Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION The Anywhere Machine June is Gay Pride Month

And this weekend is gay pride in Boston. It looks like it will be a great weekend weather-wise.

So Happy Pride to everyone (even the straight people - the Pride is in being true to yourself in spite of what others say or do)

Props to my gay brothers and sisters. Word.

A big Woof to all of ya.

Just remember NOT to visit that Bars Toilets again........

Hope you have a grand weekend Quis. Raise a glass for Gigi and I

Please don't take this the wrong way.

It's not meant to be an insult to anyone, merely to help me understand. It's something that I've been wondering for a long time, and just can't fathom in my own very limited environs.
I'd appreciate if someone could point me in the right direction. Please.

Why is there a perceived need to be 'proud' to be gay?
Surely being gay isn't something that people choose. It's not a life choice. It's something that you are.

In the same way that I don't choose to be hetero - it's just the way that I am. It's not something that I'm proud of (not that I'm embarrased about it either).

You don't see Hetero Pride marches.

If gay people want to have a march then fine, great, go for it. I'm all for that, standing up for your individuality etc. etc. Great. It would probably be a lot more fun than a sraight march.

But 'Pride'? I just don't get it.

Even though I don't get it, I still wish everyone who goes along to one the best of times. Have fun.

hey ghost its because gay people are a minority. coming together at these pride events show that we are a community...and that there is strength in numbers

I understand where your question is coming from Numf-El though I don't know if I can give an adequate answer for it.

I can only give you my perspective of the situation and don't claim to speak for any other gay people.

Gay 'Pride' is a tricky word and I understand why it would rankle some straight people, just as black 'Pride' may rankle some white people. It kind of implies that the person who has something to be proud of has done something that the other person hasn't. That they've achieved something extra and are therefore better than the other person.

But as you say, being gay is just something a person is - like being white, or right-handed or good-looking. So what exactly is their achievement? What have gay people got to be 'proud' of?

Well there's this - its a sad fact that the world today is still not a very nice or safe place for gay people. OK there may be safe pockets and thank your lucky stars if you live in New York or San Francisco or London but the vast majority of the world is still extremely unfriendly toward homosexuality. And even in the safe pockets there are still many reasons why a person may choose to hide their sexuality, be they career or family or peer group or whatever. So it takes a very strong, courageous person, no matter where they are in the world, to make that decision to come out of the closet and announce to whoever will listen that they're gay - thereby exposing themselves to a lifetime of potential hurt or abuse or abandonment.

So my main reason for going to these marches (though I've never been on one - just watched from the sidelines) is to celebrate my pride in being able to come out of the sad, lonely closet I was hiding in for so many years (and though it was a miserable place, it seemed a lot easier to stay in that simple little straight world I inhabited than to throw a bomb under everyone and everything I knew) and branch out on my own as a gay man. I think that was a very brave step on my part, probably the bravest thing I've ever done in my life, and I'm *proud* of the fact that I didn't chicken out of it and carry on living a lie.

So that's one reason for my going on a Gay Pride march. There's another one too. My coming out of the closed was a courageous little step for me, and I'm proud that I did it, but the only person whose life it changed or improved was my own. No one else's. And since I've come out I've done very little, if anything at all, to make any real changes or improvements to the lives of other gay or sexually confused people. I've just chugged along with my own little life.

However there are some people, be they gay or straight or whatever, who have done some wonderful things, and continue to do them, to improve the lives of gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgendered people. They organise, rallies, they lobby politicians, they stage protests, they expose injustices, they provide medicines, they improve education, they save lives... These people go out of their way to make my life as a gay man easier, safer and more enjoyable. And I'm *proud* that these people are out there fighting for me and people like me and often for very little credit. And I like to show that pride in my own small way by going and supporting their march every year at Gay Pride.

So those are my reasons for going to Gay Pride Numf-El. I'm sure other people will have their own but they'll all be equally valid. Pride's one of those funny emotions - we all feel it differently.

Hope that helps.

Today was also Memphis' gay pride parade thingie. I didn't go... I never have. I'll be doing my pride celebrating tonight.

It was cloudy all day, threatening rain which never came... YET, anyway.

