nmwolfboy
06-17-2008, 09:33 PM
This past Saturday i had the deep pleasure of marching with my parish in Albuquerque's LGBT Pride Parade. This year's Pridefest theme was "Live, Love, Be!" Our contingent was led by our Rector and his elderly mother (cute as a button), who rode in another parishioner's convertible, with others marching behind.
i confess that this year i wasn't looking forward to the Pridefest. No particular reason, i'm just sometimes a jaded middle-aged queen. But upon discovering that my own parish was participating, i felt the need to take a very public stand stirring once again.
It was hot, and the march of approximately 100 entries was 2 miles long under the New Mexico sun. One of the women in our group was all decked out for Pride, marching in her new, colorfully funky four inch heels - she made it the whole way! We didn't have a banner to carry, but there were magnetic signs on the sides of the convertible that said "St. Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church".
The many spectators along the parade route would start to applaud and cheer once they could read our signs, calling out "Thank You! God Bless You!" One smiling spectator shouted "ALL the angels!" and Father Brian shouted back "That's right! Not just SOME of the angels...ALL of them!" Several times i witnessed people dart out into the parade route to touch hands with Fr. Brian (or his mother), saying "Bless you, Father!"
My smile was a mile wide, and i was waving at the crowd like a REAL queen!
The only (very few) protesters were at the start of the parade, who shouted over their amplifier "You pervert the Bible! You're all going to burn in hell!" when they spied our group. They looked like they were going apoplectic when they saw our delighted and serene priest, sitting up on the back of the convertible wearing his clerical collar, happily waving at the crowds.
This was the best Pride ever. Better than the years i angrily marched with Act Up, the campy years when i marched with drag queens, and the in your face years standing with my leather brothers. Those were great experiences, too, but this year eclipsed them.
This was also the first year our parish officially participated in Pride, and Fr. Brian kept saying "Why haven't we done this before?" i look forward to marching with them again next year. Who knows? Maybe i'll drag out my sewing machine in the interim and make a banner for us to carry!
i confess that this year i wasn't looking forward to the Pridefest. No particular reason, i'm just sometimes a jaded middle-aged queen. But upon discovering that my own parish was participating, i felt the need to take a very public stand stirring once again.
It was hot, and the march of approximately 100 entries was 2 miles long under the New Mexico sun. One of the women in our group was all decked out for Pride, marching in her new, colorfully funky four inch heels - she made it the whole way! We didn't have a banner to carry, but there were magnetic signs on the sides of the convertible that said "St. Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church".
The many spectators along the parade route would start to applaud and cheer once they could read our signs, calling out "Thank You! God Bless You!" One smiling spectator shouted "ALL the angels!" and Father Brian shouted back "That's right! Not just SOME of the angels...ALL of them!" Several times i witnessed people dart out into the parade route to touch hands with Fr. Brian (or his mother), saying "Bless you, Father!"
My smile was a mile wide, and i was waving at the crowd like a REAL queen!
The only (very few) protesters were at the start of the parade, who shouted over their amplifier "You pervert the Bible! You're all going to burn in hell!" when they spied our group. They looked like they were going apoplectic when they saw our delighted and serene priest, sitting up on the back of the convertible wearing his clerical collar, happily waving at the crowds.
This was the best Pride ever. Better than the years i angrily marched with Act Up, the campy years when i marched with drag queens, and the in your face years standing with my leather brothers. Those were great experiences, too, but this year eclipsed them.
This was also the first year our parish officially participated in Pride, and Fr. Brian kept saying "Why haven't we done this before?" i look forward to marching with them again next year. Who knows? Maybe i'll drag out my sewing machine in the interim and make a banner for us to carry!