Fin Fang Foom Attends the NYC Gay Pride Parade

[FinFangFoom]

For the first time, ever, I sat/stood through 90% of the parade and I'm sorry, but it was a snorefest. What use to be a parade filled with offensive freaks has become so tame it could be shown on the Food Channel.

 

I'm not advocating it be offensive, but rather at least occassionally INTERESTING. There was very little eye candy and not that many drag queens.

 

For me, this was the most clever person in the entire parade..........

 

http://www.members.aol.com/finfangfoomredux/kermit.jpg

 

 

The saying goes: "No fairies, no magic." If that's the case, then it's time to bring back the fairies.

 

Nostalgically yours,

 

FFF

[+ glutes]

I didn't go to the SF Parade, but it has all been corporatized. Delta and Budweiser banners galore, snore!

[Rick Munroe]

Yeah, Gay Pride has jumped the shark (and the shark was actually a thugged-out hip-hop dyke). :-(

[Luv2play]

I stopped going to any Pride parades after the 2003 in NYC. They have ALL become snorefests. Now back in the 90's there were some truly memorable sights. I remember a particularly hunky number in a sling in a pickup truck in the Toronto parade and I was happily on the right side of the street to see his winking asshole as the truck cruised by! Those were the days when the newspapers and local officials would condemn all the "nudity" but it was mighty fun. Now it's all about organizations trying to save somebody or sell something. x(

[Damascene]

Broken Record here

 

If you don't like what you see, get involved with the local pride organizer and change it. Create an outrageous, fun group and march.

Do something and don't just sit back and whine.

[uwsman2]

I marched for a while in NYC parade yesterday.

I think the complaint about the lack of gorgeous skin was a bit misplaced. Many of the floats, as well as the gay athletic groups, featured plenty of beautiful flesh exposed. Gay Pride Day is always a day for seeing lots of great washboard abs, and yesterday was no exception.

 

That said, I join in bemoaning the increased commercialization of the parade. Gay Pride Day should not be about handing out free samples of shampoo and hand cream, or promoting one airline over another as the "official airline" of heritage of pride.

 

On the other hand, I understand that staging this extravaganza is expensive, and donations from the general public to help pay for the day have been declining, so as corporate sponsors pick up the slack, they get to dictate a much larger presence. And, of course, it is corporations that sponsor the floats that hire the gym boys to flaunt their abs, so...... it all comes around.

[edjames]

There were 2 parades. One marching down Fifth Avenue and the other on the sidewalk behind me! I saw some gorgeous guys on the sidelines and did you not see the Altoids float? A wonderful array of hunky young guys in Speedos giving out free samples! Well, maybe not the kind I wanted. The Hair Salon on the 2nd floor above my spot on 20th St and Fifth Avenue was rocking with thier own Pride Party and everyone seemed to be having a great time.

 

There seemed to be an abundance of Corporate sponsored floats and groups this year. JPMorgan Chase Bank, Delta Airlines, Fresh Direct, and Verizon to name a few. And lots of handouts. Mardi Gras beads seemed to be the prevalent choice but thank God for Khiel's and Nivea who handed out useful facial moisturizer and energizing facial gel!

 

Yeah, the parade seemed a lot tamer but I remember the first one! It was completely disorganized and it marched up Sixth Avenue to Central Park and everyone just stood around aimlessly. We've come a long way baby!

 

Still, everyone around me seemed to be having a good time.

 

ED

[+ Lucky]

RE: Lucky Goes To The SF Parade

 

I DID go to the SF parade and it was great! Sure there is more commercialization, but so is everything these days.

 

The afterparty at the Civic Center has grown to a huge party over several blocks, reminiscent of the Queensday party in Amsterdam. The mood was so festive with cute guys everywhere and nary a bad mood to be seen. Good thing the Fang was in New York!

[+ Lucky]

RE: Lucky Goes To The SF Parade

 

Here's a pic from sfgate.com on the parade:

http://www.sfgate.com/c/pictures/2007/06/25/ba_gaypride033.jpg

[+ Lucky]

RE: Lucky Goes To The SF Parade

 

Here's a pic from sfgate.com on the parade:

http://www.sfgate.com/c/pictures/2007/06/25/ba_gaypride033.jpg