Pride Houston 2009

[rsb320]

The hood will be rockin' this weekend. There's a festival with closed streets during the day and then the Grand Parade at night. It looks like there are 87 parade entries.

With the dry weather, it looks like mosquitos won't be too bad this year.

http://www.pridehouston.org/events/index.php

[HtownWxBoy]

The hood will be rockin' this weekend. There's a festival with closed streets during the day and then the Grand Parade at night. It looks like there are 87 parade entries.

With the dry weather, it looks like mosquitos won't be too bad this year.

http://www.pridehouston.org/events/index.php

Can't wait... love Pride weekend... thank goodness the parade is at night!!

[totheskies]

Yeah, it's still going to be ridiculously hot though, even at night... by the time the parade is done, we'll only be down into the upper 80s

[ricco67]

Yeah, it's still going to be ridiculously hot though, even at night... by the time the parade is done, we'll only be down into the upper 80s

That would just make people watching that much more fun.

Lord knows ass-less chaps mught be in style.

Already know of one woman who is thinking of it.

[HtownWxBoy]

Yeah, it's still going to be ridiculously hot though, even at night... by the time the parade is done, we'll only be down into the upper 80s

Eh, we are used to it being hot at the parade... it's all good!

[Pumapayam]

The hood will be rockin' this weekend. There's a festival with closed streets during the day and then the Grand Parade at night. It looks like there are 87 parade entries.

With the dry weather, it looks like mosquitos won't be too bad this year.

http://www.pridehouston.org/events/index.php

That's so gay. . .

[KinkaidAlum]

I've got 3 friends coming down from Boston. I've never been to the Parade since it was moved to night time. I am looking forward to it.

Anyone have any suggestions for where to watch it? I was thinking of hitting up on of the bars on Westheimer like Poisin Girl or the Anvil.

[west20th]

I've got 3 friends coming down from Boston. I've never been to the Parade since it was moved to night time. I am looking forward to it.

Anyone have any suggestions for where to watch it? I was thinking of hitting up on of the bars on Westheimer like Poisin Girl or the Anvil.

If Mary's still opens up the roof for parade day that is the best place I've watched from, assuming you don't mind the 30.00 cover. Keep an eye out for us....we'll be the 24, or so, Hello Kitti's from hell.

[flipper]

Keep an eye out for us....we'll be the 24, or so, Hello Kitti's from hell.

looks like i need to find a different costume.

flipper

[capnmcbarnacle]

The hood will be rockin' this weekend. There's a festival with closed streets during the day and then the Grand Parade at night. It looks like there are 87 parade entries.

With the dry weather, it looks like mosquitos won't be too bad this year.

http://www.pridehouston.org/events/index.php

Is it me or have entries been dwindling the last several years?

[travelguy_73]

Is it me or have entries been dwindling the last several years?

We stopped going a couple of years ago because the number of entries was getting out of hand, and it went on way too long. Quality, not quantity, please! I know every organization wants to have an entry, and few have a large budget, but some are pretty bad.

[barracuda]

We stopped going a couple of years ago because the number of entries was getting out of hand, and it went on way too long. Quality, not quantity, please! I know every organization wants to have an entry, and few have a large budget, but some are pretty bad.

The one's where it's just employees wearing company t-shirts and a few pieces of flair doesn't really do much. I mean, it's nice they are supporting the community and all, but it's gotten to where it's so safe and family-friendly it's boring at times. I'll probably go anyway with some friends for something to do, but I actually wish it was a little crazier and less corporate.

[Jeebus]

but it's gotten to where it's so safe and family-friendly it's boring at times. I'll probably go anyway with some friends for something to do, but I actually wish it was a little crazier and less corporate.

You want the public to support the Gay community, but don't want them at your events "toning them down".

lol.. Can't have your cake and eat it too I guess.

[HtownWxBoy]

I've got 3 friends coming down from Boston. I've never been to the Parade since it was moved to night time. I am looking forward to it.

Anyone have any suggestions for where to watch it? I was thinking of hitting up on of the bars on Westheimer like Poisin Girl or the Anvil.

We usually go around the intersection of Montrose and Westheimer and just walk up and down the street watching the parade... usually don't stay in one place.

[capnmcbarnacle]

We usually go around the intersection of Montrose and Westheimer and just walk up and down the street watching the parade... usually don't stay in one place.

The floats line up in Winlow Place and walking around there an hour or two before the start of the parade is a good time. The parade starts at Woodhead (insert Beavis and Butthead chuckle) and Westheimer and the Dunlavy intersection is pretty good as it has Poison Girl, Brasil, Agora, and Hollywood for all you needs.

