Gay Pride?

[FluffiKitten]

First of if you dont have anything nice to say, please dont ^-^ just be nice to all kay!
So I volunteered at our gay pride festival here in San Diego today, It was wonderful! Everyone was so happy and wearing crazy outfits, and having a great time.
We were putting those little fake tattoos on people that advertised a new app for the iphone called mygaygo. Which basically tells you about businesses in the area that are gay friendly. Its pretty cool! and we tried to get people to sign up to win a free ipod touch. XD
So over all it was pretty successful we got alota people to sign!

So ya have any of you guys ever been to a gay pride festival or anything like that, post your experiences ^-^  

[Jungle Boots]

i just went to my local pride festival for the first time... it was cool. a nice dance stage set up outside under a giant tent. i got some HRC stickers. i also got to talk with an aged drag queen for about an hour... most of it was her talking about shoes and being quite the drunk. very fun. would do it again.  

[FluffiKitten]

Jungle Boots

i just went to my local pride festival for the first time... it was cool. a nice dance stage set up outside under a giant tent. i got some HRC stickers. i also got to talk with an aged drag queen for about an hour... most of it was her talking about shoes and being quite the drunk. very fun. would do it again.

haha nice, ya I had my share of drunk people, especially at the end of the night. One gay guy was freaking out about how cute I was, it was rly funny, he kept rambling about how I looked like some girl XD  

[WeissVicious]

sounds like fun. have not been to one in ages sadly  

[tikiu1221]

maine only has this big pride party thing on the warf at the begining of summer alot of my gay and lesbian freinds went im straight though so I think I would be kinda outa place going  

[InterElli]

FluffiKitten

Jungle Boots

i just went to my local pride festival for the first time... it was cool. a nice dance stage set up outside under a giant tent. i got some HRC stickers. i also got to talk with an aged drag queen for about an hour... most of it was her talking about shoes and being quite the drunk. very fun. would do it again.

haha nice, ya I had my share of drunk people, especially at the end of the night. One gay guy was freaking out about how cute I was, it was rly funny, he kept rambling about how I looked like some girl XD

I've been to several, but i havn't been able to go in the last few years.The local drag queens have always been pretty cool though, and I think he was trying to give you a compliment fluffy. lol

P.S. Fluffy, your sig is totally cute.  

[Artemis Vulpes]

Never really understood the point of being proud that you are gay. Now, realize I say this as a bisexual that has a same sex partner. Also, when I say there is nothing to be proud of that does not mean I am saying one should feel ashamed.

It is my personal belief that the only thing someone should be proud of is their personal acccomplishments, not something that is merely a genetic trait. The only thing about my sexual preferance that I am proud of is that I stopped lying to myself about who I am and that I found the curage to tell my parents that I have a boyfriend. However, I do not do anything to actually advertise to the world that I might be gay/bi, but when people do ask about my relationship status I tell the truth.

Going along with this, there is nothing about being a furry that should bring up a sense of pride. It's just a fandom, a hobby really. However, there are somethings that I have done as a member of this fandom I am proud to have accomplished and there are reasons I stick around no matter how much drama generated. I have never felt I could be myself more than when I discovered furries, I have met some amazing people that helped me break out of a very reclusive shell I use to have and have encuraged me to visit places I never would have on my own accord. While I have become to truely dislike how fandom has currupted a good majority of the artist community, I still find much of the artwork stunning and love the fact I own several orriginal pieces from fantastic artists.  

[Paw The Wiruz]

Artemis Vulpes

Never really understood the point of being proud that you are gay. Now, realize I say this as a bisexual that has a same sex partner. Also, when I say there is nothing to be proud of that does not mean I am saying one should feel ashamed.

It is my personal belief that the only thing someone should be proud of is their personal acccomplishments, not something that is merely a genetic trait. The only thing about my sexual preferance that I am proud of is that I stopped lying to myself about who I am and that I found the curage to tell my parents that I have a boyfriend. However, I do not do anything to actually advertise to the world that I might be gay/bi, but when people do ask about my relationship status I tell the truth.

