The Indianapolis Gay Pride Parade and festival was this past weekend.
For the first time, the parade itself was actually pretty good. I would like to see a bit more diversity in floats and presentation, but I think we're getting there. It's only a few years old ... and it has most definitely come a long way since its inaugural run.
Of course, the Indianapolis Star could only manage to print pictures of the drag queen floats ... and barely mentioned the diversity present. I shouldn't be surprised ... what garners the most attention is what gets the most media coverage. And I'm a firm believer in visibility at any cost ... but it sure would be nice to have a larger picture of the gay community pictured. Don't get me wrong -- I love our drag queen sisters just as much as I love our PFLAG family members and everyone else. But perhaps a picture of one or two families, the older lesbian couple who mentioned they'd been together for 42 years, or the openly gay civic leaders in attendance would have been a nice touch. Just a thought.

Julia Carson gave a fun speech. I wouldn't exactly call her articulate, but she does stick strictly to her core belief system in pretty much everything she does. And her Shirley Q.-isms only endeared her more to me.

Our friend Waylon is just as cute as a button. I don't think he even realizes it.

I overheard a young gay kid (and by kid I mean early 20's - hehe) talking to his mother. The mother said "It has to be hard for all these people to just be themselves all the time. It has to be tough." She gestured toward the drag queen onstage and said "That has to be the hardest kind of life." The kid sort of verbally agreed with her, but his body language told a completely different story. I thought about what I had overheard (and watched) for a bit, as I walked through the crowd looking for Tony and our friend Adam. I guess I'm lucky -- after making the decision to come out, I've never struggled with being myself. It's not hard for me to present myself as a gay man ... because it's what I am. No, it doesn't solely define me, but it damn well plays a large part in the overall mixture of who I am ... and it's never been something that's bothered me or caused me shame. That kid's mother has taken an important step, attending the event with her son and showing her support that way. But she also has a lot to learn ... and I hope some serious lessons seeped into her as the day progressed.