Post Parade
It is obviously not such an important event as yet, as the Prime Minister didn't bother to cut a ribbon, but we got David Shearer and others from Labour and Kevin Hague from the Greens. The Catholic Mayor of the city, who considers being gay "a lifestyle choice" was there eager to hoover up some PR.
Was it good to be back after 12 years away?
Yes it was, definitely.
I marched with the Bears from Urge, and it was a lot of fun walking down Ponsonby Road with a group of handsome men, being led in our impromptu cheer of "1 2 3 WOOF!" at hot guys in the crowd. Some of the straight boys loved it, some didn't seem to appreciate the compliment so much.
I have to say an hour beforehand Ponsonby Rd was looking very empty, and the crowd that did show up in the end was tiny compared to what we used to have. 30,000 seems to be the accepted figure. Things filled up by 4, the start time, but there were still patches along the street with practically nobody standing there, which was a shame. Given the heat though, you wouldn't have wanted 100,000 like we used to get - it would have been unbearable.
The GABA Glamstand didn't look full to over-flowing either, but those who were there looked like they were having fun.
At work today friends and colleagues said they hadn't really heard about it, there was no advertising, and that 4pm was the wrong time. I think they're right on both points. It was pretty much all over by 5:30 or so, and then what? A lot of people said it needs to be held at night again, and they're right.
But the vibe from the crowd was great. The reception we got was overwhelmingly positive, and there was such a sense of genuine good-nature and happiness that we were back. Pulling a parade together in such a short time was a lot of work, and it's a good start for the next one.
Does that mean everything about the parade was fabulous?
No, it doesn't.
There was a distinctly amateur feel to most of the floats. And drag queens never look that great in the harsh daylight, and it was a very sunny day indeed. Who knew we had a Gay Wakeboarding Association? I still don't entirely believe they exist ...
I didn't understand why a straight woman who has HIV was using our queer parade to sell her book, good cause, wrong place.
I waited for "the Remembrance Float" to come by that we had been promised would be wonderful and moving, and I didn't see it. I was later told it was the one with GALS on and the white drapery, but it looked kinda boring, a whole lot of people singing inaudibly and from where I stood by the side of the road there was no indication that it was "the Remembrance Float" at all. I certainly wasn't moved by it.
And no real mention of HIV/AIDS anywhere - the one thing that has done the most damage to our community over the last 30 years got marked by a few cursory red ribbons in white drapery.
It was a lot of fun though. I had a lot of fun.
But let's face it - there was no Wow! factor anywhere, no pzazz, and no glamour. It was fun, it was nice, inoffensive, bland and devoid of anything political.
So devoid in fact that the organiser took it upon himself to invite a radio shock-jock known for his homophobic comments along. A stupider idea I haven't heard in a while. Stupid comments like this guy has made, as dumb and harmful as the Prime Minister's "Red shirts are gay" comment, undermine everything we have fought for, and only expose the most vulnerable from our communities to more fear and shame. You'd think a Pride Parade would work to foster our pride, not undermine it this way.
The Marching Boys got an A for effort, but obviously hadn't had quite enough time to get their routine down, and they needed way more guys in there to make it look effective.
As one mate said "If this was Timaru, it'd get a 10 out of 10, if it was Sydney, a 3."
I heard some Ponsonby queens saying we don't really need this sort of thing now as everything is fine.
They are wrong. Do you regularly hold your partner's hand on the bus or walking through a shopping mall, do you stand on a busy beach on a summer evening hugging and kissing each other like all the straight couples around you do? Until we can do that with the same ease and comfort we are not equal.
Until we don't have to pretend to be different from who we are for our own safety, we are not equal.
So events like this parade are important - they give us visibility, they show to others that we exist and we're part of the world. They show those who are in fear that there are alternatives to a life of lies and shame.
It was a fun day, a great start, it had problems, and that is probably inevitable, but as a first step back it's something to celebrate.
The crowd of people watching is what made it for me - there weren't that many, but they were so welcoming, so positive, that even with all the flaws, you'd have to say it was a good time.
Just put it back on at night when we can really show them something amazing!
Edit: And the Defense Force were fantastic !
Edit: And the Defense Force were fantastic !
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