Going along with this, there is nothing about being a furry that should bring up a sense of pride. It's just a fandom, a hobby really. However, there are somethings that I have done as a member of this fandom I am proud to have accomplished and there are reasons I stick around no matter how much drama generated. I have never felt I could be myself more than when I discovered furries, I have met some amazing people that helped me break out of a very reclusive shell I use to have and have encuraged me to visit places I never would have on my own accord. While I have become to truely dislike how fandom has currupted a good majority of the artist community, I still find much of the artwork stunning and love the fact I own several orriginal pieces from fantastic artists.

i can follow you in why you take it so casual, but the whole thing about gay pride (for me anyway) is that its taboo in most countries, and when your gay or a furry for that matter, your worth less in the publics eye, witch gay pride parades and such is a good way to it turn around. it shows that we are here, and we don't need anyones acceptances ^^ thats my philosophy anyway ;D

also pride parades and gay assembly's are just so horribly fun that you cant miss them biggrin  

[Pom Graines]

Artemis Vulpes

Never really understood the point of being proud that you are gay. Now, realize I say this as a bisexual that has a same sex partner. Also, when I say there is nothing to be proud of that does not mean I am saying one should feel ashamed.

It is my personal belief that the only thing someone should be proud of is their personal acccomplishments, not something that is merely a genetic trait. The only thing about my sexual preferance that I am proud of is that I stopped lying to myself about who I am and that I found the curage to tell my parents that I have a boyfriend. However, I do not do anything to actually advertise to the world that I might be gay/bi, but when people do ask about my relationship status I tell the truth.

Going along with this, there is nothing about being a furry that should bring up a sense of pride. It's just a fandom, a hobby really. However, there are somethings that I have done as a member of this fandom I am proud to have accomplished and there are reasons I stick around no matter how much drama generated. I have never felt I could be myself more than when I discovered furries, I have met some amazing people that helped me break out of a very reclusive shell I use to have and have encuraged me to visit places I never would have on my own accord. While I have become to truely dislike how fandom has currupted a good majority of the artist community, I still find much of the artwork stunning and love the fact I own several orriginal pieces from fantastic artists.

The bolded, in my mind, is the whole point for the pride festivals and parades. For me the parades aren't necessarily like shouting to everyone personal information that doesn't need to be said, it's more... about standing up together and letting people know you are the way you are and that's okay to be that way, it's about giving hope and inspiration to those still shut in the closet I think. A large part of it is still to be recognised as well. Even though in a lot of places being in the LGBTQ community isn't such a controversial issue as it was in the past there are still issues that need to be addressed (such as either giving more rights to common-law or domestic partnerships or giving same sexed couples the right to marry and things like that that still are not completely equal across the board which as business places which are still discriminatory towards homosexuals and such).

Personally I haven't been to a Pride event yet sad Not for lack of trying, but I've always had work or school or no rides or something that gets in the way of me going D: I hope to go one day and have a grand old time smile

As for the furry pride... I think a lot of the pride there has to do with the way that people react when they find out you're furry. A good chunk of the time people react with disdain and make it seem like something you should be ashamed of (either personally or by association of the fetish aspects). So having pride there is really a way of pushing against that, saying that there is no reason to feel ashamed. You are who you are and you like what you like, as long as no one is hurting anyone else then what is the big deal, what is to feel ashamed about? So to a certain extent I can understand the notion of 'pride' for your hobbies. Honestly the same sort of thing happened with geeks and trekkies and whatnot. It's less of a 'this is something to be truly proud of' kind of thing (apart from being proud of you for you) and more of a 'this is nothing to be ashamed of' sort of thing I think.  