So I came up from my workout a few minutes ago. Outside my window was a rainbow in the sky, right over Midtown. Very fitting. I got such a kick out of it, I had to post about it!

Well, LASH, at least you knew the parade was today. I had no idea until some friends called and wanted to know if I was going, since it STARTED ON MY STREET! I walked down and met a bunch of them and watched it. It was a small parade, but it was still nice. We then went to Cafe Ole (a Mexican place for you non Memphians) and I had a couple of margaritas which hit me hard after a couple of weeks without alcohol! Of course, they are all going out tonight (Dance Diva AMBER is at the one big gay club tonight), but I had to go home! My partner is out of town and I just can't hang with those boys without a proper chaperone!

Anyhoo, happy PRIDE boys! Hope you all have a good night!

it's gay pride in l.a. too!! the parade is sunday.


but a seriously downplayed pride this year.... seems weird.

This parade in Memphis was more political than I expected. There were a couple of groups advocating gay marriage, another supporting our troops in Iraq, and the final entry was a pickup truck full of lesbians with a cage in the back containing a mannequin made to look like George W. Bush!

I'm sure there's something gay pride-like going on in NYC, but I sure don't remember when. I have no idea whether or not I'll make it down there for the parade.

Gay pride events developed to counter socitey's demand that gay people should be ashamed.

Well, I continued celebrating Gay Pride today by watching a marathon of AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL season 1 on VH1 and eating chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream all day, and GIRL! Let me tell ya, that TOP MODEL show is awesome!! Can't believe I didn't watch it before.

Elyse was amazing, but her likeability factor got her booted before Shannon. I already knew Addriene was gonna win from her stint on THE SURREAL LIFE-- in fact, she's the reason I decided to watch the marathon.

I was most amazed by ROBIN, the 4th place girl-- I thought she was about the hottest woman I've ever seen, and even her hardcore religous beliefs, super-bitchiness and overall diva-ishness wer fascinating. Loved her accent too!

robin is HILARIOUS! how she starts singing during that argument and forces everyone to hold hands and pray!!!

i think she may have a few screws loose.

I know!! I just found myself mesmerized by everything she did!!

And now I can continue y gay pride celebrating by watching STRIP SEARCH... and then KEPT.

Is it just me, or is VH1 the new BRAVO network?

I have never watched America's Next Top Model, but KEPT just may be the reason reality TV was invented. GREAT show!

Also watched that Project Runway wannabe, "The Cut". It was aiight.

Blacula and Awkward Pause Boy - many thanks for your helping answering my question. It's much appreciated.

Usually New York's is the week after Boston's. Actually. Boston usually finds out when New York's is and goes with the week before.

There is some coordination of dates between the two cities as I think some groups march in both parades.

Was Elyse the pixie-haired "token anorexic"? (there seems to be one every year) I liked her a lot too. Even though I picked Adrienne from the very beginning, I almost went with Elyse for my own personal feelings but I knew she wasn't going to walk away with the top prize.

Actually Boston is always the second weekend in June, and NYC's is always the last, so there's usually one weekend, though sometimes two in between. I was out there marching with the Frontrunners... the heat was sweltering! The fact that it started about an hour later than scheduled didn't help any either. Well... at least I had the flag football team behind me to look at.

And Elyse on ANTM ROCKS! Her pics are stunning, and her diatribes in the confessionals were HILARIOUS! She's actually modelling quite a bit overseas, so apparently med school got put on the backburner because she's in very high demand in Japan and Europe. Her current portfolio is up on her website (which unfortunatley I don't have any longer) and it's breathtaking.

I'm not sure if it's necessarily a Pride Month activity, but next weekend I'm going to the Southern Maine Gay Men's Choir summer concert in Portland. I haven't been in a couple of years, but it's always been a fun time in the past

Yep, Drake, that was Elyse. Actually, she would have been my pick to win the whole shebang if I hadn't known about Adrianne beforehand.

Bubbles, I'm really not surprised to hear that Elyse is still modeling. Of all the girls that went to Paris, she was the one that took the city BY STORM, they absolutely loved her there. There was no way she would be able to walk away from that (or that Europe would LET her!).

I honestly think she would have won it if she had the likeability that Adrianne had.

Wacky Robin was still my favorite, though!