PRIDE MOOD

 

It was a whirlwind weekend! The first of four Gay Pride Events has come and gone. Four? Yes four. With the current climate in the LGBT in my opinion is not the time to sit on the sidelines or be invisible. If we are able to attend an event, or live to one easily accessible, I hope, we all are able to support our community and show the far right and other urchins we aren't going anywhere and aren't giving up!!! As always, Philadelphia didn't disappoint. I met up with clan member Preston from NYC at the beach on Friday, before heading into Philly Saturday evening and Sunday frivolities. The Mistress had a drag event to tend to, otherwise it was to the streets. I was very proud to see the corporate sponsor bullshit took a huge backseat compared to years pass...and had more of an grassroots feel again, like it had years prior to when I first started going to Pride events.  Philly has always played a major role in the founding advancements and celebration of the Civil Rights movement. Giovanni's Room which was one of the first exclusively gay bookshops for us to go to, find literature and books for us... and feel safe, was one of the first in the nation, and still exits as the oldest one, and almost final one, to exist. In addition, the city was one of the first cities in the country to pass laws protecting LGBT people from discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodation, and has one of the strongest commitments from both parties in a city on promoting LGBT equality and inclusion. I was overjoyed to see they now have all the intersections in the gayborhood painted in the PRIDE colors now, that was awesome! Not to mention an enormous Pride flag was unveiled on Friday, ahead of the Pride Parade, and is touted as the largest of its kind, coming in at 200 feet long and 20 feet wide. Very cool to see it displayed right in front of Independence Hall, where of course the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were written and signed. Talk about a huge statement, and how times have changed. Some of my favorite mood enhancers from the weekend....

City Hall was transformed into a Gay Pride Roller Disco in Dillworth Park!!!!

Here is Preston, Sunday evening on board the Moshulu. We had dinner there before heading out of town. The ship, a popular landmark in Penns Landing, the Moshulu is hailed as the world's oldest and largest four-masted tall ship. I think Preston might have been half masted himself!!!!

Happy Pride Month!