Cleveland Pride + Yesterday's Adventure
Oh my god, yesterday was the longest day ever. Seriously.
We got up at 9:30AM so we could leave for Cleveland Pride by 10AM. This, of course didn't happen, but that was okay because even after taking route 8 (which is hell anyhow) and not getting downtown until almost noon, we didn't miss the parade. I did, however, have to hunt for an ATM to pay for parking before ending up in the justice building because it was the ONLY place in a three block radius with an ATM. Which meant I had to remove my wallet and belt and shit just to walk twenty feet away (within eyesight) to an ATM, then leave. What a fucking pain.
BUT. We followed the parade down and hung out watching it near the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (Pride itself was held in Voinovich Park, behind the Hall of Fame). We were also right by a protester and it was pretty hilarious. Every time a new set of vehicles or group would come by, everyone would blare their horns and make noise to drown out the protestor.
Thankfully, we weren't near the LINE of protestors and the guy with the stand-alone amp because they were obnoxious. But I'm still always shocked when people who are so angry about such trivial things are able to not lash out. You'd think if someone hated something THAT MUCH they'd react with aggression.
Of course, they have every right to protest homosexuality as people have every right to protest the KKK. All's fair, after all.
Also, for the record, I'm not really KLSHDFKLDHGDKLGFHD GAY PRIDE LKFHGKLFD at all. I don't feel people need to accept me, nor do I feel people ~need~ to know my sexual orientation (which the majority of people don't GET anyhow, despite it not being a difficult concept to grasp). Yes, I am open about pretty much everything, but I don't feel the need to shove it in someone's face (though I'll almost always answer/explain if someone asks) and flail around going I'M PANSEXUAL AND PROUD because I find that sort of pride obnoxious (ANY sort of over-the-top pride, actually).
I think I'm not all rabid about it because I've never faced ~oppression~ or ~prejudice~ about it. Everyone I know (including my family) has accepted it and I've always been of the mindset that, if there's something you simply cannot accept about me or be respectful about, then you probably don't belong in my life. Never has my ~gayness~ negatively impacted my life. Once I acknowledged it (and it really wasn't that hard for me, I was making comments to my friends about how it feels like being in a relationship with TJ in HIGH SCHOOL, before we even ~came out~ and admitted it to each other) it was just another part of my life that, in reality, was probably already there.
But I'm sure I'm a ~bad gay~ because I'm not PRIDEFUL of my GAYNESS which, I'm sure, causes all sorts of assumptions.
REGARDLESS, back on track.
Pride, overall, was nice. Though, we were expecting it to rain at some point (though it never did), so we were hoping it'd cool off. It was SO HOT. Like, 90F, I think. There wasn't enough shade in the park, sadly (or, like, AT ALL in downtown Cleveland. what the fuck, Cleveland, do you hate trees?). There was a decent breeze from the lake, but it just wasn't enough. We were also kind of stupid and had custard THEN cajun food right after one another, which caused our stomachs to go WOAH WOAH WOAH WHAT IS THIS. Plus, I got cramsp, which was exciting.
We wandered around Pride for a bit until there was just...nothing else to do. The drag shows (while we were there) were from the Interbelt and....UGH, INTERBELT. Boo. And the main stage entertainment wasn't terribly interesting, nor were we going to sit on the lawn in the hot sun to watch a show anyhow.
After a few hours, we headed back to the car, which was like hell despite having kept ourselves hydrated, it was just SO hot because of the sun and the pavement and all the buildings and sljghklfdghdf. We wanted to die.
But we got back to the car and, once I took some more painkillers, decided we'd drive around a bit and cool off with the AC.
We went down to the asian markets and I bought the curry I can't find around here. Plus, TJ got his cranberry ginger ale they only sell in stores around the holidays. Park & Shop carries it year-round.
