Also in abundance is the deluge of pictures of scantily clad men in leather, boy shorts, speedos and thongs. Overly flamboyant, men in drag costumes and make up to rival Carnival in Brazil (not really)…while gyrating to the beats of techno music or Lady Gaga’s “Born this way”.
Keep in mind the overtly sexual are not the themes of the majority of the floats or parade participants; however that doesn’t mean there is not enough of the stereotypical imagery to go around and be plastered all over media outlets.
How does being half naked and sexually salacious show pride in one’s sexual orientation? Unless your lifestyle consists of the very imagery you are displaying. Is the purpose to show the local community and world at large that you are proud, out and open? Or that you are horny and looking for sex? Is this what it means to be gay and proud?
I know that heterosexuals show and celebrate their sexuality whenever they talk about their girlfriends or boyfriends, an upcoming wedding, etc. but there is something about the scandalous sexual images of some of the Gay Pride Parade participants that strike a chord with me.
Community Pride and the crowd goes wild!
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Show some pride on this ass!
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What I do know is that for those who are already “progressive” in attitudes and mindsets, set an example. Sometimes just by being present and persistent you can show that there is a different way of being.
For those of us who think public lewd sexual salaciousness is a way to garner attention, you correct, it is, but what type of attention are you garnering? There are plenty of ways to gain attention other than sexualizing yourself to anyone who will look or partake.
If you have to use sex as the method to gain attention, try to examine is there something lacking within self that the sexual attention from others is so vital to your well being.
I have been seeing these stereotypical images my whole life so I doubt they will change anytime soon. Here is to wishful thinking.
Feel free to leave your feedback and comments.
Those people are attention starved and lack self esteem IMO. They are content with being sexually objectified. Now let’s be real. I think everyone likes to feel attractive and sexy, but this is out of hand being out in the streets pontificating this kind of behavior. Especially when you know there are families and small children present. I don’t know why Gay Pride committees allow this sort of behavior. I don’t even know if I want to get into what those black women are doing in those pictures. Black women are the worst offenders of this kind of behavior. Where you think gay men get it from? Black women. Their self worth is real low and we see that in those pictures. We see it in the men they choose. We see it in all the babies they pop out on government assistance. Yet, black women get so much praise for being single mothers even though they are bringing up unruly kids that turn into terrible adults ruining the community. I never understood that. I’ll just end it there because I’m getting off topic.
C-DOTTI!!!! YOU BETTER SAY IT! My sentiments exactly!!!
You’ve taken it to the somewhat root of it all! No, I don’t blame women per se’ but I blame the images that many buy into! How can anyone be expected to be taken serious, giving respect, or better yet-acknowledged when the 1st idea of what comes to one’s mind when they think of LGBTQ-is outrageous behavior, wild and salaciousness, and offensive outlook! And don’t get me wrong, I get the whole “I’m free to do what I want as long as I’m not hurting anyone” act! But the truth is, you are setting bad examples and misleading the world to believe that all are this way!
“What other race or ethnic based pride celebrations or parades that exist in the US that you see the participants conduct themselves in this manner?” Ocky have you been to a Puerto Rican Day or Dominican Day parade in NYC lately……You as a relevant question to which I’m not sure there really is an answer to. Do we need to see men walking around in their underwear, jock straps, leather jocks, assless chaps or woman walking around bare chested in panties or tassels covering their nipples, I don’t think so but for some being able to do is how they show their pride in who they are, what they are and where they come from and that applies to both gays & people of color. No you don’t see that kind of behavior during a Columbus Day or St. Patrick’s Day parade but those parades don’t allow for gays to openly march in them either. One of the most perplexing situations I was in was the year I took my youngest god son to a pride parade in Atlanta, mind you his mother is a lesbian and at the age of eight he had the maturity of a 40yr old, when he saw the leather men passing out beads and dressed the way they were and they during the Dyke march woman walking around with their breast out he asked me why were they dressed like that, at the time the only thing I could think of to tell him was that’s how they wanted to show how proud they were of who they are, that it’s their choice to but it’s not the only way to do so. There’s no rule book on how one is to show their pride to the world so like everything else we have to take the good with what some my consider the bad…..The only time I can say I truly understood the sexual nature of pride is after attending leather pride festivals & events like Folsom Street in San Francisco, Folsom St. East in New York, and IML (International Mr. Leather) in Chicago, those events are celebrating the BDSM Leather community and the people who enjoy that life style, yes they’re sexual but in that environment it make sense.
