TWENTY

 

SOMETHING

Im at Pride. You Know
who called llim

BY THOMAS HENNING

is right, it is Pride and that means the

kickoff of the official social season.
It also means a wardrobe blitz for all of us
image queens who need to have just the
right white T-shirt for every party, parade,
and perversion.

Now, I need to point out that I under-
stand that Pride is more than a narcissistic
display of capitalistic consumption. This
being the 30th anniversary of Pride, it is
more important than ever to take a step
back and look whence we came.

I was an infant in the ‘70s and a
teenager in the ‘80s, born to straight par-
ents, no less, and
never heard stories
of what that era was
like for the LGBT

P umpkins, let the season begin! That

What I am most

Now, with that said, I need to go back
to the narcissistic display of capitalistic
consumption that is, in part, Pride. You all
know what I am talking about.

Come June, every queer worth his or
her weight in hair products has purchased
all the accessories to complete the perfect
Pride image to which they aspire. There’s
the Daisy Duke cut-offs that ride an ass
like the LoneiRanger rode Trigger; the
tight little tee with a quaint gay phrase;
the extra piercing to show off to new
friends; the puppy to attract attention; the
new partner to cart around like a show
pony at an auction. '

I mean, really,
pumpkins; it is like
this hybrid of a
JonBenet pageant

rinolvement. :Vhat I proud Offs not the and a, festival of
0 now 1st at peo- Dionysus with a
ple sacrificed their faCt thatlaln gay— brief pause for a
lives, families, and . . word from our polit-
jobs so that we could I had no cholce ln ical sponsors. For
have a better future. at lnatten as at weeks before the

I know that some
have scars that will
never heal because
of those sacrifices.
These sacrifices gave
me the opportunity
to live a life where I
can shout that I am
gay and proud; that I am what I am,
dammit, and what I am is fabulous. It is
not perfect out there, but it is a hell of a lot
better than what it was.

To all of you who carry that piece of
history, who lifted just one finger to make
a difference then or now, thank you.
Thank you for having the strength, vision,
and courage to make this a better place for
all of us. Thank you for your sacrifices,
your gains, your laughter, and your losses.
Thank you for believing that we have the
right to live a life that includes being
proud of who we are and whom we love.

Five years ago, I couldn’t pick up an
issue of Out in the Mountains because I
was so scared and ashamed of who I was.
Now, five years later, I am a columnist for
that same paper that so terrified me. I owe
that progress to all of you.

What I am most proud of is not the fact —

that I am gay. In my opinion I had no
choice in that matter. What I am proud of
most is that I have such amazing role
models in my community. People who
give without "needing to take and lead by
walkingbehind. I am proud of my com-.
munity and want to say thank you for
leading the fight.

I have such amazing
role models in my
community.

event, half the gay
men I know are run-
ning around like
Cinderella’s stepsis-
ters fighting over
who ’can wear the
prettiest dress ~ and
I am not even‘talk-
ing about the drag queens. People lament
over tans or work on finding out just how
short those hoochie shorts can be.
Pumpkins, please; if I wanted to see that

much ass hanging out, I would visit a pet- -

ting zoo.

Half the time at Pride, I am most proud
of the fact that I had the good sense not to
make the fashion choice the poor bastard

beside meldid. Honestly, when did it sud- I

denly become hip to look like Homer
Simpson at a Village People rave? If I can
impart just two pieces of advice to all you
gay men out there: don’t drink and dress,

and it’s no longer about the South Beach

Guido look. .

In the end, it all boils down to this.
When Pride rolls around, Iwill be the first
one out with my socialite cap on. I will
spend the appropriate time strategizing my
wardrobe and planning the perfect Pride
BBQ event for my friends, but Iwill also
remember that Pride is more than gym
queens and hoochie shorts. It’s more than
parties and tricks,‘ It is about celebrating
the past and paying respect to the ground
that we have made while acknowledge the
ground still left to cover. '

That’s my time, pumpkins. Have fun,
and may the camera be kind.Vv

 

‘ Mountain Pride Media, Men's . '
Health Project of'Vermont CARIES
& Burlington R.L_J.1.2? 3.
Community Center : x ’ ‘ .’

OUT IN THE MOUNTAINS .— JUNE 1999 — 13

 live DJs, local performers, all ages,
no drugs or alcohol, come as you are dance party

7:30-11, saturday, june 19

contois auditorium
$5 donation.

sponsored by Outright Vermont,

 

Burlington R.U.1.2? Community Center

and Men's Health Project

f

B.U.l.2?
COFFEEHOUSE
E\/ENlNG

kick offipride month with
good food and live
performances

by your GLBTQA friends
and ‘family’_— open mike
with special guests
saturday, june 5
7:30—11pm,  

$5 donation  9
Penny Cluse Cafe”

(corner of cherry {& is.,winoeiski) 
sponsored by Outright Vermont,

1ST ANNUAL

GAY PRlDE
CONCERT

a Samadhi Singers
concert to benefit
Outright Vermont

J sunday, june 6
3pm, $7-10
St Pauls Cathedral

' (2 cherry street)

"til