I attended the Gay Pride Parade in Los Angeles today and visited the Pride Festival in West Hollywood. I’ve been to four of the last five New York parades (or “marches” as organizers in NYC call them) and had been to most of the five before that in L.A. As I walked away from the festivities today, I couldn’t help but think, “Why do I come to these things?” Part of attending this year was an invitation from a friend and my partner not having been to the L.A. parade before. But after two hours of watching men in chaps on motorcycles and guys in their underwear handing out postcards for porn and politicians angling for our vote, I was left wondering, Where are the sports?
The Barnacle Busters SCUBA club was there (dressed as anemones, pictured). L.A. Frontrunners and Cheer LA were there. But in two hours of watching sex and politics and the furthest fringes of the gay “community” pass by, it was a little disappointing to see that the sports groups and mainstream sports fans are not more prevalent in the parade. They are in New York City, but not in L.A.
It left me wondering how well-represented are sports in the Pride celebrations of other cities. Do they march or are they featured in Philadelphia? Boston? Chicago? Dallas?
on Jun 14th, 2009 at 9:54 PM
Some of the organizations had tables at our Pride Festival — I recall seeing Phila. Spartans (wrestling), Phila. Fins (swimming), Frontrunners (running), plus there was a stand for the Philadelphia Firebirds, a team playing in something called the Independent Women’s Football League. There may have been one or two other tables. One that did not was the City of Brotherly Love Softball League, which is kind of disappointing.
on Jun 14th, 2009 at 9:55 PM
Forgot to add…no idea who actually marched in the parade.
on Jun 14th, 2009 at 11:54 PM
Hmm…go to a pride parade…or do something entertaining…I am gonna go with most of the jock gays were probably doing something entertaining.
on Jun 14th, 2009 at 11:56 PM
The Gay and Lesbian Softball league had a booth in the festival, and at least one team, The Diablos, was marching, with Bienestar, the Latino/a HIV/AIDS prevention and service organization that sponsors them. However, yes, sports in the gay community here is lacking.
on Jun 15th, 2009 at 5:32 AM
Um… I was one of the men on motorcycles in the LA Parade. Except I wasn’t wearing chaps. I was wearing my sport bike riding gear. So were about 15 of the 30 men on our bikes. We were there as representatives of the gay sport bike riders of SoCal. Motorcycle riding IS our sport. However, all you saw was the “men in chaps.” I only think two of the guys were wearing chaps. Maybe you were too busy looking for the negative and not the positive.
Every year there’s always someone who whines about the parade not having anyone who represents THEM in the parade. All I can say to them is “if you want the parade to look like you, you have to be in it.” Why didn’t OutSports put together a contingent of gay sportsmen to march together? Was it too much effort? Maybe a bit easier to sit at home and complain?
on Jun 15th, 2009 at 9:24 AM
WOW Jasun, I agree with what you say 100%. I don’t go to the parades because they no longer interest me. I find the whole pride thing a bit boring, but if I want to be represented then I would organize a float. Well said!
on Jun 15th, 2009 at 10:35 AM
LA Gay rodeo was the flag honor guard, and was a co sponsor for the country western event
on Jun 15th, 2009 at 11:08 AM
Cyd it’s weird to read this article when Jim’s name is attached as the guy who writes the blog for the gay flag football team in Los Angeles
http://lamotion.blogspot.com/
And I believe you play for them or did when I first met you in 2002. Is this post meant as a backdoor swipe against gay prides in general? I don’t understand.
on Jun 15th, 2009 at 11:42 AM
I’ve marched in Pride parades and I’ve organized sports groups to march. I just got tired of doing it and have grown tired of Pride in general, in part because of how the fringes of the community dominate the parade (not entirely, but in part). The float with the guy locked in a tiny cage and another guy flogging someone and another guy being led on a chain like a dog and another guy tied down to a board being tickled — I understand they have their own taste and have the right to express themselves, but it just turns me off from the event.
With that said, there is a tone of unity to Pride that I do like and that does speak to me. I guess that’s why I don’t completely abandon it.
on Jun 15th, 2009 at 12:37 PM
As Lisa Simpson famously said in response to a chanter saying “We’re here, we’re queer, get used to it” when the Springfield pride parade went by “We ARE used to it!”
on Jun 15th, 2009 at 12:47 PM
Would I be a ‘mo in good standing if I stayed home to work on my boat parade day but the night before I watched “Sunset Blvd.” ?
on Jun 15th, 2009 at 1:29 PM
I will say this… there are a lot of people who love to put their fetish or favorite performances front and center… Parades are made for people like this.
A gay soccer team might have some fun kicking a few balls down the street and they might sign up some new members, but it’s not going to be the big kick to them that it is for the people who like to put on a Big Show.
MY buds who ride motorcycles with me did it because it’s fun to do and once the parade is over, we ride our bikes out into the mountains… it’s like a fun little starter to the day. OK, yesterday we headed back to mine and had margaritas all day. Sue me.
