Gay Pride and Kids

Well for my first official post lets discuss Pride and Kids.

Now most of our movement, is defined my adults and adult issues, and because of that most events within the GLBT community wouldn't be considered "Family Friendly". So the opportunities G and I have to share and show our pride with our sons is severely limited. With that said the Pride Parade is the perfect opportunity. Right?

Wrong! Well at least it would seem that way on the surface. We're in Walmart, I'm trying to find a rainbow bag to carry our stuff in while we are downtown, and I pic up a rainbow colored umbrella. You would have though I pic up a negligee the way my son's expression morphed into incredulous emberessment .." OMG, mom what are you doing, people are going to think your GAY! " Note here here G is not what could be classified as Fem, not that she's the epitome of butch, she's definitely gay, and we don't look like sisters either. Think Queen Latifiah. So clearly my son is in denial or something, so I placed my hand on his shoulder and asked, "You do know I am gay right?"

And wouldn't you believe, he was really upset. Now I could have sworn he knew... I don't put it on blast or anything, but G and I have been together for almost 6 years. Most of his life, so I am not sure how to approach this topic. Needless to say we had a heart to heart and while he still didn't want to go to the parade, I didn't have a sitter and I think he's somehow bought into society's views that our community is full of degenerates or something, and I really want to impress upon him the notion of tolerance.

Fast forward to the parade...it was loud, fabulous and quite obviously queer. The local Gay county line dancing club had a wonderful float with dancing gay boys in speedos...now the two hours it took me to convince my son that we're normal people, and it's just a celebration was all destroyed in the 30 sec it took for that float to go by, not that there was anything wrong with that, I probably should have anticipated this type of thing. It just never mattered before... so yeah needless to say he was ready to LEAVE!!!

He didn't want to catch beads, he didn't want to leave my side to sit on the curb, the group behind us had started celebrating already so the beer was flowing, I thing I even saw him shiver in disgust a couple of times...he was miserable.

My other two sons on the other hand has a wonderful time, I think the cutness factor played in, my youngest is loaded with beads... the funniest moment happened when one of the people passing out tokens, had to clearly state that he had condomns, a warning note to all lesbians and apparently kids... although my youngest didn't hear him, he just caught the beads that were just tossed in the air. I on the othere hand had to again rethink the smartness factor of bringing kids along. I think one guy was covered in rainbow body paint and nothing else, I'm not sure though.

Aside from my oldest sulking in the background, asking when it will all be over. We had a blast. But I do have to question which events are family friendly in our community? One of the ladies standing next to me, did inform me that San Fransisco's Parade was worse and she made that mistake when her kids were younger... so I do know that I'm not alone.

HAPPY PRIDE EVERYONE!!!!