[Af Mas]

Mameyoshi pretty much said what I felt  

[Razuma Uzuro]

Blah, Ive never been to one but Ive been wanting to go with my bf for ages :< Ill probably go next year or something :3  

[Artemis Vulpes]

Paw The Wiruz

i can follow you in why you take it so casual, but the whole thing about gay pride (for me anyway) is that its taboo in most countries, and when your gay or a furry for that matter, your worth less in the publics eye, witch gay pride parades and such is a good way to it turn around. it shows that we are here, and we don't need anyones acceptances ^^ thats my philosophy anyway ;D

also pride parades and gay assembly's are just so horribly fun that you cant miss them biggrin

First of all, people are more than aware of the presense of gays and there is no real need for them to know specifically who is gay or not. While I do believe that one should be able to be open about their sexual preferance without retribution, there is a differance between simply not hiding it and shoving it into people's faces.

Seccondly, if it was true you did not feel the need for anyone's acceptence then the there is no need for parades what-so-ever. Let us be a little more realistic now, the truth is that the gay communinty does need the acceptense of general population. It is the acceptense that tollerance can be forged and hate deminished, not the mention full and equal rights to everyone.

The parades really just make me think of a fan convention. How I do love going to a fur con and have even had some enjoyment going to one for anime, but I don't see myself joining a general assembly just because everyone else there happens to also be gay/bi. Not to mention I am aware that some do use it as an excuse to show off their sexual kinks. I know this is not true for all those attending, but do not even try and deny that it happens.  

[Jungle Boots]

yeah i remember some of the stories of some of the older gays at the bars i hang at. and the way they talk about their First prides are so profound i think ive started crying in the middle of their stories.

Pride is so important to the people that had to live in a time when it was completely unthinkable to come out as a gay. when there was no pride festival, when there was no place to go. its empowering to know how drastically things have changed. I LOVE PRIDE!  

[FluffiKitten]

Paw The Wiruz

Artemis Vulpes

Never really understood the point of being proud that you are gay. Now, realize I say this as a bisexual that has a same sex partner. Also, when I say there is nothing to be proud of that does not mean I am saying one should feel ashamed.

It is my personal belief that the only thing someone should be proud of is their personal acccomplishments, not something that is merely a genetic trait. The only thing about my sexual preferance that I am proud of is that I stopped lying to myself about who I am and that I found the curage to tell my parents that I have a boyfriend. However, I do not do anything to actually advertise to the world that I might be gay/bi, but when people do ask about my relationship status I tell the truth.

Going along with this, there is nothing about being a furry that should bring up a sense of pride. It's just a fandom, a hobby really. However, there are somethings that I have done as a member of this fandom I am proud to have accomplished and there are reasons I stick around no matter how much drama generated. I have never felt I could be myself more than when I discovered furries, I have met some amazing people that helped me break out of a very reclusive shell I use to have and have encuraged me to visit places I never would have on my own accord. While I have become to truely dislike how fandom has currupted a good majority of the artist community, I still find much of the artwork stunning and love the fact I own several orriginal pieces from fantastic artists.

i can follow you in why you take it so casual, but the whole thing about gay pride (for me anyway) is that its taboo in most countries, and when your gay or a furry for that matter, your worth less in the publics eye, witch gay pride parades and such is a good way to it turn around. it shows that we are here, and we don't need anyones acceptances ^^ thats my philosophy anyway ;D

also pride parades and gay assembly's are just so horribly fun that you cant miss them biggrin

I agree there, I was not bragging about it, I was just telling my story. I dont go around telling people Im bi. Because its not like its a big deal, its just how I am.
Some boys at my work found out that I was and were all freaking out about it, but I didnt really care, I dont get why It was such a big deal. I just love everyone I dont think a gender should determine who you can love.
And at gay pride It just made me happy to see so many people there, because I knew they all had something in common. Even if they were straight they still supported, and didnt care about these peoples life choices.  

[CodyDudeTm]

Like Demetri Martin once said, "Not gay, but supportive" :3