Show Your Pride

George and I went to see the Gay Pride parade last Friday evening in downtown Las Vegas. After enjoying a delicious Mexican dinner at one of our favorite neighborhood restaurants we had some extra time to kill before the parade started around eight o’clock. We just wandered around somewhat aimlessly, taking in the “old” Vegas and taking some pictures along the way.

It was a nice parade and there was a very large crowd. Where are all these thousands of gay people during the rest of the year? I was also surprised by the large number of very young gay and lesbians kids. Or maybe I am just getting really old.

Hmmm?!

Anyway, while the parade was nice and featured some creative and diverse entries, the pace seemed slow and at times was just dragging unnecessarily. It didn’t helped matters that there were wide gaps between many participating marchers and floats. That was due to the live television broadcast of the parade at the beginning of the route, where a small stage was built for the commenting television hosts. They made the parade either slow down or come to a complete halt to interview some people or for commercial breaks.

It was also a bit strange that they would set up the cameras away from where most of the people were lined up to see the parade. When we were watching the parade again on television the next day, it looked as if there were hardly any spectators at all. Even though there was a huge and lively crowd just a few blocks north which would have definitely provided a much more exciting background.

All in all, it was a peaceful and fun event without any major incidence. There was however an ugly scene afterwards between some religious people, whom were holding up signs with anti-gay slogans, and many gay spectators. I won’t go into details as most of it was truly nasty and involved the usual yelling and insults. In the end it was basically a shouting competition between the two opposing groups.

The parade ended at Fremont Street Experience where thousands of partying gays and lesbians started to disperse and mingle with rather perplexed tourists, whom weren’t quiet sure what to make of all the commotion. On top of that, there was the hourly presentation of the light show under the huge video canopy and a post-parade outdoor party with live bands and lots of alcohol. We’ve never seen Fremont Street, or downtown in general, that busy.

Below are some of the photos I took, along with a few that were published in the Las Vegas Sun the next day. To read the short Las Vegas Sun article and see more of their photos, please click here. Additional photos can also be seen on QVegas, the monthly local LGBT magazine and one of the sponsors of Gay Pride. Click here and here.

©2009 Las Vegas Sun


The oldest, still operating hotel & casino in Las Vegas, the “Golden Gate”

Thousands of light bulbs, another sign of “old” Vegas, lights up the side walk along the “Plaza” on Main Street

Where old Vegas meets new Vegas.

Every American city seems to have at least one of these typical 1970s highrise buildings

Here is the 2009 Las Vegas Gay Pride Parade!

©2009 Las Vegas Sun

©2009 Las Vegas Sun

©2009 Las Vegas Sun

The Freemont Street Experience

Gay Pride

This week is Gay Pride Week in Las Vegas.



Our Pride Parade starts tonight at 8:00 p.m. in downtown Las Vegas. It will even be broadcast live on one of the local cable channels. If you want to watch it live online, go to http://www.cox96.net/. It will be repeated throughout the month of May.



From what I understand, this parade is one of only a handful of Gay Pride parades in the world which is held at night. That makes it special I suppose. It doesn’t change the fact that the gay community in Las Vegas is rather invisible for the rest of the year. They mostly come together whenever there’s a party involved. Like a parade or a beer bust.



I don’t blame the people though. It’s this town. Las Vegas is too transient. Too many people come and go. And the majority of people whom actually decide to stay and trying to make a living here have impossible working hours. That, among other things, makes it hard to get to know people and form friendships. Which in turn also makes it extremely difficult to growing roots, helping to form a lasting foundation for creating a sense of community.



In any case, this is Pride Week. But what are we LGBT people proud of? I’m not particular proud to be gay, nor am I ashamed of it. I don’t advertise it but I don’t hide it either. How could I? You also won’t find me walking around and asking heterosexual people if they are straight. What difference does it make anyway? It’s what I am. I can’t change it. Sorry, but despite what all fanatic religious Republican nutcases claim, there is no switch or a button to turn my homosexuality on or off. If it is that easy, then why don’t heterosexuals try to be homosexuals for a minute or an hour? You know, just for the heck of it. To see what it feels like. Why don’t black people flick the switch to become Asian people?



Ooohh...ooohhh...wait! I really wanna be a Vulcan. That’s it! Where is that damn switch?



When I look at a beautiful woman I can admire her looks and appreciate her wits, but nothing else happens down there in the plumbing department. No switch there to “turn me on.” While all the straight guys may go all gaga over her boobs, I’d probably ask what her take on global warming may be.



On the other hand, if you’d put a man like Jason Statham or a younger Sam Elliott (hell, I take the older one too) in front of me, than it’s me who hears all the bells ringing. Hallejuja! Fireworks galore, if you know what I mean. Are my jeans getting tighter? Hot Dang!



But back to the whole Gay Pride thing. If people would actually believe in equality, the whole “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness” thing and the United States Constitution, and be more understanding and tolerant, as Christianity is supposedly teaching us to be, then there would not be the need for a Gay Pride celebration. Or the need for a Black History Month. Or a Hispanic Heritage Week. We all would be equal. The same as everyone else. It wouldn’t matter if a man or a woman is straight, gay, black, jewish, disabled, of royal descent or a farm worker. We would all have the same rights.



No, let me rephrase that. We DO have the same rights. Yet, we are still fighting for these rights. And why the hell is this even disputed in this so-called “land of the free?”



Besides, why the fuck (excuse my fleeting expletives, FCC) would I voluntarily want to be a gay person, when a lot of people call me offensive names for this very fact. Or spit in my face. Or beat me to a pulp. Or basically crucify me to a fence and leave me to die. And no, Congresswoman Virginia Foxx, Mathew Shepard’s death and the way he was killed was not a hoax!



Tell me, please. Why would I want all the hatred, abuse and threats to George’s and my life if all I would have to do is turn “it” off.



Because I can’t. It’s not possible.



I am gay!



Nothing to be done about it or proud or ashamed of.



But I am who I am. I like who I am. I like to laugh. I get hungry. I have dreams. I feel pain. I have a job. I pay taxes. I have the most loving and amazing man whom I share a wonderful life and a beautiful home with. And I love him with all my heart until the day I die.



And for that...I’m very proud indeed.



Happy Pride!