After that, we went back downtown and went to Tower City so we could cool off (still) and waste time. Our plan was to go to Pride all day (or most of the day), then go to Bounce in the evening. We didn't plan on Pride just...not being interesting. Plus, everything interesting in Cleveland seems to close at 5PM (the Natural History Museum, the Zoo). So we had a lot of time to waste. But we got food at Tower City and bummed around for a bit before we decided to go to Union Station and hang out until 8PM. Which, admittedly, wasn'tt oo hard. We split some cheesecake and had a few drinks, talked with the chatty waiter and listened to music until festivities got underway.
Sadly, Bounce and the whole Pride afterparty was a bit of a disappointment. There were a few good performances, but overall it was 'meh'. The Liquorbox girls were pretty good, however. As for everyone else? Kari danced to Pink like she does EVERY SINGLE FUCKING TIME. Plus, I didn't want to deal with her in next-to-nothing (literally). One or two of the drag kings were good, but I don't consider lip syncing to rap songs to be a ~performance~ at all. It's boring, AT BEST.
Most of the music played in the two areas was just....eh. Okay, I LOVE Lady Gaga, but there was just A LOT of it (mostly in the drag show, at least three people danced to her), even for me. But once 12AM hit and the outside show was over, it was just TOO CROWDED. We all decided to leave and, upon doing so, discovered a line of at least another 100 people outside. No way we were dealing with that amount of people. At all.
So we went down to The Chamber where, for $3 cover, we got to hang out on comfortable couches and discover and amazing 80s movie called Thrashin' which I am totally torrenting at this very moment.
There was hardly anyone there and it was a welcome change from the crazy that was the rest of the day. Plus, the Infusion Crew did a free show, so that was cool.
Then, home.
I got what's going to turn into a sunburn on my face and shoulders because I totally didn't take into account, you know, THE SUN. Plus, we expected rain and possible overcast, so I didn't think it'd be a concern. Ah well. Overall, Pride was fun, but like everything else in Northeast Ohio, it's just mediocre in the grand scheme of things.
In conclusion, a picture I found on Facebook with us in it:
Angie's in the teal blue shirt on the left, carrying Estefan the gay armadillo. TJ's next to her, in the purple polo and I'm on the right of him and behind the guy in the pink shirt in the hat, looking away. That was at the end of the parade when everyone was walking to the park.
We got up at 9:30AM so we could leave for Cleveland Pride by 10AM. This, of course didn't happen, but that was okay because even after taking route 8 (which is hell anyhow) and not getting downtown until almost noon, we didn't miss the parade. I did, however, have to hunt for an ATM to pay for parking before ending up in the justice building because it was the ONLY place in a three block radius with an ATM. Which meant I had to remove my wallet and belt and shit just to walk twenty feet away (within eyesight) to an ATM, then leave. What a fucking pain.
BUT. We followed the parade down and hung out watching it near the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (Pride itself was held in Voinovich Park, behind the Hall of Fame). We were also right by a protester and it was pretty hilarious. Every time a new set of vehicles or group would come by, everyone would blare their horns and make noise to drown out the protestor.
Thankfully, we weren't near the LINE of protestors and the guy with the stand-alone amp because they were obnoxious. But I'm still always shocked when people who are so angry about such trivial things are able to not lash out. You'd think if someone hated something THAT MUCH they'd react with aggression.
Of course, they have every right to protest homosexuality as people have every right to protest the KKK. All's fair, after all.
Also, for the record, I'm not really KLSHDFKLDHGDKLGFHD GAY PRIDE LKFHGKLFD at all. I don't feel people need to accept me, nor do I feel people ~need~ to know my sexual orientation (which the majority of people don't GET anyhow, despite it not being a difficult concept to grasp). Yes, I am open about pretty much everything, but I don't feel the need to shove it in someone's face (though I'll almost always answer/explain if someone asks) and flail around going I'M PANSEXUAL AND PROUD because I find that sort of pride obnoxious (ANY sort of over-the-top pride, actually).
I think I'm not all rabid about it because I've never faced ~oppression~ or ~prejudice~ about it. Everyone I know (including my family) has accepted it and I've always been of the mindset that, if there's something you simply cannot accept about me or be respectful about, then you probably don't belong in my life. Never has my ~gayness~ negatively impacted my life. Once I acknowledged it (and it really wasn't that hard for me, I was making comments to my friends about how it feels like being in a relationship with TJ in HIGH SCHOOL, before we even ~came out~ and admitted it to each other) it was just another part of my life that, in reality, was probably already there.