Maybe I'm just getting older, but I swear the parade used to be crazier. And by crazier I mean that the participants refelcted what I'll call the fringe of society -- outcasts. The Rainbow Wranglers, the Strangerettes, etc. But I certainly understand that now that we live in a country where 6 states have legalized gay marriage of some sort and the feds give benefits to partners, GLBT isn't as much on the fringe as it used to be. The old practice of taking a stereotype and going over the top with it in order to mock it -- ala Zulu at Mardi Gras -- doesn't apply as much as it used to. Instead of dudes in gold lamay briefs eating fire, we have groups of 40 everday looking people from banks and churches and oil companies. I suppose that may have been more indicative of the GLBT community all along. It's just open now.

I always felt like the parade was as much of a neighborhood thing -- a montrose thing -- as a broader political statement. Like the old Art Fest and Street Fest it looked like a refelction of the hood -- the people who didn't come out until nighttime. Of course things do change and now I take my kids to the parade. And it's still fun. But I miss the Rainbow Wranglers.

[barracuda]

You want the public to support the Gay community, but don't want them at your events "toning them down".

lol.. Can't have your cake and eat it too I guess.

It's a mixed blessing and yes, it probably sounds like a contradiction. I think the cultural integration is a good thing overall, as it allows folks to see that most gays are just normal people. It helps to erase prejudice. I wasn't around to see the crazier stuff of the 70's or 80's but I've heard stories, and maybe it's a good thing that it's toned down.

On the other hand, I do find it strange how some gay couples are so desperate to fit into "straight" society by getting married, moving to the suburbs, raising kids, etc. There seems to be a dichotomy between those who seek out the straight domesticated lifestyle and those who appreciate and cherish what's left of their subcultural status.

My point about the parade itself is just that many of the entries just come across as "me too" pandering to the gay community. I'm sure it was different ten or twenty years ago, but I think it's time that more creativity and effort were put into the entries, as people already get the point that most of these companies and organizations support the gay community. After the thirtieth or fortieth entry of just people wearing company t-shirts declaring that they support the gay community, you start to get the point and start to wish they'd put in a little more effort. Maybe this year will be better...

[ricco67]

It's a mixed blessing and yes, it probably sounds like a contradiction. I think the cultural integration is a good thing overall, as it allows folks to see that most gays are just normal people. It helps to erase prejudice. I wasn't around to see the crazier stuff of the 70's or 80's but I've heard stories, and maybe it's a good thing that it's toned down.

On the other hand, I do find it strange how some gay couples are so desperate to fit into "straight" society by getting married, moving to the suburbs, raising kids, etc. There seems to be a dichotomy between those who seek out the straight domesticated lifestyle and those who appreciate and cherish what's left of their subcultural status.

My point about the parade itself is just that many of the entries just come across as "me too" pandering to the gay community. I'm sure it was different ten or twenty years ago, but I think it's time that more creativity and effort were put into the entries, as people already get the point that most of these companies and organizations support the gay community. After the thirtieth or fortieth entry of just people wearing company t-shirts declaring that they support the gay community, you start to get the point and start to wish they'd put in a little more effort. Maybe this year will be better...

While you're at it, would you also like to bring back one of the traditions of the times called, "gay bashing" that was relatively common at that time?

Maybe possibly getting fired from your job because you are gay or spotted coming out of a gay bar?

Please. I had quite a few friends in that era, and while there were quite a few good times there; the crappy things that go along with it I don't miss.

[HtownWxBoy]

On the other hand, I do find it strange how some gay couples are so desperate to fit into "straight" society by getting married, moving to the suburbs, raising kids, etc. There seems to be a dichotomy between those who seek out the straight domesticated lifestyle and those who appreciate and cherish what's left of their subcultural status.

Wanting to be married and raise children is not being "desperate to fit into straight society".... it's called wanting to have equal rights. And as for moving to the suburbs... no thank you.

[TJones]

104* heat slated for this weekend, and you know what that means. More buttless chaps and THONGS this year !!!

Oh the humanity !!!

[HtownWxBoy]

104* heat slated for this weekend, and you know what that means. More buttless chaps and THONGS this year !!!

Good Times!

[Jeebus]

It's a mixed blessing and yes, it probably sounds like a contradiction. I think the cultural integration is a good thing overall, as it allows folks to see that most gays are just normal people. It helps to erase prejudice. I wasn't around to see the crazier stuff of the 70's or 80's but I've heard stories, and maybe it's a good thing that it's toned down.

Ricco makes a good point too. The trade off for wild rambunctious parties seems to be public acceptance. Of course, EVERYTHING was better in the 70's and 80's, depending on who you ask.

