Pride Parades

Community varies from the largest GLBTQ groups in San Francisco, to a closer smaller grouping in Columbus, and even smaller Toledo. Pride Parades are highly anticipated and planned; in each of their locations is the most visible gathering the GLBTQ groups will make. Other events occur throughout the year for the organizations, which solidify the communities with smaller organizations and individual groups, but the parades will bring out individuals who may otherwise not participate in local events, and even more important, the larger parades. Parades and the festivities that sound them will draw people from all over the state, country and in the case of SF even visitors from other countries! Many communities plan their pride events for June in honor of the NYC Stonewall riots of 1969, the most historically recognized event in gay rights history. The SF pride parade is the largest in the world, with more than half million people participating.

Candace Chellew’s view of pride parades, as expressed in her essay The Naked Truth, is that these gatherings which draw not only participants but also outside coverage by mainstream media, only serves to stigmatize further the view of GLBTQ people. Her point is that media loves to controversy, and showing the queer culture in its most outrageous affects all of the queer people the other 364 days of the year. She would prefer quiet, dignified gatherings, even going so far as to compare how the pride parades should model themselves to the protest marches led by Dr. ML King. Her comment that when mainstream America looks at a pride parade saying, “they look like regular people!” that will be the pivotal point that gays will win their rights. I wish she could see the hypocrisy in her own statement; no rights have ever been achieved - even civil rights- by silently flowing with the dominant social groups. No matter how many slaves conformed to the dominance of their southern slave owners, they would never have achieved freedom without risking life for freedom.

The GLBTQ community serves to bring people together in a safe and accepting atmosphere. The individuals find empowerment and self-acceptance by being with others, where they can learn to respect themselves and others. Being active in the community also encourages interaction with the diversity of people within the GLBTQ society. Sometimes, as shown by our assigned readings, the “normal” gays find themselves offended by the behaviors of others “not normal” gays; they carry a stigma of wrongness instilled by mainstream society.
The importance of these pride parades is to create enthusiastic solidarity. It is an active approach to reverse marginalization, to make visible that which could easily be made invisible by mainstream society.

I have attended one of the Toledo Pride parade's, it was a small group of about 75 people. The camaraderie was strong, and a great sense of strength was found by being among others both strangers and friends. I can not even imagine the parades such as SF's - so many people! While it may be a spectacle to view, I imagine the energy buzzing from everyone would be amazing!