“I’d always thought gays were regular people, just like you and me, and that the stereotype of homosexuals as hedonistic, sex-crazed deviants was just a destructive myth,” said mother of four Hannah Jarrett, 41, mortified at the sight of 17 tanned and oiled boys cavorting in jock straps to a throbbing techno beat on a float shaped like an enormous phallus. “Boy, oh, boy, was I wrong.”
It’s Pride week in Toronto and I thought THIS OLD ARTICLE from The Onion would be good for a laugh.
Robert, Kevifabulous, Chris and Trey: You of course are absolutely correct–the stereotypes in Gay Pride parades are completely unrepresentative of the most boring and unparade-like aspects of the gay community, just like those in St. Patrick’s Day Parades, Chinese Dragon parades, Puerto Rican Day parades and African-American Day parades.
Where are those floats that show sadsack men in their underwear dialing Manhunt and hanging up before they make a hookup? Or the ones that show gay guys and gals buying milk at the corner store? Or drunk lesbians fighting in the hallway of my building at three in the morning? Why be festive? Why have fun?
With your help I’m sure we can all look forward to glittery flower-covered floats depicting the lonely and suicidal during the Santa Claus parade, fat men belching and sitting on couches during the Rose Bowl parade, Jews and Arabs fighting in Jerusalem during the Easter Parade and a lively re-enactment of the Battle of Wounded Knee during the Thanksgiving Day parade. Now that’s representation!
Everything is okay except for the silver cape. That puts it over the edge.
Gay Pride is boring. Standing under a hot sorching sun, watching some lame floats passing by and all beefy guys would grate on each other in thongs on the float. Okay? I don’t want that representation of gay people to the other people who is new to this.
All they is throw candy, condoms and maybe beads. I only like the post-parade fun. Food, booze, friends, music and dancing is enough. Gay pride itself is enough but I think the parade is getting old.
#1 yeah onion that stuff is hilarious.
#2 Shame on you for not knowing what The Onion is…
#3 All good jokes are based at least a bit on fact.
#4 Last but not least, do not blame that stuff on gay youth. That stuff was going on since the early 80s. The “youth” of today wasnt borned yet.
Hello . . . Is there anybody in there? People, people, people, The Onion is a parody newspaper, containing fictional and (generally) humorous articles. It is suppose to make you laugh, BUT IT IS NOT REAL! So just take a deep breath and relax (it will only hurt for a minute!). 😉
Amen, Kevifabulous…AMEN!!!
This has always been my disappointment with pride events. They’re supposed to be representative of me, but they have absolutely nothing to do with me. I’m embarrassed to be associated with the shallow glorification of drugs and sexual deviance. It’s insulting to think that people might associate the parade losers with who me and my friends are.
… that report is right. While I may not agree with the narrow minded comments from the crowd of the LA Pride Parade, the general idea that the Pride Parade perpetuates gay stereotypes is true.
A common argument for gay rights is that people shouldn’t be defined by sexual preference. I am no different from someone heterosexual except for the fact I have a preference to men. Yet, when it comes to Pride it’s all about sex. Last year I witnessed some man give himself a bj in plain daylight. Leather daddies felt the need to have on a full harness showcasing their dicks. Gym bunnies ran around in jock straps. Is this what defines gay people?
Pride to most gay men isn’t about Pride – it’s about how I’m going to look, how fucked up am I going to get and who am I going to fuck.
As a gay man, I hate to admit it, but it’s true. Today’s gay youth sets our movement back at least twenty years. Sorry, that’s just how I feel.
Ooh, I was fooled!