Gay Pride 2010: Lifted Up Yet Kicked in the Groin

My Gay Pride photos are in fact largely from the 18th annual Dyke March which took place the evening before, along the same route — down Fifth Avenue. This seemed to be a choir from the Marble Collegiate Church at 29th Street, who were belting out songs and hymns of the "We Shall Overcome" variety...

At least there was no need to 'overcome' the police, as happened at the original Stonewall riots. Cops were visible along the route but seemed to be enjoying the sights and sounds like everyone else...I have my opinions about the cops, but I'd prefer the police be present rather than homophobic violence.

The crowd was especially spirited and happy.

A guy and his guy watched from the sidewalk.

A girl and her girl (I hope) walked in the March.

Marchers seemed good-natured, energized, rowdy at times and... what I felt at this march and the following day (I skirted the main Pride Parade but was able to get a feel for the mood on the streets) was as though a sense of community and political purpose has returned to gays: there was more political-themed banners and signs than I'd seen before. The Proposition 8 fight in California seems to have angered people across the country; there may be yet residual fervor from Obama's election; perhaps younger gays are more political anyway? 

Prop 8: This was a ballot proposition during the November 2008 election season, which, when approved by voters amended the Constitution of the State of California with these words:

Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.

And so thousands of marriages between people of the same gender were voided.

Obama: I'm not about to give up on the promise of the Greatest President of All Time. As Maureen Dowd said this week, Bush handed Obama problems that were Job-like in their immensity and complexity.

Younger Gays? I'm feeling old and ill these days so I'm hoping younger gays will do all the running around that I never did...hehehe...

As Michael Musto wrote in his column the week of Gay Pride:

... the truth is that while gay is everywhere, our rights are still being messed with as gay marriage and "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" continue to be battlefront issues that ignite debates about whether or not we deserve to be human. We're in the weird position of being incredibly glam and popular in our culture, yet denied equal rights on a daily basis—lifted up and kicked in the groin at every glittery turn. We've gotten a place at the table—and we even designed the table—but as we sit down, the tablecloth is rudely pulled out from under us every time.

It's especially debilitating to know that the power to change much, lies in one place: the President's wrist, who could (and probably will, sooner or later,) sign away Don't Ask Don't Tell with a few strokes of his pen.