Pride 2010

I've never been part of the gay community in the larger sense. I never really felt that it was something that I needed. But I'm beginning to see that it's a very warm and fun-loving community. On Friday, Antonio and I went to a cabaret show at the Metropolitan Room. It was very intimate and entertaining. The singer, accompanied only by a piano, bass, and drums, sang a collection of beautiful songs. Some were unexpected - The Bare Necessities and the theme from The Golden Girls. But his voice was amazing and he really had great stage presence. Since the club had a two drink minimum, I was feeling pretty good after the show. It was great start to the Pride weekend festivities.

The main event was on Sunday - the Pride March stopped traffic after countless floats rolled down 5th Avenue. I got a great spot with Antonio on 17th Street. We were able to see everyone, including Bettheny from the Real Housewives of New York and Dina Manzo from the Real Housewives of New Jersey. I pretty much died when I saw her! We also saw Lt. Choi and Mel B from the Spice Girls. Everyone was having such a great time! We saw cheerleaders, drag queens (lots of them), lesbians, bears, and dozens of people in crazy costumes. It was nice to see lots of politicians and churches and family organizations. Yes, it's great to be glittery and fabulous, but it's also good to know that there is a strong sense of social activism.

After the parade we went back to his place and counted our goodies. We had so many stickers and condoms! That's pretty much the standard thing to throw from a float - condoms! Then we went to Christopher Street for the street fair. It was a lot of fun too! We saw four black dancers were so talented. The one guy was able to use only his mouth to smoke a cigarette and then pull it into his mouth and blow out the smoke. It's hard to explain, but it was uber fun to watch. We also saw gay porn 3-D! It seems like an entirely frivolous waste of the technology, but it did have a certain novelty to it. There was a really strong sense of community and acceptance. It's sometimes hard to feel like the only gay person, but everyone was equal and treated with respect at the festivities. I could kiss Antonio without thinking that people were starring with disapproving glares.

Overall, it was such an eye-opening experience. New York is such a diverse and accepting place! I think that I am exactly who God intended me to be. So, the Pride celebration was exactly that - a huge celebration of being proud of the person you are!