Gay Pride

[Simonsays]

I don't regard it as cringe.

I look forward to walking in the parade this year again. All the major parties took part last year - FG, Labour, FF, SF. I didn't see the SP but I presume they were there. The Lord Mayor of Dublin took part wearing the chain of office to show that he representing the city and not just marching on his own behalf, which was a first.

[fluffybiscuits]

I don't regard it as cringe.

I look forward to walking in the parade this year again. All the major parties took part last year - FG, Labour, FF, SF. I didn't see the SP but I presume they were there. The Lord Mayor of Dublin took part wearing the chain of office to show that he representing the city and not just marching on his own behalf, which was a first.

it reinforces a lot of stereotypes Simon, come off it. The amount of times that I have been in it and thousands of screaming queens top to toe in glitter claiming to represent me ( we are here and we are queer or some other cliched slogan) does not represent me. Its a hell of a party and having done Belfast and Dublin pride, I cringe at the thoughts of people thinking we are somehow all completely effeminate. I dont need to march down the street with glitter and dancing to Kylie to be proud of who I am, I just am proud of who I am and my sexuality is just one facet of me. These lot are making it the very cornerstone of their existence. I have fallen out with numerous people over this whole issue, this ridiculous position of a hundred odd queens camper than a row of tents claiming to represent me, they represent themselves and they should ensure they tell people that. Cue accusations now of internalised homophobia....

[Ephilant]

Anthimos, the senior Greek Orthodox cleric in Thessaloniki is jumping up and down over the Gay Pride march in the city, planned for tomorrow. According to the cleric he has

in my possession a big file with verified signatures of 20,000 Greek citizens, men and women, who want this event to be cancelled by all means. If it is not cancelled, they cannot guarantee that nothing will happen. This event is shameful, it's a provocation, and a sign of corruption.

When asked why he wants it cancelled he answered

We do not want people like that, nudity is a crime.

So there you go. "People like that" are obviously planning on corrupting the population of Thessaloniki by prancing naked through the city. Can't have that even if it is 32C and rising...

[bernadette]

I don't much care and I do think gay equality is important but honestly, isn't the man in a g string theme a bit old? It seems to me that every year its the same thing and it has to be because other than that they're the same as everyone else.

[Simonsays]

it reinforces a lot of stereotypes Simon, come off it. The amount of times that I have been in it and thousands of screaming queens top to toe in glitter claiming to represent me ( we are here and we are queer or some other cliched slogan) does not represent me. Its a hell of a party and having done Belfast and Dublin pride, I cringe at the thoughts of people thinking we are somehow all completely effeminate. I dont need to march down the street with glitter and dancing to Kylie to be proud of who I am, I just am proud of who I am and my sexuality is just one facet of me. These lot are making it the very cornerstone of their existence. I have fallen out with numerous people over this whole issue, this ridiculous position of a hundred odd queens camper than a row of tents claiming to represent me, they represent themselves and they should ensure they tell people that. Cue accusations now of internalised homophobia....

There are tons of us, fluffy, who walked in it last year who are not remotely screaming queens and find glitter on a Christmas cake too much, much less on people. I am more likely to be in jeans and a biker jacket than anything else. I dress the same way as I do normally. Camp queens do my head in. But some people are like that - so let them do it. That is the whole point of Pride - that people can be who they are, whatever they are. It doesn't bother me if some people want to dress in drag, or cover themselves in glitter, or wear bondage gear, or dress like skins. I did cause some raised eye brows once in my job in the Dáil when I got called in on my day off and got a lift in on the back of my then partner's bike, wearing full leathers. (Kenny dared me to go off and walk in my biker gear outside the Captain of the Guard's office for the craic! He said it would give the captain heart failure!!! I didn't unfortunately. I'd have loved to see the captain's face. He could barely tolerate staff not wearing ties on Fridays and wearing jeans when the House was not in session!!!) So I don't mind someone's outfit having shock value.

I do find the campness of some younger people a bit irritating to be honest, which is why I know longer go on the scene in Dublin. There are only so many screaming queens in the George I can put up with, especially when with new tablets relating to epilepsy I have been advised not to drink much as the tablets and alcohol don't go well together. So being stone cold sober in a nightclub surrounded by screaming queens is headwrecking. I don't mind it at Pride, because the screaming queens are actually a small proportion of those there, even if they are the ones the photographers like to focus on (literally), at the expense of the rest of us boring ordinary dressed guys and gals.

BTW I do like Kylie though - even though my first choice of music is Mozart and my second choice Iron Maiden. I like ABBA too. But I ain't no dancing queen. Never was. Never will be. If anyone starts dancing, homosexual or heterosexual, my normal reaction is to move far away from them fast!!! LOL

[fluffybiscuits]

There are tons of us, fluffy, who walked in it last year who are not remotely screaming queens and find glitter on a Christmas cake too much, much less on people. I am more likely to be in jeans and a biker jacket than anything else. I dress the same way as I do normally. Camp queens do my head in. But some people are like that - so let them do it. That is the whole point of Pride - that people can be who they are, whatever they are. It doesn't bother me if some people want to dress in drag, or cover themselves in glitter, or wear bondage gear, or dress like skins. I did cause some raised eye brows once in my job in the Dáil when I got called in on my day off and got a lift in on the back of my then partner's bike, wearing full leathers. (Kenny dared me to go off and walk in my biker gear outside the Captain of the Guard's office for the craic! He said it would give the captain heart failure!!! I didn't unfortunately. I'd have loved to see the captain's face. He could barely tolerate staff not wearing ties on Fridays and wearing jeans when the House was not in session!!!) So I don't mind someone's outfit having shock value.

I do find the campness of some younger people a bit irritating to be honest, which is why I know longer go on the scene in Dublin. There are only so many screaming queens in the George I can put up with, especially when with new tablets relating to epilepsy I have been advised not to drink much as the tablets and alcohol don't go well together. So being stone cold sober in a nightclub surrounded by screaming queens is headwrecking. I don't mind it at Pride, because the screaming queens are actually a small proportion of those there, even if they are the ones the photographers like to focus on (literally), at the expense of the rest of us boring ordinary dressed guys and gals.

BTW I do like Kylie though - even though my first choice of music is Mozart and my second choice Iron Maiden. I like ABBA too. But I ain't no dancing queen. Never was. Never will be. If anyone starts dancing, homosexual or heterosexual, my normal reaction is to move far away from them fast!!! LOL

Campness is not a natural act in gay men, its a preconceived style of acting that they embrace because of an inability to look to any other role models. A dash of internalised homophobia perhaps but its head wrecking. I was on the pride committee a few years ago but resigned, I couldnt work with them as I found some personalities not to my liking and the range of queens I encountered wrecked my head. Having a severe allergy to bullshit helped me too.

PS I watched Muriels Wedding the other night...then downloaded best of Abba

[bernadette]

Campness is not a natural act in gay men, its a preconceived style of acting that they embrace because of an inability to look to any other role models. A dash of internalised homophobia perhaps but its head wrecking. I was on the pride committee a few years ago but resigned, I couldnt work with them as I found some personalities not to my liking and the range of queens I encountered wrecked my head. Having a severe allergy to bullshit helped me too.

PS I watched Muriels Wedding the other night...then downloaded best of Abba

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