I remember being in DC in 2009 seeing the West Indian/Caribbean festival happening all the way up and down Georgia Avenue. I couldn’t believe that they do that stuff all out in the open! They did also feature countries from Africa like Sierra Leone and Nigeria but we don’t do all that salacious stuff.
I’ve never been to a gay pride parade but I don’t see the reason why our sexuality is celebrated the way it is. Maybe the originators of gay pride parades were like, “Yeah! Take THAT str8 world! We are GAY and we have arrived!” I guess the original gays who began the pride parades felt maybe that they’ve had to repress their sexuality for so long that they figured they might as well go all the way.
I’m still trying to understand how things came to be but I don’t really have a clue. I can’t even imagine how it will be as time goes on. Maybe people will start walking around NAKED! Lol.
I’m actually conflicted on this one. One side of me believes that there is nothing more natural than sex. Every living species is made to reproduce. Its a biological fact. Some animals even die off soon after the reproductive process is complete. Having said that, gay men don’t naturally reproduce with one another but we still have that sexual instinct imprinted onto our DNA. We’re sexual creatures by nature.
So should I mind that our parades and carnivals are so centered on love and sex instead of violence and intolerance? I probably shouldn’t but there that internal sense of DISCRETION in my brain that sees these “sex pride parades” and I feel ashamed or embarassed. This probably has a lot to do with the religious indoctrination I was put to as a child. Religion makes us feel ashamed of our bodies and sexuality for some stupid reason.
If “the powers that be” have control over our rights, then we should not also cede control over our expression. In other words, we should not censor ourselves (or ask others to censor themselves) simply because it may offend the sensibilities of “the powers that be” or influence their perception of who gay people are.
As others have said, EVERY gathering of people contains images that some would find scandalous or salacious: St. Patrick’s Day, Mardi Gras, Caribbean Fests, Hell, even naughty elves and bikini-clad Santas during Christmas. For a gay person to say that gay people should restrict themselves from showing the same expressions that others are allowed to show seems unhealthy and problematic to me.
With Pride, I take the same position as in the masculine v. feminine conversation: If you want to establish something different than the stereotype, then it’s on YOU to present that alternative. And I think you should do so without trying to deny or eliminate those who may embody the stereotype, people who are simply expressing who they are. As you said, the VAST MAJORITY of people at Pride do not embody the stereotype. Take solace in that as you build your own identity, but don’t let outsiders shame you into thinking that open homosexual expression is something to be ashamed of.
St. Patrick’s Day is a national holiday. Mardi Gras and Christmas are faith based national holidays.
Please direct me to links so I can see the pictures of Jewish, Asian, Native American or Islamic festivals and parades in the U.S. where the participants conduct themselves in this manner. So NO not every gathering of people contains sexual and salacious behavior…give me a break.
That mentality of because “they” do it so what’s the big deal is an excuse and a lame one.
The same why the participants have a right to act like over sexed caricatures, I have the right to object and speak out against this foolishness.
Just in case you missed it, I clearly stated…
“What I do know is that for those who are already “progressive” in attitudes and mindsets, set an example. Sometimes just by being present and persistent you can show that there is a different way of being.”
Ocky I feel where your coming from and see your point of view but for those who feel that there’s no harm in being sexual in presenting their pride what alternative would you offer that would let them show their pride the way they feel fit and fall into accordance with your idea of what a pride/cultural parade/celebration should look like…. in all honesty pride parades are like church picnics compared to the debauchery that was Freaknik….
The correct way to be overly sexual and salacious in public when children are present is not to be.
What these people (both straight and gay) are doing in public belongs in private clubs or strip clubs.
