Terrifyingly Fabulous, or How I got kicked out of Atlanta Gay Pride

[justben]

I had a lot of fun at the Atlanta Pride Festival today. It was deeply satisfying to see so many wonderful people in an environment where where they can express their love for their chosen partners without society frowning on them simply because their chosen partners happen to be the same gender or sex as they are. It was fun to see people enjoying

Comments

[snowcalla]

You were treated shitty. No two ways about it.

I have my own Gay Pride story from Minneapolis. I used to help out quite a bit in their communications. Many of us, straight but volunteers for years, were at Gay Pride (as usual). Then Leadership started going on and on about how us "Breeders" and "Fag Hags" were only there because some felt it necessary to have straights for a good public image, but really....the rest of the Gay Community didn't want us there. (This was when they decided to stop pushing for Civil Unions and go for Gay Marriage - and tensions got high) This was "their time" and our presence unwelcome, threatening. We were asked to leave. One by one, other straight people were asked to leave.

Confused and hurt, we left. And Leadership wasn't even a bit apologetic for it. It's been years since that incident and there is new Leadership with a different attitude. But very few of us, a once loyal volunteer core, have had anything to do with organizing Gay Pride or working on protests and such again.

[justben]

Yuck! I’m sorry to hear that your local Pride experience turned out so poorly! I’m happy to report, though, that today my local Pride and I kissed and made up, and all’s well.

[fourjacks]

I can understand how you found this very hurtful and disturbing. I know nothing about Gay Pride or their internal pressures or politics, but I definitely think they owed you a better explanation than a single volunteer insisting you leave and claiming to do so on behalf of the organization.

[justben]

Thanks for coming by and saying so. I’m happy to report that today we kissed and made up; all is resolved.

[lonestar9]

Hey Ben...wow, long time no post...:)

It kinda sounds the lady who made you leave, was taking that decision upon herself. You made her uncomfortable wearing it. Now me, no way in hell I'd wear a coat in an Atlanta summer...;)....but to each his/her own...you were checked out, all was well, or it should have been. I guess maybe they erred on the side of caution, but quite the over-reaction on her/their part.

I'll also say you seemed to handle it quite well...no cussing/yelling, etc seemed to have occurred.

[justben]

Yeah, I was pretty slow on posting for a while there. I’m glad to be back. :-)

I joke sometimes about cussing and yelling and getting in a spat, but honestly I suck at confrontation. Lots. And the closer something is to my heart, the more difficult it is for me to fight about it. In fact I got very little sleep last night partially because I was up worrying about going back and talking to them today. I’m really glad that we kissed and made up and found happy resolution.

[akiko_kalla]

OMG! Seriously, it isn't like there are people dressed in princess outfits, chain mail, bodysuits, and loin cloths or anything. You would think after making sure you weren't carrying anything they would be a little more accepting of DRESS at a festival on accepting people for who they are. (I will read the other comments you left, but I have to say my two cents

[justben]

Thanks for your support. I didn’t see any chain mail there, though there were definitely some princesses (and some wonderful queens!) and even diapers. That one still baffles me. :-)

Anyway, today I was able to talk to a member of the Pride Committee. We kissed and made up, and all is well now.

[justben]

I love showing people my whoosh. :-)

Thanks for your support. I’m glad to report that we’ve kissed and made up and that all is now well between me and Pride.