Pridefest?

More like cheap-crap-fest.

I haven't been to a Pride festival in, hmmmm, maybe 6 years. Actually, probably 7 years. Besides a potluck pinic, there wasn't much of any Pride festivities in Columbia when I was there; and, somehow, Porkchop and I never made it to Madison's Pride activities. I did attend Kansas City Pride in 1999, where they played "Party Like it's 1999" incessantly. I might have gone to Chicago Pride in 2000. I say "might" because that Chicago trip is kind of hazy, surely not because of the enormous amount of pot-smoking that took place (yeah, that's how long ago it was). I was visiting a friend, and we tried our darnedest to make it to the Dyke March, but I think we were running late (as stoners usually do), didn't count on the slowness of public transportation (poor planning, another stoner hallmark), and only made it to the breakdown session after the march (but who cared? we probably just shared a joint and went with it). Yeah, I definitely remember buying my Chicago Lesbian Avengers t-shirt from a lady with electrical tape covering her nipples.

But now we live across from Tower Grove Park, where St. Louis Pride is held. There's no way we could miss it, right? Except Porkchop is working all weekend, and I'm becoming a recluse (joking, but I do enjoy my time at home). Anyway, I promised Porkchop that I would go over to the park at some point today. So I walked over there a little after 6:00 and suddenly remembered why Pride fests don't interest me.

I believe Pride activities began as a way to stick it to the heteronormative establishment and, therefore, contained some element of rebellion. Now it's just a venue for people to sell cheap crap adorned with rainbows and whatnot. There was even a stand for a Wal-Mart Vision Center. What the hell?! Who let that crap in?? Oh, but the booth did have the requisite rainbow decorations on it. Wonderful.

So, I walked around for about 15 minutes, saw the rainbow vendors, saw the gay clones, and came home. But I feel like I'm still there since I can feel/hear the music in our apartment.

Porkchop might go in late tomorrow so that we can watch the parade together. Maybe that will be worth seeing. Oh, and someone from the ACLU is going to speak for five minutes tomorrow; maybe I'll catch that.

The one interesting thing about the festival is the number of church booths. It's nice to know that, if I chose to do so, I could have my pick of gay-friendly churches in the area.

I wish there was a Gay Shame group here in St. Louis.

Yeah, I guess I could start one myself, eh?