That being said, it still bugs me when people dog on Pride so much because it doesn’t represent THEM. Pride Day is a big street party, not a public relations day. The Parade is just made up of the people who show up and want to march… don’t blame the drag queens and the leather fetish people because the sportsmen can’t be arsed to show up and represent.
on Jun 15th, 2009 at 1:58 PM
For the record, Jasun looked awesome on his bike. Just sayin’.
on Jun 15th, 2009 at 2:14 PM
Why do sports have to be so integrated into PRIDE or even the gay community in general? Well…….the politics of sports anyway. Aren’t you the same guys who bullied those in school who weren’t athletes (jocks) anyway?
on Jun 15th, 2009 at 2:53 PM
Cyd = That makes more sense to me than bemoaning something that you have a choice in changing. Funny article: http://www.theonion.com/content/node/28491
Jasun = More power to you and yours. If jocks want to be out and proud no one is keeping them from being visible unless they are closeted or watching the Laker game previews like I was.
Rusty = Easy bitter. I would consider seeing a therapist to release the pain.
on Jun 15th, 2009 at 3:39 PM
Thanks Mad Dog… nice to know i was more fun to look at than the dude in the cage
on Jun 15th, 2009 at 4:41 PM
Maybe gay guys who are into sports just aren’t into marching in the pride parade.
on Jun 15th, 2009 at 7:48 PM
Jasun, where are the pics? Do share!!
on Jun 15th, 2009 at 8:00 PM
Haha Cyd! You perv. I knew you had it in ya.
And Jay, I do see a therapist. That’s not the point, however. We can go on and on and on and on and on about this topic but we could be here for weeks discussing it.
on Jun 15th, 2009 at 10:00 PM
I have been going to Pride parades for years in both NYC and Philly. In both cities there has been a notable dropoff of sports teams attending. I have grown tired of NYC because it’s become way too fringe to keep me interested. In Philly the FINS are the only noticeable sports team at the parade partly because I guess skin sells. Long ago all almost all sport teams participated, now they get more bang for their buck manning tables set up at the Festival.
on Jun 16th, 2009 at 2:36 AM
Hi Cyd!
I can say only that it’s not unique to L.A. Here in San Francisco, birthplace of the Gay Games, where Gay Pride is on of the city’s largest events, the sports contingent in the Pride march is, quite frankly, pathetic. Of the thousands of people competing is dozens of leagues and events, maybe a couple of dozen will march behind the Team San Francisco standard.
I’ve heard so many excuses why people don’t march, from “it’s my birthday and I want to party” to “we need to have volunteers to staff our beverage booth,” as if making money is more important than honoring one of the most important events in our history–and this, the 40th anniversary of that event.
In this I believe: Gay Pride is not a spectator sport.
And I say hogwash to all the excuses!
I march. Every year. From when I came out in Seattle more than 20 years ago, to year after year here in SF. And this year, after our Proposition 8 defeat both at the polls and in the courts, it’s more important than ever for every gay woman and man to get off the sidelines and be seen and heard in the streets, show the city, the state, the country, and the world what it means to be out and proud, to show that we really are from all walks of life, and to demand the equality that is ostensibly guaranteed to us by the Constitution, but is routinely denied us.
on Jun 16th, 2009 at 9:40 AM
HI Cyd
In Salt Lake city Queer Utah Aquatics Club (QUAC) always marches in the Pride parade and is a big crowd pleaser. it is a great way for us to advertise ourselves and get new members.
on Jun 16th, 2009 at 9:56 AM
This is the 1st year that the bf & I didn’t go to the parade. And actually, it was becuz we forgot that it was happening.
…We were busy running errands getting ready for our driving trip starting this Fri & then we came home to watch the Lakers. That being said, the idea of an OS contingent sounds QUITE interesting to me! I marched a few years ago w/ the Episcopal Church & completely enjoyed it. But I’ve never organized a group to march. What would it cost, if anything at all? Do we build a float, ride a car, or simply march via our feet? Do we wear OSs tees or what? How much volunteer time would be needed? I’d certainly like to know what it would entail organizing such a thing. Whatcha think boys & girls?
on Jun 16th, 2009 at 4:15 PM
Me and about 15 of my gay sports buddies were all busy having a BBQ all day in preparation for the Lakers’ victory!! The parade I’ve been looking forward to is on Wednesday downtown
on Jun 23rd, 2009 at 10:24 AM
In Boston we had marchers from the gay hockey league, softball league, and football leagues.
on Jul 31st, 2010 at 8:34 PM
WOW, This makes Phoenix look pretty good as far as the sports teams participating in Pride. some of the participants I can remember are: Phoenix Sunfish (swimteam), Phoenix Storm (Rugby), Frontrunners and Walkers, Arizona Gay Rodeo Assoc., Various softball teams from the Cactus Cities league, Flag football teams, Arizona Gay Volleyball sponsored a volleyball tournament that was part of the festival, and Arizona Derby Dames (Roller Derby) are always around, and Compete Magazine had a booth at the festival. I may have missed an organization, but all in all Phoenix sports are highly visible during Pride, as well as the rest of they year.