Another venting and thinking out loud thread. Feel free to ignore and do something more worthwhile like watching grass grow. The last few days, with all the talk about Pride events in various places, have had me wondering if I'll do anything this year. It's a funny thing. A month ago, I was fired up to go to one event when it occurs. Now...I'm not so sure. Part of me thinks that yes, I should go. I suppose attendance helps show support, although one person hardly makes any difference. It would give me an opportunity for real world interaction with other LGBT people. But...another part is wondering if going is a very good idea. Why? Well: The day in question would probably be draining for a far out introvert like me. One real worry is that iit could send me down into another depression spiral. Or more accurately, make the constant low grade depression I've been battling since Christmas get even worse like a crash I described here a few months ago. One huge problem I have is simply the feelings of loneliness and isolation, and I somehow have a feeling that going to the event totally alone, watching others who aren't totally alone (even if they are only with friends), won't help the situation any. And do I really want to support an event heavily connected to, I believe, the LGBT center I visited that really didn't seem to have the time of day for me? I won't make a decision yet. It'll probably depend heavily on how I feel when the weekend shows up...
Just go and try it out, nothing says you have to stay for the whole thing. If you think you're support won't make a difference then just go for you.
My girlfriend and I were going to go to a pride picnic recently but when we got there we got cold feet. The pride action was actually about thirty miles to the west of us where we would have felt more comfortable (more people, louder music, a chance to blend in). We ended up going to neither. Stopped by Sonic on the way home and enjoyed movies for the rest of the evening. It would have been my first event because I don't like going alone to anything. I could echo the feelings of feeling lonely and alone while seeing others who aren't. Been there and done that for too many years to count.
I went to Pride in London last week with a group of friends and felt completly alone. I was extreemly stressed as we just did what the other people wanted to do and I didn't get a chance to watch the parade like I had hoped. My point is that even though people may go to something in a group it isn't necessarily because they have life all worked out and are completly happy with everything. I wish I had gone by myself, it would have given me the chance to watch the parade like I wanted to and also if I had seen someone I liked in amoungst the crowd I could have talked to that person and not be dragged off to the pub that I didn't want to go to. Being with people doesn't mean you are having a wonderful time.
Went to my first Pride Parade in NYC last Sunday. There was no drug or anything else that gave me the feeling of joy, and love as when my lover and I held our clenched hands upward as far as we could reach the skies. The applause of tens of thousands of spectators was joyful. I will do it again each and every year of my life until the end.
Yes, I guess there are advantages of going alone in that one can do what one wants. It's just that I'm so tired of always being so :***: alone. I'd like some interaction with another person that does not begin and end with "do you want a plastic bag, or paper today?" :lol: Maybe I should forget the Pride idea. Maybe next year I'll have more than zero friends, and even if I had to go alone, I wouldn't mind so much. Also waiting might mean I could go to Seattle's Pride. What is held locally is probably nothing compared to Seattle. As I said before, I probably won't decide about this year until early the day of the event.
Very true, going with someone often means compromises, but it doesn't mean you can't split up (as I did with my friend in Toronto).
Go! It sounds like you ruminate inside your head just like I do. "Should I go, or should I just stay home? I'll be all alone. It's too much hassle." etc. etc. etc. I went through pretty much the same thing a couple weeks ago before the big pride parade here. What convinced me to go (even though I didn't feel like it) was the thought that staying home would only reinforce my status quo, and that I would later regret not going. So I hopped the bus into the big city, and walked over to the parade route where something totally unexpected happened: When I turned the corner and caught sight of all the people lined up for the parade, I got hit with the biggest flood of amazing emotions -- I almost burst into tears. Here were thousands of happy people all gathered together to celebrate pridefully, and I was there too! There was another unexpected surprise during the parade: The governor, the big city mayor, both US senators and a US representative were all marching just a few feet away from where I was standing. Big-time politicians falling all over themselves to hang out with the gays -- how awesome is that! Yes, I went to the parade alone, and no, I didn't really meet anyone. But I felt pretty good all the way home and for the rest of the day. When the parade was mentioned on the news and on the internet, I kept smiling because I had been there. It gave a nice boost to my self-confidence, my sense of belonging, and my well-being. So yeah, I'm very glad I went. I know I'd be pretty pissed with myself if I'd stayed home. It took a lot of energy and internal pep-talking to make it happen, but in the end I made another positive step forward -- YAY! ride: Your turn -- go...
