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I went to DC Pride last Saturday and it was a blast. My first DC Pride parade was exactly 20 years ago, right before I moved up here, from North Carolina. I had marched in several pride parades down there and one up in Boston with BiNet USA in the early 90's. I hadn't marched a parade in several years, and really haven't been either physically or emotionally fit for it as I am now. I marched with DC BiWomen, the only bisexual group marching this year. I had never been to a parade with a bi group where we got such a warm reception, so many cheers, grins, waves, and high fives. I cannot overstate what a high it is to be cheered on like that. The crowd skewed young, though there were plenty of us older folk, and it was wonderfully racially diverse.
Half the cheers we got were for this banner on the side of our van of "the bi umbrella" with its all-inclusive terms of who we are and who we love. BiNet USA is trying to tackle the problematic way the term "bisexual" reinforces a sexual binary of male/female (that denies more gender diversity) by redefining the "bi" as "self and other," and the women who designed the banner ascribe to that definition. I'm not sure I buy that redefinition and it's why I technically identify as a lesbian-identified pansexual, or far more simply, just queer, and it's why the umbrella concept is pretty neat.
Plurisexual is a new term to me--I kind of like it. (-:There were some complaints on the boards that the banner conflates gender terms with sexual orientation terms (and the spelling mistake for transsexual), but the intent was to be inclusive, and I tend to like erring on the side of inclusion, and I consider the crowd's overall positive reaction a trump card. It was fun watching people reading it as we'd march by, point, grin, and cry out, "There's me!"
The other half of the cheers we got were due to the adorable little hobbit lass sitting on top of our van doing remarkable yoga poses, demonstrating biflexibility at its finest. (-;
She was doing splits; she was bending her leg backwards over her head and holding the umbrella with her toes; she was bending her body all the way back over her back leg. Watching people's faces watching her was very entertaining. She got marriage proposals from gay men. She was quite amazing. I am sorry I didn't take more pics for you.
And here's most of our lovely contingent as we waited a couple of hours to start marching because we were towards the back in the line up. Which makes the amount of cheering we got even more remarkable and touching. Go DC! The two women rightmost in this pic designed the banner. Yay them!(-:
More of our contingent. This woman made her pretty skirt herself.
Here's Wonder Woman. We had super heroes on the float next to us in the waiting area. Being toward the back, we missed most of the parade, so I only have pics of the groups waiting next to us. There was a float in the form of a giant shopping cart for the LGBT Employees of Food Lion in front of us with lots of freebies to throw out. I remember when Food Lion was such an evil corporation to LGBTIQ folk--times are a-changin'.
Wolverine on that float next to us chatting with a beautiful blue fairy.
Lovely Cat Woman is bored waiting.
More Wonder Woman.
Another float with bored waiting princesses.
Captain America and a bathing beauty ride their float as it gets into position.
The Human Rights Campaign was behind us with people wearing blue tentacle-like balloons--not sure what the blue tentacles were about but they looked festive enough.
A most adorable little hobbitling along the parade route as we marched past.
I did not expect what a good experience this Pride parade would be for me. I'm so used to people in these parts not returning smiles, and I got so much good energy from everyone. Those of you who met me know what I mean when I say my smile was bigger than my face, skull and crossbones/Cheshire Cat grin that I have. It left me with a fond feeling for DC and I declare my bout with the agoraphobia that I developed a few years ago officially at an end. Definitely a good day. (-:
Tomorrow I'm going to a Tolkien Slash Fan meet up in DC. Come if you're interested and around.
Also posted at http://lavendertook.dreamwidth.org/146067.html with
comments
Half the cheers we got were for this banner on the side of our van of "the bi umbrella" with its all-inclusive terms of who we are and who we love. BiNet USA is trying to tackle the problematic way the term "bisexual" reinforces a sexual binary of male/female (that denies more gender diversity) by redefining the "bi" as "self and other," and the women who designed the banner ascribe to that definition. I'm not sure I buy that redefinition and it's why I technically identify as a lesbian-identified pansexual, or far more simply, just queer, and it's why the umbrella concept is pretty neat.
Plurisexual is a new term to me--I kind of like it. (-:There were some complaints on the boards that the banner conflates gender terms with sexual orientation terms (and the spelling mistake for transsexual), but the intent was to be inclusive, and I tend to like erring on the side of inclusion, and I consider the crowd's overall positive reaction a trump card. It was fun watching people reading it as we'd march by, point, grin, and cry out, "There's me!"
The other half of the cheers we got were due to the adorable little hobbit lass sitting on top of our van doing remarkable yoga poses, demonstrating biflexibility at its finest. (-;
She was doing splits; she was bending her leg backwards over her head and holding the umbrella with her toes; she was bending her body all the way back over her back leg. Watching people's faces watching her was very entertaining. She got marriage proposals from gay men. She was quite amazing. I am sorry I didn't take more pics for you.
And here's most of our lovely contingent as we waited a couple of hours to start marching because we were towards the back in the line up. Which makes the amount of cheering we got even more remarkable and touching. Go DC! The two women rightmost in this pic designed the banner. Yay them!(-:
More of our contingent. This woman made her pretty skirt herself.
Here's Wonder Woman. We had super heroes on the float next to us in the waiting area. Being toward the back, we missed most of the parade, so I only have pics of the groups waiting next to us. There was a float in the form of a giant shopping cart for the LGBT Employees of Food Lion in front of us with lots of freebies to throw out. I remember when Food Lion was such an evil corporation to LGBTIQ folk--times are a-changin'.
Wolverine on that float next to us chatting with a beautiful blue fairy.
Lovely Cat Woman is bored waiting.
More Wonder Woman.
Another float with bored waiting princesses.
Captain America and a bathing beauty ride their float as it gets into position.
The Human Rights Campaign was behind us with people wearing blue tentacle-like balloons--not sure what the blue tentacles were about but they looked festive enough.
A most adorable little hobbitling along the parade route as we marched past.
I did not expect what a good experience this Pride parade would be for me. I'm so used to people in these parts not returning smiles, and I got so much good energy from everyone. Those of you who met me know what I mean when I say my smile was bigger than my face, skull and crossbones/Cheshire Cat grin that I have. It left me with a fond feeling for DC and I declare my bout with the agoraphobia that I developed a few years ago officially at an end. Definitely a good day. (-:
Tomorrow I'm going to a Tolkien Slash Fan meet up in DC. Come if you're interested and around.
Also posted at http://lavendertook.dreamwidth.org/146067.html with
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Agoraphobia begone! I had a bout of that myself in the past few years and it really sucks. Enjoy tomorrow!
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What a lovely experience, especially all the good energy.
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*hugs*
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It all sounds like a great time. That darling little girl with all the beads made me smile.
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