I do understand your complaint about the floats. Its a parade, make it festive. Now that there is a surplus of entries, perhaps the parade committee (whoever they are) needs to put some rules out for float criteria.

[barracuda]

While you're at it, would you also like to bring back one of the traditions of the times called, "gay bashing" that was relatively common at that time?

Maybe possibly getting fired from your job because you are gay or spotted coming out of a gay bar?

Please. I had quite a few friends in that era, and while there were quite a few good times there; the crappy things that go along with it I don't miss.

Hence my comment "erase prejudice." But I feel that being accepted shouldn't require that you must do away with all the things that made you unique in the first place. You shouldn't have to conform to all the straight social norms just to be accepted.

Wanting to be married and raise children is not being "desperate to fit into straight society".... it's called wanting to have equal rights. And as for moving to the suburbs... no thank you.

Hence my comment "mixed blessing". I'm all for the equal rights under the law, as I've posted many times in the past. But as for the actual practice of getting married, I don't understand why people are so enamored with an institution with such a high rate of failure. To each his own I guess...I don't get it, but that's just me personally.

[HtownWxBoy]

Hence my comment "mixed blessing". I'm all for the equal rights under the law, as I've posted many times in the past. But as for the actual practice of getting married, I don't understand why people are so enamored with an institution with such a high rate of failure. To each his own I guess...I don't get it, but that's just me personally.

Because with "marriage" comes certain federal rights that gay couples would like the chance to also have. Wanting equal rights is not that hard to understand.

[Highway6]

yay !

drunk crowds and too much traffic in my hood this weekend...

I should charge exorbitant fees for parking.

[rsb320]

If you don't know the origins of the pride parades, this is an interesting explanation on the Stonewall Riots of 1969.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonewall_riots

[HtownWxBoy]

If you don't know the origins of the pride parades, this is an interesting explanation on the Stonewall Riots of 1969.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonewall_riots

Yea that's basically what started it all... push people too far and they are going to eventually push back.

[capnmcbarnacle]

Ricco makes a good point too. The trade off for wild rambunctious parties seems to be public acceptance. Of course, EVERYTHING was better in the 70's and 80's, depending on who you ask.

I do understand your complaint about the floats. Its a parade, make it festive. Now that there is a surplus of entries, perhaps the parade committee (whoever they are) needs to put some rules out for float criteria.

The Pride Parade made for a great parade by virtue of the fact it was inherently festive. And by that I mean that for a long time the participants were the most over the top of the community -- they were out at a time when most weren't and relveled in that fact. At a time when many were afraid or ashamed to admit they were gay, just saying you were out was taking the plunge to be a social outcast. I think once that line was crossed, there was complete freedom to do what you wanted on the other side. But times have changed.

We sit here lamenting the fact that the parade now seems devoid of dudes in assless chaps leading other dudes around on leashes, etc. It made for great people watching. It is also a stereotype. I live on a block with at least half a dozen gay people and as far as I know, they don't cross dress or wear body glitter or sing in an Abba tribute group. I'm the only one that likes Erasure and I have a wife. They lead normal, dull lives like the rest of us -- or at least I'm pretty sure 4 or 5 of them do. And I'm pretty sure that in 1978 most gay people also lived quiet, dull, closeted lives.

The boring people in JP Morgan Chase t-shirts, calmly walking along the parade route, are indicative of the average in the GLBT community because they are indicative of the average in the community at large. The parade has become a symbol that -- for better or worse -- gay people are just like the rest (heteros) of us.

I wonder sometimes about the future of this parade. What good will it be when it's 75 floats of politicos, local insurance agents, radio stations, and corporations showing that they think it's ok to be gay (and send us your business), and no more sideshow element? Hell if I know. Maybe it goes to show that our differences aren't in the way we are born or the inherent characteristics we come into the world with, but are in the ways we choose to live our lives and show ourselves to the rest of the world. To that end, there will always be people on the fringe of society -- gay and straight. The alternativeness of the s/m dudes no longer lies in the fact they are gay. It rests in the fact that they are s/m dudes. So maybe Montrose needs a new parade of people who are just proclaiming their weirdness. That's the provacativeness that I think we all dug and are starting to miss.

Now that I've overthought it all, let me just say I'm excited for the parade. I love Montrose, love my neighbors, and look forward to another fun night of drinking beer in extreme heat while catching small bottles of personal lubricant from shemales. It still is Montrose after all.

[HtownWxBoy]

The Pride Parade made for a great parade by virtue of the fact it was inherently festive. And by that I mean that for a long time the participants were the most over the top of the community -- they were out at a time when most weren't and relveled in that fact. At a time when many were afraid or ashamed to admit they were gay, just saying you were out was taking the plunge to be a social outcast. I think once that line was crossed, there was complete freedom to do what you wanted on the other side. But times have changed.

