Welcome to the Second Annual Gay Pride Week Here at Juice with Junior! HOLLA! Happy Pride!
Hello kittens, lovemuffins, and assorted delicious wonderfuls of the world! Welcome to the Second Annual Gay Pride Week right here at Juice with Junior! I know! I can't believe it either! Well, it's here so let's gab...
So you guys know that I wanted to do it last month, but when I looked at the schedule around the time of the big New York City Pride Parade (below right), I realized that with Canada Day and the Fourth of July, that I couldn't really give the week the justice it deserves until later on. And, although July isn't the national official Gay Pride Month, who gives a strap-on! We gay people of the country and the world should, and need, to be proud 24/7 so that's why it's this week. Now we'll have the time to do it right!
So wondering what you can expect all week long? Well, we'll have posts all about gay identity, community, issues, entertainment, and as always your perfectly on-target input! And even if you're not gay, we'll have stuff for you to get involved. Because really, gay pride is not just for gay people; it's for everyone. Dim the lights please.
Yes, Junior is 'bout to get serious. While I know that fighting for marriage equality is important to the gay community right now, I just want people to remember that there are other issues the community needs to tackle. Getting out into the overall community to educate people. Because ignorance breeds fear and as long as people can say they don't know us or what we're all about, then it's easier to hate us.
Plus, we need stronger hate crimes laws, job discrimination laws. There should be more inclusive descriptions of the sexuality of historical figures in schools, and we all need to get over the internalized sexism that drives so much hate against boys who aren't the epitome of masculinity. Travel protections in other countries, hate speech laws to keep people from spewing filth into the ether.
There is so much. But I know that if we keep supporting the right people in government, spending our money wisely, teaching others about gayness, and calmly dispelling hate in our day to day lives, the world will be a better place for our queer children. Excuse me! I'm getting verklempt!
Talk amongst yourselves. I'll give you a topic. A fierce queen is neither ferocious or royalty. Discuss. Okay, I'm better. So that's what Gay Pride Week is all about. Now I thought I would leave you with some photos I took from the Pride Parade in Manhattan. Of course, I took pictures of me there but none of them came out. The only one I have is above left and may be the best picture of my sunglasses ever. Me?
Not so much. Enjoy! Click to enlarge photos!
The peeps above handed out Kiehls so they were my new best friends...
In addition to Michael Urie, I also saw the fabulous Marissa Jaret Winokur (above) from "Hairspray" promoting that Oxygen show "Dance Your A$$ Off." Of course, my cell phone cam couldn't get a good picture, but it's her! Promise! She even waved in my general direction. Not at me, unforts...
The firefighter's float above, or Junior's heaven on earth (click to enlarge)...
She was whipping him all down 5th Ave (above). Wonder what he did?
Hot. Above. That is all.
HAPPY GAY PRIDE WEEK EVERYONE!
(p.s. there's a new poll in the sidebar that's all gay all the time! Vote up!)
5 comments:
Yay! Pride Week at the Juice!
I have to agree with you about marriage rights being important, but not the only issue. I was just talking to the boyfriend last night about discrimination laws and he could not believe it's not illegal to fire or not hire someone for being gay in the state of Pennsylvania. It's true, people. Look it up.
Oh, and my favorite thing about being gay isn't listed in the poll! The swish. I don't know why, but the fact my hips and bum sway involuntarily makes me smile.
Gay marriage represents much more than marriage to me. It's about equality - PERIOD. Legal equality. While it's not the whole of the issues, I consider it a starting point to begin tackling those other issues you pointed out.
Until lawmakers believe that their constituents believe that certain groups are entitled to legal protections or rights, those same lawmakers don't feel compelled to work toward those rights for those groups. As a woman, I know this all to be too true.
It's a sad fact of this country we live in. But it's the reason I fight for that equality so strongly and have such a low tolerance for intolerance. It's not a blindness to the needs for all of the rights and protections - it's the understanding that there is a need for the starting off point to get the ball rolling. And as far as which "right people in government" you're talking about... I don't know WHO you're talking about. None of them have done as well as they could or should...
But what is missing is the knowledge that the goverment IS the people. They represent their consituents and they are voted for their views, as they percieve their representatives to think.
So ultimately, the struggle for equality starts from the ground up, not the top down.
That may seem like a mountain to climb, and it is, but look at where African American or Women were 100 years ago (with a note that it's still not any where near perfect now).
It starts in your home. Then your neighbourhood, your community, your church, your county, your state and all the way up to the courts.
In many ways, I find it insane to think that Canada has legalized Gay Marriage, but you can't get that same right in most of the USA, which is supposed to be the standard by which the world charts it's moral course.
But as much as it "takes a village", what it really takes is each and every individual to evaluate themselves. Removing the excuses of religion, culture, class and all the other barriers that defines one self, how does treating someone badly justify an ends to a mean?
So to that extent, I make it a point to support my gay friends. I not only go to "pride parades" as it were, but I also speak out against others treatement (and having gay friends, I've seen it all). I even spoke out in my Catholic formation class against comments by some others who perhaps truly don't get what it means to be faithful. Not get preachy, but the second greatest commandment was "love thy neighbour"....there wasn't any subclause that said "but only if they are this and this".
K..sorry..got on a bit of a rant and a tangent, but I want the same thing for you Junior that I myself would be able to access readily. And it pisses me off that it is not that way.
Oh..but on a lighter note... in regards to your post.
1) I so want to go to New York
2) I love the firefighter pics. It made me drool in the most "fag hag" way possible.
3) I loved the little old lady! She was hilarious.
4) I love a pride parade as much as the next person, but where is the pride in wearing a dick costume? LOLZ.
5) When John Cena comes out (and I know he will), i hope he walks in the parade, sees Junior, leaps through the crowd, and embraces you with the love you deserve.
6) Mmm...firefighters.
Hello everyone! There is some stuff here let me tell you. I'll try to get to it all but will most likely not be thorough as I'd like.
Hi Paul! Agree Agree Agree. And how can I forget THE SWISH! It may be the best part! You know why I must've forgot? It's so wonderful it's already at the top of everyone's list!
Hi Pom! Okay, I see where you're coming from. I just wanted to bring up two issues I see about the marriage thing. I agree that marriage is an equality fight. Totally. My concern is more the idea that it's a starting off point.
I feel like there is a possibility that we can work so hard for a law to be passed for example, and then that's it. The gays have their victory, now we're not gonna approve anything else. I fear hitting a brick wall. And although marriage equality is important, we can't ignore other issues. After Mr. and Mrs. Loving got married, it didn't mean Mrs. Loving couldn't get fired for being black or told she couldn't live in a certain area.
All the fights have to be fought although marriage equality seems to be a great motivating issue to get people to start the talk on equality, I agree with you totally there. And Dani (I'm getting to you) took the words out of my mouth. Notice I didn't say "politicians" I said "people in government" because it's not just the president and such that run the country.
Although many government people are shady and don't keep their word, there are many more (even gay!) people in government who are working to make a difference. The problem is they are often so small that their victories aren't put on the evening news. I hope I'm not being optimistic, but I've been able to see some good even in my NY suburbs...
And Dani, agree with everything so much so that I'm just going to say: ditto.
Now let's talk about what's important: FIREFIGHTERS! So hot, I know! Oh and that old lady seriously was too fierce for words. After I snapped that picture, she looked at me like "You know I charge for photos right?" LOVE HER!
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