But I'm sure I'm a ~bad gay~ because I'm not PRIDEFUL of my GAYNESS which, I'm sure, causes all sorts of assumptions.
REGARDLESS, back on track.
Pride, overall, was nice. Though, we were expecting it to rain at some point (though it never did), so we were hoping it'd cool off. It was SO HOT. Like, 90F, I think. There wasn't enough shade in the park, sadly (or, like, AT ALL in downtown Cleveland. what the fuck, Cleveland, do you hate trees?). There was a decent breeze from the lake, but it just wasn't enough. We were also kind of stupid and had custard THEN cajun food right after one another, which caused our stomachs to go WOAH WOAH WOAH WHAT IS THIS. Plus, I got cramsp, which was exciting.
We wandered around Pride for a bit until there was just...nothing else to do. The drag shows (while we were there) were from the Interbelt and....UGH, INTERBELT. Boo. And the main stage entertainment wasn't terribly interesting, nor were we going to sit on the lawn in the hot sun to watch a show anyhow.
After a few hours, we headed back to the car, which was like hell despite having kept ourselves hydrated, it was just SO hot because of the sun and the pavement and all the buildings and sljghklfdghdf. We wanted to die.
But we got back to the car and, once I took some more painkillers, decided we'd drive around a bit and cool off with the AC.
We went down to the asian markets and I bought the curry I can't find around here. Plus, TJ got his cranberry ginger ale they only sell in stores around the holidays. Park & Shop carries it year-round.
After that, we went back downtown and went to Tower City so we could cool off (still) and waste time. Our plan was to go to Pride all day (or most of the day), then go to Bounce in the evening. We didn't plan on Pride just...not being interesting. Plus, everything interesting in Cleveland seems to close at 5PM (the Natural History Museum, the Zoo). So we had a lot of time to waste. But we got food at Tower City and bummed around for a bit before we decided to go to Union Station and hang out until 8PM. Which, admittedly, wasn'tt oo hard. We split some cheesecake and had a few drinks, talked with the chatty waiter and listened to music until festivities got underway.
Sadly, Bounce and the whole Pride afterparty was a bit of a disappointment. There were a few good performances, but overall it was 'meh'. The Liquorbox girls were pretty good, however. As for everyone else? Kari danced to Pink like she does EVERY SINGLE FUCKING TIME. Plus, I didn't want to deal with her in next-to-nothing (literally). One or two of the drag kings were good, but I don't consider lip syncing to rap songs to be a ~performance~ at all. It's boring, AT BEST.
Most of the music played in the two areas was just....eh. Okay, I LOVE Lady Gaga, but there was just A LOT of it (mostly in the drag show, at least three people danced to her), even for me. But once 12AM hit and the outside show was over, it was just TOO CROWDED. We all decided to leave and, upon doing so, discovered a line of at least another 100 people outside. No way we were dealing with that amount of people. At all.
So we went down to The Chamber where, for $3 cover, we got to hang out on comfortable couches and discover and amazing 80s movie called Thrashin' which I am totally torrenting at this very moment.
There was hardly anyone there and it was a welcome change from the crazy that was the rest of the day. Plus, the Infusion Crew did a free show, so that was cool.
Then, home.
I got what's going to turn into a sunburn on my face and shoulders because I totally didn't take into account, you know, THE SUN. Plus, we expected rain and possible overcast, so I didn't think it'd be a concern. Ah well. Overall, Pride was fun, but like everything else in Northeast Ohio, it's just mediocre in the grand scheme of things.
In conclusion, a picture I found on Facebook with us in it:
Angie's in the teal blue shirt on the left, carrying Estefan the gay armadillo. TJ's next to her, in the purple polo and I'm on the right of him and behind the guy in the pink shirt in the hat, looking away. That was at the end of the parade when everyone was walking to the park.