Val

Thanks for your question. It is a very, very good question, and is a common topic in the LGBTQ community. Many in the community feel that the parades put us in a bad light, and question whether we should even continue having them. If you ask ten different LGBTQ people, you will get 10 different answers on this topic. But I'll try and answer specifically your question about behavior and attire at these events.

Your question rings a familiar tone, that of another question that I have heard just as often as the lewd parade questions. The question I'm referring to is when someone says "I don't care what gay people do, as long as they keep it private, and I don't have to see it."

Saying we should keep it private, and not show our affection in public is basically akin to keeping us in a silent prison, the closet, locking away and forgetting, a very integral part of our being. Could a straight person ever forget that integral part of their being, their straightness. Imagine our world, if one couldn't express our identity, hold our loved one's hand in public, or appear to show any affection to each other. How void of emotion would our streets be if the whole population were not to show a trace of affection towards others. And yet, there are those who suggest that is exactly what the LGBTQ population should do.

I think "when you see parades, etc. with gay & lesbian participants," and "they are skimpily dressed, wearing brash makeup and sometimes exhibiting lewd behavior" it can be for a variety of reasons. I would say that many simply enjoy wearing costumes and donning garish makeup, it is a parade after all, and they are out to fully enjoy themselves and celebrate being gay. Since being LGBTQ carries a stigma and many are unable to live openly without fear, or to have meaningful discussions on the topic within their families and communities, this day celebrates that pink elephant in the room that nobody talks about.

I've seen over the years our parades get a lot tamer. I remember when in the spirit of inclusion, NAMBLA used to be able to march in the parades. And I remember when nudity was more abundant than makeup. Those days are long gone, and the leather floats have been replaced with smiling politicians, celebrity grand marshals, corporate and civil service floats, and gentrified parade watchers. It will keep moving in that direction, though there will always be some form of personal expression displayed.

What's interesting to me is that if being LGBTQ wasn't as big an issue as some churches, politicians, and some in the straight community make it out to be, there wouldn't even be parades and a community feeling that they need to show visibility and pride. It is this hyper focus on sexuality that sends people into the streets to express their sexuality.

About a week before this last pride, I was following a comment section on our local Patch website, on this very topic, and the consensus was mixed as to whether we should keep having parades. It was a lively and heated discussion, and was fresh in my mind as I joined the parade watchers. As everyone was waiting for the next float to pass, a young woman in her teens rose up above her friends and declared that this was her first pride parade, to their cheers and howls. I think brash makeup and lewd behavior aside, at the core of pride parades is people being able to express and validate that core part of their being, that pink elephant in the room.