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Well, is anyone going? I know I am. Last time I went I met my (now) ex, because the South Beach float threw some scandalous under-wear at me, and everyone dared me to change into them right then and there. We also had a water balloon sling shot... and we got JR's real good. Oh drunk people...

But this time, If I post photos of pretty girls dancing, Don't mistake them for guys again. :lol:

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Well, is anyone going? I know I am. Last time I went I met my (now) ex, because the South Beach float threw some scandalous under-wear at me, and everyone dared me to change into them right then and there.

So you were completely naked at some point while changing? Outside?

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OK, I'll be the voice of negativism here.

Until the parade is moved to the fall, I won't be back. I get that this is Pride month and we have the "largest nighttime parade," but standing for hours in a sweaty, humid June night is just silly when we could have a fantastic daytime parade in the late fall. And while we are on the subject, has our parade finally reached the point where we don't let every Tom, Dick, and Harry with a truck and a sign participate? I think it is time to emphasize quality over quantity.

OK, flame away gurls!

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First time I'll miss in a few years - friend's birthday party the same night - though the party is in Montrose, and so maybe I can catch some of the tail end of the festivities. In past years, we've met at Poison Girl and gone back and forth between the bar and the street, which makes the heat and length issue not as big of a problem for me (and I like that there are more and more participants in the parade every year). Hope those who go have a great time!

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I am going. (or I should say will attempt to go, sometimes the pre-pride parties are more fun and we never leave.) I agree it is the heat/humidity is a real drag (no pun intended!) but that is what beer is for!

But its fun to walk around and look at all the gay people.

So you were completely naked at some point while changing? Outside?

No, I got down to my britches and decided it was a bad idea.

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Well, is anyone going? I know I am. Last time I went I met my (now) ex, because the South Beach float threw some scandalous under-wear at me, and everyone dared me to change into them right then and there. We also had a water balloon sling shot... and we got JR's real good. Oh drunk people...

But this time, If I post photos of pretty girls dancing, Don't mistake them for guys again. :lol:

I think I am gonna sit it out this year.

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Here are a few pics, my camera died soon after we got there. As you can tell, I don't think it would have mattered with my camera skills (or lack thereof) and it being night!

It actually wasn't too hot and everybody was in a good mood. This was only my second time to go and I was impressed at how family oriented it was and a nice mix of people and families.

Rice Group

pride08031.jpg

Cheveron

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Shell

pride08032.jpg

Bp

pride08035.jpg

Chase

pride08049.jpg

WellsFargo

pride08053.jpg

For you str8 guys

pride08037.jpg

pride08036.jpg

Pre-Party we went to at DUO

pride08039.jpg

And because this is The HAIF, on the way to the parade...

pride08020.jpg

pride08021.jpg

Edited by jayshoota
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Then I slipped on someone's spilled drink, landed on a styrofoam cooler, (smashed it) and there was ice and water everywhere on the bed of the truck. Then I fell again, and split my chin open, so I had to go home.

Awww. You ok? Sounds painful.

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I'm stunned at Big Oil's presence. That's just weird. When I used to live on the parade route, the only sponsors were bars.

Hmmm... Stunned that big oil was there? Or that there were so many (oil and other) corporations?

It was the same old line up of floats, since I've been going on and off over the past 10 years:

Politicians (watch out who you support, not all are as they seem, per Ray Hill)

HPD

HFD

Church

Gay Bar

Corporation X (e.g Southwest, CO)

The Pride Band

Church

Corporation Y (BP, Shell, etc)

Lesbian Bar

Church

Clear Lake Lesbian Bar (WHAT?!?!!)

...

With some actual good entries sprinkled in (AIDS Foundation Houston, American Veterans for Equal Rights, Equal marriage, and other entries that deal more directly with gay rights issues than just bars, corporations, and church organizations.)

Trash bins courtesy ID personal lubricant. That was a nice touch. What message is really being sent?

When these parades started out, I have been told the gay/straight ratio was 80/20. Now it seems like it is the reverse. I had to run into the Specs on Westheimer, about an hour before the whole thing started, and it was mostly straight people in there. Which is good. Hopefully, there will be a day when there will be no need for these type of events.

EDIT: HDP, HFD are obviously good entries as well. My main point is that the whole parade seems overly commercialized. Starbucks? Bud Light? Anyway... much more progress needs to be made on the big issues: equal employment, equal housing, legal protections for families (civil unions/marriage), open military service, etc. Corps, churches, and gay bars were/are the low hanging fruit, not to trivialize too much work that has been done in corporations...

Edited by BryanS
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Hmmm... Stunned that big oil was there? Or that there were so many (oil and other) corporations?

It was the same old line up of floats, since I've been going on and off over the past 10 years:

Politicians (watch out who you support, not all are as they seem, per Ray Hill)

HPD

HFD

Church

Gay Bar

Corporation X (e.g Southwest, CO)

The Pride Band

Church

Corporation Y (BP, Shell, etc)

Lesbian Bar

Church

Clear Lake Lesbian Bar (WHAT?!?!!)

...

With some actual good entries sprinkled in (AIDS Foundation Houston, American Veterans for Equal Rights, Equal marriage, and other entries that deal more directly with gay rights issues than just bars, corporations, and church organizations.)

Trash bins courtesy ID personal lubricant. That was a nice touch. What message is really being sent?

When these parades started out, I have been told the gay/straight ratio was 80/20. Now it seems like it is the reverse. I had to run into the Specs on Westheimer, about an hour before the whole thing started, and it was mostly straight people in there. Which is good. Hopefully, there will be a day when there will be no need for these type of events.

EDIT: HDP, HFD are obviously good entries as well. My main point is that the whole parade seems overly commercialized. Starbucks? Bud Light? Anyway... much more progress needs to be made on the big issues: equal employment, equal housing, legal protections for families (civil unions/marriage), open military service, etc. Corps, churches, and gay bars were/are the low hanging fruit, not to trivialize too much work that has been done in corporations...

I think you kind of missed the point of the corporate entries.

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Hmmm... Stunned that big oil was there? Or that there were so many (oil and other) corporations?

I saw Big Oil in the pictures. I don't know what other corporations were there. I'm stunned that big companies are using the pride parade as marketing. It used to be really sleazy and far from respectable.

When these parades started out, I have been told the gay/straight ratio was 80/20. Now it seems like it is the reverse. I had to run into the Specs on Westheimer, about an hour before the whole thing started, and it was mostly straight people in there. Which is good. Hopefully, there will be a day when there will be no need for these type of events.

Wow, you must have that new Garmin gaydar. I can't walk into Specs and tell the gay/straight ratio that easily.

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Happy to announce there was again a lack of protesters this year. However there were four women in a circle with cheesy cardboard signs damning us to hell covering their faces in the staging area. Guess they were covering their faces so they wouldn't turn into a pillar of salt.

Edited by west20th
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Happy to announce there was again a lack of protesters this year. However there were four women in a circle with cheesy cardboard signs damning us to hell covering their faces in the staging area. Guess they were covering their faces so they wouldn't turn into a pillar of salt.

They do the same think at Mardi Gras in N.O. Not a big deal...

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I had a lot of fun, but I missed the actual parade! I kept running into groups of friends and had ducked into SoBe by the time the floats starting rolling. All the families with kids warmed my heart. It was a decent balance between sanitized corporate fest and Sodom-on-the-Bayou, I think.

Edited by arisegundo
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So, for all of you that attended, what did you think of our dragon? I thought it was pretty impressive but you can't get the full effect while you are underneath and in the middle of it.

Edited by west20th
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