This article is spot on. I have always felt uncomfortable at Gay Pride parades for this reason. Their should be some standards set for any events set in public where children or the non-interested public may see.
The only exception might be for Mardi Gras because historically it is a celebration of letting go on the eve of Lent when you are then supposed to be more chaste in life until after Easter.
Undignified, repulsive exhibitionism, offensive, provocative, belligerent, immoral, unethical, denigrating, degrading, disrespectful, voyeuristic, obscene, indecent, inappropriate, trifling, trampish, garbage, trashy, tasteless, classless, tasteless, stupid!
It was not that long ago that there was widespread legislative criminalization in the form of sodomy laws of homo sex in this country. With that in mind I tend to approach the overt sexuality that is such a visible component of most prides events as a compensatory sub cultural affirmation of the basic homosexual desire that the larger society has historically criminalized. Thus, I’m inclined to be less annoyed, or embarassed by most of the carnivalesque sexual imagery that often saturate pride events. While I do understand the historical context that has given rise to sexual liberation that pervades some of the displays of gay pride, I do think it is a legitimate question to ask if gay folks are sometimes in our public celebrations over compensating for the historical criminalization of homosexuality by often making a cultural fetish out of open brazen sexuality.
I like this article but it begs another question about gay pride events period. I stopped attending the black gay pride events a long time ago because I felt like it was just one big fuck fest. The attendance of community building and other “empowerment” related discourse was low. The imbalance left a bad taste in my mouth. Also, I agree with what you say that the parades really don’t have anything to do with pride. Do we as men of color have pride in being a part of the lgbt community?
you know what I think that we as black people need to stop criticizing other people all of the time. Because I think it’s a persons
choice to walk around naked or half dressed.Think about this we have given gays as well as everyone else the rights to do what we want and when someone comes along and does something that you
disagree with you think that it’s up to you to go and judge them! Well
when we fight for equality that’s not only for yours alone but for your
fellow brothers and sisters as well ! So that means that there free to
pursue there interests as well just like you pursue your own. so like when you see someone that’s different from you don’t go assuming
that you or your way of life makes you better than anyone else! Respect Individuality! PEACE!
No one is criticizing ‘individuality’. Part of the gay experience and lifestyle is about our individuality. But what we see at Pride is not an individual but a collective group of persons dressed scantily and otherwise that represents the gay community in the eyes of the non believers. Wrong sir. We are more than just gyrations , sex, tear out, skin out call it what you will. And that is what a pride event should display- our collective creativity. No one gave gay people the right to do what they want. We still live in a closeted society. So if we are going to use the one day when these bigots say go ahead and show your pride and all we do is show them SEX..then brother I remain above the crowd , the masses, the RATS who are just the same lunatics as those that say they are hetro and gay people are a freak of nature. We only live once but it is good enough if we do it right. Gay people must live their life with class and dignity and style so that at the end they can proclaim a gay person with an exclamation rather than a question.
hmm I left pride events years ago…you see one you’ve seen them all- its just one big non stop ORGY…simulated and otherwise. For me a PRIDE parade is about showcasing what we are about- what we take pride in ourselves. What you see at pride is just one theme- i am proud of my sexuality and here it is world…hump, hump! We measure our social progress every year by the wildest sexual gyrations that make the crowd goes wild! I can’t be a part of that. My pride cannot be measured only by the size of my dick and displaying it. But the ‘masses’ feed of this sodom. They love this filth. Its like the Romans and their gladiators…if they don’t see sex its not a pride event. Ocky you are correct- we could have gone further in our rights if the powers did not think of being gay as a sex crazed freak who displays their sexuality in open public. Nothing wrong with sex- but its over-rated. The day the organizers insist on gay pride being what it is and can be -color, grace, creativity, spontaneity, talent, inclusiveness, grandeur, music, dance, costumes, class- that day will be the turning point of getting respect for what the gay community really is rather than just seeing it through sex colored glasses. Glory built on selfish principles is shame and guilt. Being a gay person is not about sex. Its about who we love.