Sunday, 14 June 2009

  • The Commercialization of Pride


    Joelle left yesterday, just in time for the next wave of visitors to the H.C.  Former Xangan Paul and his friend are here for a week from Montreal and so is the circus!  No, not Ringling Brothers, but the annual Gay Pride Festival, where the fringe of gay society descend on West Hollywood for a weekend of debacle and debauchery.  (I can't tell you how much puke there was on the sidewalks.  I'm really "proud" of all the visitors for that!)  Don't get me wrong, I'm all for "pride", but the event's organizers have turned into an all out spectacle.  Corporate sponsorships everywhere you look, ridiculous "anti terrorism" security, $25 admission fees and hideous fencing covering nearly every inch of grass in town.  Not to mention the fact that on every single corner there's some young fresh faced activist asking you to sign a petition to support gay marriage.  Sorry folks, you were asleep at the wheel the first time.  Asking for my signature 50 times while I walk my dog isn't going to repeal Prop. 8.  It should have never been on the ballot, and now it's too little too late.  Why don't the organizers of these events focus on the next phase of the fight, not the bidding war between Starbucks and Budweiser for who will sponsor Fantasia's concert?  While the first gay pride marches were meant to commemorate The Stonewall Riots of 1969, modern Pride events have lost site of that historically significant event.  That said, it was pretty funny seeing the crazy Christian protesters clash with the leather queens and hey, Chazz got to meet Chelsea Handler and Gavin Newsom!  (Now he's met Barack Obama, the mayor of LA and the mayor of San Francisco...and probably the next governor of California!)


    Chelsea Handler and her assistant, Chuy


    Ross the intern was also on the float










    Gavin Newsom...might be president some day


    The parade at the bottom of my street


    A gay butterfly



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