior, the idea that I was a Jew was horrific to her (be it that the next dady she had forgotten and we were as usual). At the time it confused me completely and still kinda does because I thought blacks and jews were automatically cool cause of the parallel between Egypt and the American South and the Civil Rights Movements.
Back at the parade the family soon moved on and we were greeted by a man on rollerskates who noticed Erin's Poly and Proud sign to tell us about the Poly-NYC group that was marching farther behind that he had drifted from. And so we waited until we saw the banner and hopped onto the group. It was awesome because we were between the Empire State Pride Agenda (who were jewish themed) and HRC behind us. I don't remember most of the peoples names in the group (because I am aweful with names) but I remember their faces and individual personalities. The girl from germany who rode her bike around us as we marched, her camera wheilding friend who I had the confidence to speak to only after she spoke to me, saying I was very cute, to which I blushed on the inside. I mentioned that I was thinking of buying a Canon though and I believe that killed our conversation, though I then got to talk to the guy in the shawl with the umbrella about Canon who was quite a nice guy. I met the short cute guy with the Queer brand laundry detergent shirt and his tall, quite, irish-freckled bf John. There was also the man with the kilt who helped carry the banner and the old guy I didn't notice until near the end of the parade. There was the girl would made me think of Ani and my miss-interpretation of what Flo looks like in Tipping the Velvet and her friends, including the other pale girl in a white flowy summer dress who was as light hearted as her attier suggested. Ali and I hung out most for the main part and we danced a lot and playfought and just had a lot of fun paling around that I missed us doing. I even dared kiss her on the cheek twice. : ) (<3 to conor)
Most of the pride was the same and around 14th street Peter left us a few blocks after Ali to lunch with a friend and find a restroom. Erin and I held out and as she well proclaimed it was worth it. The Nikon girl pointed out that we were matching, her in her black shirt and shorts with red stockings and bondage straps- me in my red rave pants and black shirt. More importantly the streets narrowed and as I explained last night, "people packed in like cattails on the edge of a stream of gay." It ment we got to be more intimate with the crowd. I firted with a few girls before realizing their gfs were kinda scowling a bit at me from behind. One girl in pigtails cept checking me out and her gf was giving me the most horrible looks and then the pig-tailed girl called me over (the parade had stopped for a min) and gave me an invite to a bar name Saylo's "Fuck Your Money" BDay Event this Friday. I thanked her and smiled at her girlfriend and her gf smiled back, which made me feel better. Inside I was a little conceted (besides looking in the mirror that morning and thinking myself a fairly damn fine looking girl if I do say so myself, and I do. Haha) i was flattered that anyone else (not to mention that many other people) thought me cute because I know sometimes I get conceted though I often think that no one agrees with me and that I'm horrid looking in truth... So yes the last portion was more interactively intensive and many high-fives were given. One girl grabbed my hand a little more than I expected and it yanked me back for a moment before she let go. Thankfully she did let go. Oh and then there was the girl I saw with the blond mohawk and I never know if I will see her again but I got a picture of her with my slr.. hope it comes out. Once I pulled out my camera downtown people were almost aching to have their picture taken in the crowd... I wish my light meter had been working. I wonder how much it will cost to get that fixed. : /
After the end and waiting but not long enough for the s&m group that Erin had intended to march with we ran off to find a restroom and found a not-port-a-potty at this mexican place a few blocks away. Then we took a walk through the overly crowded festival. It was the same as most except for the pride themed things every couple of tables instead of other things. I kinda wanted to stay longer but also wanted to sit and spend time with people so I decided I could hang more next year. So when we had to meet up with Peter (and the quite girl who is their friend who was actually there before we started marching too but whom I didn't much notice because she's so quite) I told Erin that I was fine with leaving. Plus I need a bathroom and actually found one closer at the dunkin donuts where the women's room sign was velcroed to the wall and the men's sign was missing. The guy who was the only other person in line went into the unmarked one and I went in after wondering if I would have gone if it was marked men's even though it was a one stall room.
When I returned Erin had left to get a fried corn pattie thing with cheese in it she had been craving and when she returned we took the subway to Peter's office. We all deshoed and Erin faxed some things for the possibility of their new apartment while Peter busied himself on another computer and I relaxed on the floor. Not much later I openned my sunglassed eyes to and Erin sitting straddled over me and smiled. We shared a kiss (and that's as much detail as you get you voyeristic sickos!!) ; ) Then a little later we went to Chipotle for free gay burritos and then back to Peter's office to watch the Graduate (an Amazing movie) after Vince showed up.
Oh and one after note I relized that I never mentioned that there were many transactions with tampons and I wonder what caused me to think that less significant to write about than other things though it somewhat equally tranformed the course of the day from finding restrooms to after Chipotles spending and Duane Reade beting.
Anyway, we all parted ways after bad dessert service at the lyric where milkshakes and giant black and white cookies are the only edible dessert items. Erin had seen a little glum but from what she talked about i'm guessing it was her not looking forward to work the next day and I was just glad to think that I got her to smile a few times while we were at the diner. Vince was nice enough to walk me home and I wished him good luck on the paper for class before going upstairs writing a blurb and passing out and sleeping until 4 today.