Pride & Lessons

Local Pride I & II both went off without major hitches this year, at least until the books surface, and then we'll see. Local Pride I occurred at the traditional venues, and Local Pride II (put on by pond-scum of low moral values) provided a good ration of bread and circuses downtown.

We'll see how it all boils out, but there seems to be a crisis of conscience about the whole Pride thing across the nation. Having been involved once or twice, I shall belt forth with my Standard Pride Parade/March & Rally/Festival rant.

Organizers: You silly twits, you are at best stewards of a community trust - you don't own the damned thing like Jeffrey Sanker owns the Palm Springs White Party; your position is much more that of the Chamber of Commerce putting on the Community Christmas Party. You are dependent on the good will of your community, and if you screw up badly enough on judging that will'o'the'community...be ready to eat it up cold when somebody else claims equal right to the event name and puts on a competing event in the way THEY believe the community wants it done. Attempts to trademark " Pride" and then litigate against those who would dare to hold a competing Pride event (and label it as such) in the same city simply place you on the same moral level as a maggot.

Activists: Ninnyhammers! The bills MUST be paid - and unless you can pull the cash out of one sphincter or another, quit your bitching about "selling out to the man" in accepting corporate sponsorships in exchange for limited corporate acknowledgment. That money makes the rest of the event possible, including paying for the PA system for that godawful separatist speaker to drone on and on and on....and for the freebie booth you're using as the major fund raiser and outreach tool for your group this year.

Party Animals: Silly Queens of Indeterminate Gender! While you're out have a good time and dancing the night away, the activists are working their little organizing butts off putting together a big fun event for you - throw them a sop! Let them have their painfully boring separatist speakers, a few freebie booths, and tedious politicians marching in the Parade - it's a fair trade for their putting in a lot of hard work and throwing a great event.

Others: If you don't like the Pride you got, get off your dead asses and organize the '08 event.

That will be all.