Why I feel there is no PROUD in PRIDE. Gay Pride? The name is much longer now; it is supposed to encapsulate everyone, from the transgender, lesbians to bisexuals. The reality, for me, and from my perspective is: there is no purpose to pride. The main event is a parade in which men and women, of all shapes and sizes, attempt to shock and wear as little as possible while marching down University Avenue under the guise of acceptance and awareness but the reality is it’s about hedonism. The days of Harvey Milk and Stonewall and meaning are long gone. If there was ever the need for a re-vamp and newly formulated Mission Statement that time is now. Sure, there will be causes represented, mostly Proposition 8, but a cause is not a purpose and a banner or waving a picket sign is not action, it’s only representation and ends when the parade stops. PRIDE has turned into a public display of alcohol and drug abuse, exhibitionism and parties throughout San Diego County that only profit the event coordinators and nothing else, not The Center, Special Delivery or Mama’s Kitchen and if those organizing and promoting these parties, like the Zoo party, claim to be donating a “percent” I’d like to see that balance sheet. The parade defeats everything that the “average” or “regular” gay and lesbian citizen is about. They are not about wearing a thong up University Avenue. They aren’t about getting drunk and vomiting in the lawns of those who live in Hillcrest or having sex with as many strangers as possible during the course of Pride weekend. Some people, gay people, actually care about raising a family, about the environment and making a difference. In addition to wanting the same rights and privileges as any heterosexual under our constitution. Unfortunately, the only visible representation that will be the focus of the media that does view the Parade won’t be PFLAG or groups that mean something, it will be the scantily clad young men and women dancing on floats. It’s embarrassing and sad that this is what our community treasures and holds up as equality. For years I have heard people comment about what a joke Pride is. Can’t we turn it around into meaning more than a party weekend? But what’s even more disturbing is that the young men and women of our community are seemingly only concerned with what they’ll be wearing to the parade and what party to go to. Is that really PRIDE?

I'm sure when my great grandparents arrived in America from Ireland they never envisioned that their holy day to honor the man that is largely believed to have brought Christianity to the Emerald Isle would turn into a national day of binge drinking where some people are drunk by 8am, but it happened. Nor do I see people quite as upset at what goes on at Mardi Gras as Steve says about the excess of sex at a Pride event. Pride means many things to many people and all those things and views have the right to be expressed. Pride is a celebration of the progress we've made in the past year. Pride is a celebration that we survived another year. Pride is a remembrance of those who went before us whether dying as victim of a hate crime or from the early days of HIV/AIDS, Pride is the anniversary of the uprising of Stonewall, and lastly Pride is about freedom; Freedom to be who we are and who we want to be. And what is a group that means something? Every group means something to those who are in it, simply because you don't agree with it's purpose doesn't make it meaningless. Instead of bitching at the problems you see in the community why not take the positive action steps need to make the changes happen. I'm sure the Center and Mama's Kitchen would love as much input as possible to help create events that generate much needed funds. Harvey Milk if I remember correctly wanted us to stand up and be counted. What better way to show the community that we manner than to have 150,000 of us, our friends, our families, and our supports celebrate another year of life and love? And what is a party without at least a little fun and frivolity? We suffer enough at the hands at those that want push us back in the closets, be kind to your gay brothers and sisters.
In Love
In Light
In Joy
Sister Iona Dubble-Wyde

Very well said Steve McKinnis. The same thoughts have been going through my head today as I chose not to attend SD Pride for the 5th Year in a row. I do not feel that I, as an average citizen of San Diego who happens to be a gay man, am being represented by either the parade or the festival. I too am embarrassed by what the gay community promotes as PRIDE. I think it would be interesting to see the GLT poll its readers for their thoughts on the issue. I realize that your revenue is 100% derived from advertisers..., the same companies who profit from gay pride events in the first place. So I don't imagine that you will be willing to bite the hand that feeds you. But who knows, maybe you'll surprise me.