Go, definitely go. I have been every year for 20 years and actually sort of thought about it more this year because of some discussions I've had here and was moved all over again. If you don't mind because I had a somewhat lengthy post before I'm going to cut and paste myself from last Sunday. ___ Anyway, Chicago had its Pride parade today. I haven't seen attendance figures yet but if past years are any indication there were probably around a million people there--every sort of person you could imagine (a lot of them straight). It lasted about three and a half hours and it had everything. Politicians--it was led off by the mayor, the governor marched, the attorney general, the comptroller, the treasurer, president of the county board, one of our senators, several congresspersons, pretty much every alderman I've ever heard of... Churches--honestly I think at least a hundred different churches represented... Schools--most of the universities in the area, several high schools and at least three elementary schools (yeah elementary schools)... Cheerleaders, drill teams, a marching band... Sports teams and clubs--everything from water polo to rugby to three different roller derby clubs (yeah, three)... Ethnic group delegations--Filipinos, Brazilians and Israelis oh my... Political organizations--HRC, Equality Illinois, Lambda Legal, the ACLU... Professional organizations--gay cops, librarians, nurses and the teachers union... Gay employee groups--everything from Boeing to Pfizer, Chase Bank to Walgreens, Bloomingdales to the Gap... Businesses--every bank in the market, most of the insurers, all the airlines, Facebook, Google, Orbitz and of course all the retailers... Cultural groups--the major museums in town all had delegations, theater groups, art galleries... The media--all the local television networks and most of the local radio stations had floats... The clubs--square dancers and two-steppers, motorcyclists and leather guys... And of course there's always PFLAG--I feel like they deserve their own category. And, yes, there was a fair sprinkling of attractive young men in very short shorts--but then again my guess is that if it's nice next Sunday you could walk this same route during these same hours and encounter--you guessed it, attractive young men in very short shorts! It was an incredible feat of civic life. Everyone was festive but orderly. There was bright colors and dancing and great music. I saw a lesbian couple get married--for reals--in the street on a float sponsored by the Sears Gift Registry, as hundreds of people cheered and applauded and just seriously lost their minds with glee. There are about four things in that last sentence that I could not have even imagined five years ago. I had beads and stickers thrown at me--and some knew kind of Doritos (Frito Lay is always there). We cheered for the church groups, we cheered for the transsexuals, we cheered for the leather guys, we cheered for the vegans, we cheered for the first gay couple to ever be given a marriage license in Illinois--everyone cheered for everyone and it was glorious. Now I understand that it is not everyone's cup of tea. But this afternoon in Chicago a million people took to the streets--they came with their families, friends and neighbors, they came together with their elected officials, the charities and organizations they contribute to, the companies they work for and the businesses they patronize. They all came together in the public streets to celebrate the right to be whoever you are and love whomever you will in the best way you can manage. That's amazing. ___ You should go if you can--don't do it to show support do it to feel supported. Pride may or may not need you--go and find out whether you need it.
I'm volunteering for one of the days during pride in my city. I know I will definitely be going that day
I went to a Pride event alone. At least I can say I went.-Something I was not ready to do last year. I only stayed 20 minutes. Baby steps even after being out for 18 months. It was awesome seeing so many people happy and comfortable being who they are with pride. (&&&)(&&&)(&&&)
Hmmm. I've had something of the same dilemma; I think it's more common than we'd like to admit, this problem of wanting to go somewhere but with no one to go with. But with Pride it shouldn't be too bad. Go along, get an espresso or light meal at a road side restaurant and watch the parade casually from there. Cool, calm and collected! Or take a stroll, go to a gallery, get a beer at a busy LGBT bar or pub nearby and survey the action. There are ways and means, if you'll forgive the expression, of enjoying an event like this on one's own, without pangs of loneliness!
