Hey y'all
Saturday was pretty eventful here.
I know there were GLBT Pride events around the world but for the first time in the more than twenty years of having a Lexington Pride event-- it was held downtown.
It had been held on private farms in the past due to fear. Fear of persecution and protest. Fear of being able to just be yourself. I find that so chilling and so wrong.
It was a lively event featuring "Pride Idol", music, lots of food, booths to register to vote, fun things, educational materials and businesses noting their support of GLBT issues, such as same sex marriage. The crowd --and I do mean crowd--was fun and diverse and happy to be there. We wandered among the booths and watched the show and sipped cold beer and just reveled in the festive atmosphere.
In addition to the GLBT Pride Festival Lexington also hosted a "Diversity Festival". The events were held about two blocks apart. The Diversity Festival featured foods, crafts, music and dance of the multitude of cultures populating central Kentucky.
We enjoyed both events very much, making the easy stroll from one to the other and watching others do the same. It was pretty cool actually, seeing entire families enjoying both.
The prejudiced and fearful of course had to make their show of objection. In this particular case it was some Catholic group. I say this because they were led by a man carrying a cross and second in the meager line of about 15 people was a priest wearing a cassock and most of them were obviously praying the rosary. And the guy at the tail end--he was carrying the American flag--nice.
Saturday was pretty eventful here.
I know there were GLBT Pride events around the world but for the first time in the more than twenty years of having a Lexington Pride event-- it was held downtown.
It had been held on private farms in the past due to fear. Fear of persecution and protest. Fear of being able to just be yourself. I find that so chilling and so wrong.
It was a lively event featuring "Pride Idol", music, lots of food, booths to register to vote, fun things, educational materials and businesses noting their support of GLBT issues, such as same sex marriage. The crowd --and I do mean crowd--was fun and diverse and happy to be there. We wandered among the booths and watched the show and sipped cold beer and just reveled in the festive atmosphere.
In addition to the GLBT Pride Festival Lexington also hosted a "Diversity Festival". The events were held about two blocks apart. The Diversity Festival featured foods, crafts, music and dance of the multitude of cultures populating central Kentucky.
We enjoyed both events very much, making the easy stroll from one to the other and watching others do the same. It was pretty cool actually, seeing entire families enjoying both.
The prejudiced and fearful of course had to make their show of objection. In this particular case it was some Catholic group. I say this because they were led by a man carrying a cross and second in the meager line of about 15 people was a priest wearing a cassock and most of them were obviously praying the rosary. And the guy at the tail end--he was carrying the American flag--nice.
The great part is this--most people at the Event didn't even know there were protesters. The newspaper didn't mention it in their coverage the next day. They made a couple of circuits around the perimeter of the event in the hot sun and then they were gone. No one mentioned them, no one spoke to them. They were ignored.
The rest of us ---we laughed and loved and shared a summer day.
It was a lovely time.
Smooches and gropes babies.
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Remember to tune in Sunday night at 8 PM for TurnbabyTalks on BlogTalkRadio. The topic is forgiveness.
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20 comments:
I sometimes forget how things are outside of my little world...
it's great to hear how news org treated ptotestors~~~yeah glbt~~ ya'll have come a long way
WTG~~~~~~~~PLAWYK~~~~BGWD~~~
Those people?
Were. not. Catholics.
I don't care what the hell they claim to be or what they carried in their hands.
Yeah Lexington!
Sounds like a lovely time. Glad you got to enjoy it.
glad yinz had a terrific time. sunday's pride parade in nyc made me feel proud to be alive. made me want to dance.
love that feeling.
katherine: Yup--our state senator is out as is our vice mayor. And both have won elections since then so things ARE getting better.
Charlene: I wish I could chalk it up to a deliberate slight. I think the paper just missed it LOL
Britt: Much as I know you love your adopted religion sweetie I'm sorry to say the priest was pretty much cheerleading this sad little parade. I was raised with the hypocrisy sugar. And I struggled to justify it for a long time because of the good. So I know what you mean. Smooch.
Finn: I was so pleasantly surprised. It was a lovely day all around.
Becky: Oh my yessss!! I had that feeling in spades!
Not all catholics act that way, Turnbaby. I'm glad you had a great time. :)
I'm sorry I missed your show last Sunday. I'm also an incurable foodie. I would have loved to talk food with you. Maybe you can make it a recurring theme? Hint hint....[batting my eyes, looking awfully cute and hoping you'll say yes.]
Honestly I am not aware of anything like this in Memphis, but I could have missed it...
Dragon: Oh sugar I know--I was raised Catholic. I am aware of the schism and differing views on where the church should be in today's world. I'm not saying all Catholics are prejudiced and fearful of gay rights and gay people. But these folks held themselves out as Catholics and they had a priest leading the way in his vestments--not full mind you but enough.
Bond: They were earlier there ---here you go http://memphis.about.com/od/glbt/a/prideweek.htm
Dragon: Sorry--forgot the second part--YES we are going to do another foodie show. I'm thinking comfort foods.
Fear and just not being able to understand makes people do stupid things.
Im glad a wonderful time was had by all. I've got to ask my cousin if I can tag along with her next time we have an event here.
You've got a show on Sunday? And you'll be talking forgiveness? How interesting!!! ;)SMOOOOOCH
Have you noticed how people blur forgiving with forgetting?
Wait... no one commented on your shirt? *giggle*
Tolerance and respect, embracing our infinite diversity in infinite combinations.
Gotta love that!
Ugh. It drives me crazy with zealot Catholics go out there and make a really lame stand when in reality, if they were truly living the Christ-like life, they wouldn't protest a person's God-given right to love. People like that make true Catholic Christians like myself seethe.
Glad you had a great time, sweetie!
Sounds like a fun day. As a baby boomer, I'm happy to see progress on the subject of GLBT rights. The world is becoming a better place ... it has taken awhile, but progress is being made.
The gays throw all the best parties! Glad you had fun.
:-)
Well, I am deaf and had a booth at the festival for Kentucky Stonewall Democrats. Apparenty some guy that was harassing people about his church spent an hour at my booth ATTEMPTING to harass me, but you know he didn't write anything down so I missed what he was saying. I figure the gods sent him to me, where he could do no harm and let him exhaust himself....
I am still laughing apparently there is some part of the word "deaf" he can not understand....
If they ever hold a Beastialty Pride event let me know. Cheers TB!!
That's exactly the way killjoy protesters should be treated. Kudos to the GLBT community of Lexington!
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