SF Pride

Pride was hot - literally. I was burning up and now my face is all painful and sensitive. Plus, there were lots of fat ugly people there. But overall it was fun and a bit of a giggle with the crazy, massive crowds that gathered for the parade and the immensity of the whole celebration that covered at least ten blocks. It was huge and fun and crazy. More details later.



Ok, so we actually only got there around noon, stupid us, meaning that we actually missed most of the parade. Big whoop. But still, oops. Not that there was any shortage of camp men to laugh at though - this is San Francisco after all. The crowd watching the parade was loud and run, pushing and trying to get a better look at all the participants fooling abuot in front of our faces, and cheering whenever a 'just married' float/car came past.

After about a half hour the parade ended. Just like that - there was no real indication the thing was about to stop until I saw a huge block of perhaps fifty 'safety monitors' walking along, completely blocking the road. That ended it in typical 'there's nothing to see here, big fat dyke blocking your view' kind of style. So we wandered off, around, and then over the barriers to try and find somewhere not suffused with straight people who seemed to have taken over the event. It's nice to see lots of 'understanding' mothers, daughters, fathers and sons, but sometimes you just want the straight people to not be there. But then at the same time I realise that it's amazing they come, something I personally really appreciate and would personally thank them for if I had the guts and the shamelessness.

So then it was on to the food, the beer, the tacky stage and the mini dj stations. The whole event covers such a large area that its impossible to not have something to do, even if it is going to a display of S&M, or a gay line dancing class. I'd go again for sure, though of course it's by far the most fun if you have a gaggle of friends to go along with. I think it's hard to attend an something like pride with just one other person - you don't have the extra eyes and ears that act like a collective radar for anything outrageous, silly or slanderous, but you are constantly having to be aware of whats going on around you rather than enjoying just being there.
Oh, Graham Norton was there looking as camp and British as ever, and then a million acts culminating in Chaka Khan doing an awful attempt at trying to not look old, set. The stage stuff was rubbish but funny, really not that bad... though I did get burnt standing in the sun, which has not been fun.

Anyway, it was fun, busy and hot... all that a pride could ever want to be... just for next year's pride
Alaina's photos