Pride and All That Jazz

It started early Sunday morning, June 26.  I woke up late, a bit past 10am.  I took a quick shower, prettied myself up, and flew out the door to my first Pride ever.  Read more [+/-]

My first stop was a Pride Brunch at a friends' apartment.  He had invited many guests and told them I could invite some friends.  When I got there, L., who arrived on time at 10, had already made some friends.  In the short time I was there, I was introduced to many people, including Waspy McWasp (more on him later, hehe).

The Pride parade started at 12pm, and I gave it 2 hours to reach 21st street, where the brunch was.  L. and I left at a quarter past 2 and headed over the Fifth ave.  We walked down to 14th st where I was to meet Crash.

A few weeks ago, I had signed up as a volunteer for the Pier Dance with Out of Bounds.  It was a free way to get into the dance; and secondly, I wanted to see what it was like to be a bartender.

The Pier Dance was something else.  8000+ people, mostly shirtless, jumping, grinding, sweating, sometimes prancing, muscular gay men (probably high off their asses).  Add in soda, sports drinks, beer, hard liquor, with a splash of water and you got one freaky-deaky cocktail.  Which is why after my volunteer shift ended at 8pm, I stayed behind the bar to work the second shift.

Volunteering behind the bar was fun, not because really hot, shirtless men came up to talk to me (though that was definitely a plus), but because they tipped me.  One even started slipping dollar bills in my shorts.  I know what you're thinking, but if all the tips were going to benefit Out of Bounds, I'm entitled to have some fun receiving them!

The other volunteers were great, too!  Besides being cute and friendly, they provided hours of entertainment, dancing and pointing out guys to applaud.  At one point I think one guy walked pass our bar and back just so we'd continue to applaud his half-nude body.

Nearing the end of the party, the Pussycat Dolls performed their hit song, "Don't Cha".  After the few repetitions of the chorus 'Dont cha wish your boyfriend was hot like me' did someone realize this and said aloud, "Like a girl?  No thanks."

After the performance, fireworks lit up the night sky while Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow' played.  I felt misty eyed as I looked over the pier at thousands of diverse, happy homosexuals, realizing how much effort it was to put into such an event, and really felt a sense community.  At that moment, I realize exactly what I was proud of: being a part of something so much larger than myself, while being myself.

My NYC Pride 2005 slideshow