What is Pride like in a city of perpetual summer? A city who has a gay area that seems to be celebrating Pride events every night of the week: The Showgirls drag revue Monday. Evita on Tuesday, Stripper Circus on Wednesday, BFD (Big Fat Dick) on Thursdays, Fresh Fridays, Hooker Casino Saturday, and a free for all Sunday Funday that ends just in time to watch Game of Thrones, and start back up again on Monday. With all that, what’s Pride like? The answer:
Chaos with a tan.
There was the festival with vendors, carnival food favorites, and performers like Jennifer Hudson, Azaelia Banks, and Danity Kane. They even constructed a roller skating rink that drew in an amazing amount of people for old school fun before night set in and the bars opened their doors and bottles.
Once Saturday night ended and people got home from their respective “Walk of Shame,” “Stride of Pride,” or hangover, they got some coffee, egg whites, and made their way over to the Pride Parade route.
Here’s a little bit of footage from that very route.
Three hours later though…
In case you can’t tell, that’s Jinkx Monsoon and Raja from Drag Race.
The sidewalks were lined with spectators that had eyes towards the streets as Santa Monica Blvd filled with gay anthems, politicians begging for votes, abdominal muscles, and hair so high it would make Chiffon weep.
The parade eventually ended and then what happened? Well remember how I said Sunday Funday is always a free-for-all, well on Pride, it’s a mad dash to anywhere that has space. I always wonder if there are more people in the bars than watched the Pride parade.
Eventually the music got quieter and the clock struck sober. People began to turn back into pumpkins. The real world, or however real of a world LA can be, was on the horizon. Only sleep could get us there and resistance was futile. As I got to my cab, I was stuck by how much everyone seemed to step it up this year. LA Pride in the past has been muddied by lack of interest, people desperately trying to get into someone’s exclusive Pride party, or go to an event that costs too much to attend, this year felt different. It felt like more people cared more about being in the community and taking part rather than separating themselves from it.
It might have been well-tanned chaos, but everyone was engaging in it, everyone made it back to their own respective realities, and the community came out a little bit stronger.
It was really cool to be a part of.
Keep geek.
Sidney
The street is filled with feathers… And regret. Haha I love you! I wish I could have come to pride this year!
If any of you wonder why it took a week for this article, Sidney has just recovered from his hangover. xo Poppy
I’m sure I don’t know wHHHat Poppy is talking about.