We sit here lamenting the fact that the parade now seems devoid of dudes in assless chaps leading other dudes around on leashes, etc. It made for great people watching. It is also a stereotype. I live on a block with at least half a dozen gay people and as far as I know, they don't cross dress or wear body glitter or sing in an Abba tribute group. I'm the only one that likes Erasure and I have a wife. They lead normal, dull lives like the rest of us -- or at least I'm pretty sure 4 or 5 of them do. And I'm pretty sure that in 1978 most gay people also lived quiet, dull, closeted lives.

The boring people in JP Morgan Chase t-shirts, calmly walking along the parade route, are indicative of the average in the GLBT community because they are indicative of the average in the community at large. The parade has become a symbol that -- for better or worse -- gay people are just like the rest (heteros) of us.

I wonder sometimes about the future of this parade. What good will it be when it's 75 floats of politicos, local insurance agents, radio stations, and corporations showing that they think it's ok to be gay (and send us your business), and no more sideshow element? Hell if I know. Maybe it goes to show that our differences aren't in the way we are born or the inherent characteristics we come into the world with, but are in the ways we choose to live our lives and show ourselves to the rest of the world. To that end, there will always be people on the fringe of society -- gay and straight. The alternativeness of the s/m dudes no longer lies in the fact they are gay. It rests in the fact that they are s/m dudes. So maybe Montrose needs a new parade of people who are just proclaiming their weirdness. That's the provacativeness that I think we all dug and are starting to miss.

Now that I've overthought it all, let me just say I'm excited for the parade. I love Montrose, love my neighbors, and look forward to another fun night of drinking beer in extreme heat while catching small bottles of personal lubricant from shemales. It still is Montrose after all.

Well said! Love the last part, too! Looking forward to a fun parade and a fun weekend celebrating pride with my friends! Alright, time for me to head out... Happy Pride y'all!

[Fringe]

The Pride Parade made for a great parade by virtue of the fact it was inherently festive. And by that I mean that for a long time the participants were the most over the top of the community -- they were out at a time when most weren't and relveled in that fact. At a time when many were afraid or ashamed to admit they were gay, just saying you were out was taking the plunge to be a social outcast. I think once that line was crossed, there was complete freedom to do what you wanted on the other side. But times have changed.

We sit here lamenting the fact that the parade now seems devoid of dudes in assless chaps leading other dudes around on leashes, etc. It made for great people watching. It is also a stereotype. I live on a block with at least half a dozen gay people and as far as I know, they don't cross dress or wear body glitter or sing in an Abba tribute group. I'm the only one that likes Erasure and I have a wife. They lead normal, dull lives like the rest of us -- or at least I'm pretty sure 4 or 5 of them do. And I'm pretty sure that in 1978 most gay people also lived quiet, dull, closeted lives.

The boring people in JP Morgan Chase t-shirts, calmly walking along the parade route, are indicative of the average in the GLBT community because they are indicative of the average in the community at large. The parade has become a symbol that -- for better or worse -- gay people are just like the rest (heteros) of us.

I wonder sometimes about the future of this parade. What good will it be when it's 75 floats of politicos, local insurance agents, radio stations, and corporations showing that they think it's ok to be gay (and send us your business), and no more sideshow element? Hell if I know. Maybe it goes to show that our differences aren't in the way we are born or the inherent characteristics we come into the world with, but are in the ways we choose to live our lives and show ourselves to the rest of the world. To that end, there will always be people on the fringe of society -- gay and straight. The alternativeness of the s/m dudes no longer lies in the fact they are gay. It rests in the fact that they are s/m dudes. So maybe Montrose needs a new parade of people who are just proclaiming their weirdness. That's the provacativeness that I think we all dug and are starting to miss.

Now that I've overthought it all, let me just say I'm excited for the parade. I love Montrose, love my neighbors, and look forward to another fun night of drinking beer in extreme heat while catching small bottles of personal lubricant from shemales. It still is Montrose after all.

Good point. Maybe they need to move the Pride Parade to downtown and have just a Montrose Weird Parade. Not just gays but the whole tattooed, gay, hippie, homeless, eccentric Montrose persona. Kind of like “Keep Austin Weird”.

[rsb320]

Nicely said, Capn.

I think there will still be some outlandish sights. I think they've started to realize that these type entries get the most cheers from the crowd.

I wonder if they're going to have the giant mirror ball hanging in the intersection of Montrose/Westheimer this year. They did not last year, but I can't remember why.