[Morainy]

My husband and I and one of our sons will be walking in the Pride Parade tomorrow with the Vancouver School Board's float, and I was just wondering if anybody from BCA will be there?

 

[neven]

I'll be the dude only wearing a leather harness with magenta hair

 

[Ursus sapien]

I'll be the dude only wearing a leather harness with magenta hair

... and that will distinguish you in the crowd how?

Unfortunately I'll be missing it this year, though I will be having an early morning pride coffee with a few other old radicals Sunday morning.
Did some anti-homophobia work with the VSB in the '90s; always cool to see you guys at Pride.

 

[neven]

i actually never have been to it before, i tend to stay away from large gatherings of any sort

 

[Ursus sapien]

i actually never have been to it before, i tend to stay away from large gatherings of any sort

It's more party than political now, but it's still an empowering experience.

bring sun screen, don't turn your back on your drink and toss a snack and a toothbrush into your backpack.

 

[Morainy]

That's impressive, Ursus Sapien. The people who worked against homophobia with the VSB in the 1990s did some ground-breaking work.

I sat as a parent rep on the VSB's Pride Education Committee a few years ago and was so impressed with the work that the committee did. They'd come up with an idea and put their own time into it and make it happen almost right away. Inspiring.

... and that will distinguish you in the crowd how?

Unfortunately I'll be missing it this year, though I will be having an early morning pride coffee with a few other old radicals Sunday morning.
Did some anti-homophobia work with the VSB in the '90s; always cool to see you guys at Pride.

 

[thefishwife]

Unfortunately I'll be missing it this year, though I will be having an early morning pride coffee with a few other old radicals Sunday morning.
Did some anti-homophobia work with the VSB in the '90s; always cool to see you guys at Pride.

And you didn't invite me to this sunday morning coffee!!!! Then you did some great work with the VSB way to go!

 

[gimlid]

All I want to know is when the hetero pride parade starts.
Although it seems so politically incorrect to be proud of being (dare I say it?) non gay.
How about the lack of tolerance parade? haha (ha?)

 

[neven]

Im sure they have one in mississippi

 

[Ursus sapien]

And you didn't invite me to this sunday morning coffee!!!!

It was absurdly early for a Sunday I'll make up for it on the next duckweed exchange!

 

[Ursus sapien]

... The people who worked against homophobia with the VSB in the 1990s did some ground-breaking work.

I sat as a parent rep on the VSB's Pride Education Committee a few years ago and was so impressed with the work that the committee did. They'd come up with an idea and put their own time into it and make it happen almost right away. Inspiring.

Equity work in general brings together the most disparate individuals. One finds allies where adversaries are expected; and enemies where support is assumed. There's just no predicting. On the youth front, straight allies faced enormous personal and professional risk to advocate for queer kids. Whatever change that occurred was the result of many individuals pulling together.
Ain't it always?

 

[Morainy]

Back from the parade. What a wonderful, upbeat, life-affirming event. Half a million people,from toddlers to seniors in wheelchairs, cheering you on and celebrating diversity. It's impossible to be there and not be grinning.

Lots of businesses have floats and it's easy to think that the parade has become commercialized. But one of the floats there was by a big bank that fired my friend's father (a manager) in the 1980s when they discovered that he (the father) was gay and having an affair with someone in the bank. That family went through hell at the time. Seeing that bank's big, overblown float in the parade and knowing that my friend's dad, now probably close to 70 years old, was in the crowd watching, brought tears to my eyes. In a good way.

 

[thefishwife]

It was absurdly early for a Sunday I'll make up for it on the next duckweed exchange!

Sounds good and a couple bn's.

 

[Ursus sapien]

Sounds good and a couple bn's.

That I can help you with

Morainy: "Seeing that bank's big, overblown float in the parade and knowing that my friend's dad, now probably close to 70 years old, was in the crowd watching, brought tears to my eyes. In a good way."

There are a lot of moments like that. It's always bittersweet for me, knowing what it's cost to get here.

 

[josephl]

Spent about 3 hours watching on Denman today, what a great parade, great atmosphere, great people

 

[josephl]

All I want to know is when the hetero pride parade starts.
Although it seems so politically incorrect to be proud of being (dare I say it?) non gay.
How about the lack of tolerance parade? haha (ha?)

??? Seriously?

 

[gimlid]

??? Seriously?

Just a thought.
Or how about the "Right wing Old school Parade" ????
hahahahahaha????

 

[rescuepenguin]

I couldn't make it this year. I'm glad it was a good parade, of course, the parade is only 1 event for the whole weekend.

Steve

 

[lotus]

It was a wonderful atmosphere and the parade was a feast for the eyes. I didn't expect to see a naked man in the parade. I didn't stay for the whole thing as I was cooking in the sun and was sick the night before.

 

[josephl]

It was a wonderful atmosphere and the parade was a feast for the eyes. I didn't expect to see a naked man in the parade. I didn't stay for the whole thing as I was cooking in the sun and was sick the night before.

Yes, that naked man should have kept that globe in front of him as he was "parading"