Gay Pride parades used to mean protests. Now they're an excuse for straight kids to party

[TexasTowelie]

SAN FRANCISCO – Paul Ellis has seen a lot of Gay Pride parades. He marched in Pittsburgh's first one in 1973 with just 40 other people, flanked by angry residents holding glass bottles and rocks with only two unhappy police officers for protection.

Ellis, manager at Cliff's Variety Store in the historic Castro district, is part of the generation of LGBTQ activists who fought for basic rights, to get jobs and to avoid arrest. When he most recently attended the San Francisco Pride Parade with his partner, he was shocked by what he saw.

"I stopped and said (to my partner), 'Do you see any gay people around us?' And it was like, 'Oh my God, no,' " he said.

They had run into a cultural shift breathtaking in its speed and still something of a disconnect to many in the gay community. In many large cities, Gay Pride marches have become the new St. Patrick’s Day, only with rainbow tutus instead of shamrocks.

Read more: https://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/LGBT-issues/2018/06/22/pride-parades-excuse-straight-kids-party/712068002/

[mr_lebowski]

1. This (mostly) straight guy has partied at SF Gay Pride MANY TIMES ...

Why, is there something wrong with that?

Was I not supposed to be at the Gay Folks party?

They (often my friends) always seemed pretty happy to have as many cool, supportive, happy, fun people there partying with them ... as wanted to show up.

Maybe shit has changed since last I went, which was a while ago now?

Pretty safe bet the straight kids that show up to hang and party at Pride ... are indeed supportive, or they wouldn't be there. For my part, I was always there FIRST to support, and 2nd to have fun with a bunch of other cool, fun folks.

[TexasTowelie]

2. My experience in college and afterwards is that the gay clubs and parades

had the BEST dance party music. The inside joke was instead of being gay, we were being FESTIVE.

[onetexan]

5. Yup, "Straight Night" Wednesdays were always cool to attend

Straight or gay. Im thinking Straights coming out to party with Gays is a good thing?

If gay pride has morphed into straight partying, to me that means there is greater support & acceptance of the gay community. Tell me where im wrong here.

[TexasTowelie]

6. Yes, quarter well drinks at Halls in Austin drew the crowds in Austin.

Twenty-five cents for a drink was a bargain for poor college kids.

[Behind the Aegis]

4. Also from the article...

Straight people showing up to Gay Pride parades is nothing new. But the growing phenomenon of straight young adults attending just to party, sometimes in large numbers, has burgeoned in recent years. University of California-Berkeley gender and women's studies professor Paola Bacchetta said she sees it as a kind of co-opting of the underlying political necessity of the marches.

[Behind the Aegis]

3. Cultural appropriation, of sorts.

It is unsurprising. It is partly the fault of the GLBT community for not educating our own. There is a serious disconnect in the community.

[lambchopp59]

7. The Pride parades still represent, and now celebrate, the success of those early protests.

I'm glad to tell the story of Stonewall to most anyone interested, it's important. Two days ago a young gay man in Sao Paulo, Brazil asked me about it, seeing that this year's parade is the 50th anniversary, I was glad to give a synopsis and share some links. Their pride parade is Sunday June 23rd, and it's tremendously important in their predicament under Bolsonaro to be loud and proud.
Even in a relatively enlightened day thanks to previous administrations that "evolved",
Under Trump's goofball regime, and plenty of anti-LGBT crap he's stirred on top of hosting Jair Bolsonaro:
We've still got plenty to protest:

https://www.washingtonblade.com/2019/06/05/all-of-trumps-anti-lgbt-actions-since-last-pride-plus-a-few-welcome-moves/

I doubt that only but a few "Straights" attending are unaware of the significance of Pride. I welcome all support.