Pride Parades

I hate parades. All parades. Doesn't matter whether its Thanksgiving, Santa Claus, Fourth of July, May Day, or Red Sox Win the Series...

Visually disturbing but funny as hell. I hear they have a festive atmosphere that straight people like me can't duplicate...

I have nothing against it as long as it is done in a decent way. The problem begins when decency is left out.

If you attend one of these parades, I was told always to remain seated and keep your mouth shut. (chortle)

Parades almost universally suck: St. Patrick's, Macy's, the International Love Parade, etc. I always think of the character in Joseph Heller's Catch-22 who does nothing but plan military parades incessantly, a character Heller aptly named Colonel Scheisskopf (German for "Shit Head"). Yet I would make a couple of exceptions: Chinese New Year's parades are artful, and S.F.'s Pride parade is pretty damn hilarious, in that campy self-parodying way that much of gay culture has. There have been a few too many corporate sponsors of late, but in general it's fun: people who get their panties in a bunch over Pride really need to give it a chance, or at least remember it's only once a year ...

I've never attended a gay pride parade or Mardi Gras in New Orleans (the non-gay equivalent), but it's not because I'm irrationally  afraid some gay or non-gay person might rape me on the spot.

I have been known to support some causes for gay rights and disagree with others, but I hate ALL parades of ALL kinds. . .parades were nice before the automobile took center stage in American life. The traffic. The people. The hassle. It's just not my cup of tea. . .

I don't understand the need for them. While I suppose they are some form of overt politcal advocacy, I think that if their goal was true equality that they can put their time to better use. "We're here and we're queer" is particularly troubling because, as a social libertarian, I believe gay rights should be a non-issue. People can engage in personal behavior that is lawful and does not harm others regardless of whether it is consistent with my own moral philosophy. What goes on in the bedroom is nobody's business ultimately, and I believe that parades are counter-productive to advancing that idea. I could care less about a person's sexuality, and I do not believe it is something that should define them or determine their worth in the eyes of others. To each his own. "Pride" parades are not needed.

You know, I understand why they have them, but I don't think many of the younger participants really get it. I mean, in a way it's like having a pride parade over your preferences for pizza toppings. But for the oppression and intolerance, who should care?

totally worthless do straight people have straight pride parades. there is no need for the attention.

. . . and participating in a parade like this is going to make reasonable, straight people agree with your cause? Yuh. Great idea: let's get dressed in our most outrageous, disgusting costumes we can put togehter, perform lewd acts and scream at people how we're just like them. And they HAVE to accept us or we'll call them names! Yeah, that should further our cause.

yea rebel don't you just hate it when those people in the parades help children become more tolerant,whoops sorry i mean turn them gay because yea that's really possible. UPDATE since when do pride parades consist soley of let's get dressed in our most outrageous, disgusting costumes we can put togehter, perform lewd acts and scream at people how we're just like them. i guess all the pride parades i have seen have just been the fake, totally different than that, kind.

Ever thought that these parades take place because there are still people in this world who see gays as being abnormal and sick? How can they go about their normal lives if people are attacking them because of their sexuality, saying that they are going to burn in hell etc, etc? Gay people do want to be treated like everyone else - but certain people in this world won't let them because they're screaming and throwing a hissy fit and saying how disgusting it is and highlighting it all the time.

If gay and lesbian people wish to be treated 'no different from others', the parades need to go away. How is such a parade any different from, say, a parade of straight people who practice oral sex, or people who pick their noses, or whatever? Yes, gays and lesbians have been discriminated against and worse, but so have many other groups for their beliefs or practices, and we do not see multiple parades for those groups. Private behavior should be just that: private.

I dont want to sound mean, but if there was a white pride parade in the downtown of a big city, it is racist. But homosexuals do have parades, and nothing is said about some of the ridiculous stuff that happens at one of the parades. Once again, no offense.

I hate all parades. I'm not a homophobe at all. I'm a bisexual who is accepting of who she is. I just *really* hate Parades.

Not being a homophobe I really don't care either way, but I dislike most parades, they slow up traffic.

We don't need abominations parading around our streets influencing our children.

I dislike any form of political parades, mostly because they are using publicly funded streets to promote things I don't agree with. Why can't they rent out a hall and have a convention instead of occupying streets and snarling traffic? Oh wait: that would cost money.

Just because they like to screw their same sex they get to mess up traffic?!