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Dear
Readers: This article was written in July and scheduled to
run here at the end of the summer as a look back to the beginning
of the season, how the Long Island GLBT community kicked off
the summer. There was some hesitation at first going forward
with the article in light of the terrible, horrific tragedies
resulting from the attacks on September 11th. It was decided
to go forward with the article as a tribute to the New York
we knew before all this happened. To honor the spirit of New
York, the country, and humanity.
- Editor, LICK
GO
WEST, YOUNG MAN! (AND WOMAN!):
Long Islanders Show Their Pride at NYC Parade!
by Jed
Ryan
Oh
my! As the gay community, we are indeed a fickle bunch. So
many members of our community ignorantly poke fun at the Long
Island Pride Parade, unfairly comparing it to the New
York City Parade (Heritage
of Pride Parade) and saying that the Long Island Parade
pales in comparison. Well, obviously, the comparison between
the two is unfair at best. People ask me which Parade and
Festival was "better." You can't really compare
the two! I like to answer that neither the New York City or
the Long Island Parade is "better" than the other,
just "different." At the Long Island Parade, we
realize just how small our community can seem, as we bump
into ex-lovers, old friends, people who have been in relationships
a while and disappeared from "the scene," etc. For
some it's a little too, shall we say, "close for comfort."
This is perhaps why so many members of our community unfairly
have the "been there, done that" attitude about
the Long Island Pride Parade, but they disregard the new faces
and new innovations that the Parade has to offer every year.
In
New York City, on the other hand, the sheer numbers of people
assure that you'll see PLENTY of new faces; that you'll
learn about new organizations; and that you'll acquire enough
memories and funny stories to shock your straight relatives
at holiday gatherings all year! Many of us on Long Island,
used to the comfort of our own backyards and/or the taken-for-granted
wide open space of the suburbs, may become wary of the idea
of the Manhattan Parade: being with miles and miles of people
crammed into the streets of downtown NYC, in almost 90 degree
heat and unyielding humidity. Even the extroverted Long Island
diva Peggie Pussie confessed to me yesterday that she gets
just a bit claustrophobic in that kind of atmosphere. Of course,
if you are phobic of public transportation, you're in trouble,
'cause finding a parking space near the fesivities is impossible
(Is it EVER easy in the city?). All the bars are standing
room only, the waiting for the restaurants are very long,
and it's impossible to find a public restroom. You may risk
blisters, dehydration, sunburn, or unrequeited love. Is going
to the New York City Pride Parade worth it?
ABSOLUTELY!!
Even
though we on Long Island had our own elebration on June 10th,
there was PLENTY of representation from Nassau, Sufffolk,
and the outer buroughs showing their pride on Sunday, June
24, 2001 at the 32nd Annual Gay and Lesbian Pride March. This
year's theme was "What part of equal don't you understand?"
Partners Steven Sebor and Stuart Friedman of the Empire
State Pride Agenda were marching alongside a float with
a triumphant arch made from rainbow-colored balloons-- very
similar to the float which appeared on Long Island, but obviously,
much bigger! P-FLAG
Long Island was there, showing that some of our most dedicated
supporters are our straight friends and relatives My good
friends Pat Caleo and partner Dawn, who had marched with MELI
for the Long
Island Parade, were with P-FLAG that day. These girls
never take a vacation from pride! Speaking of MELI (Marraige
Equality Long Island), I ran into these crusaders for marriage
rights at Pridefest on Washington Street after the Parade.
Partners Harlan Pruden and Patrick O'Hare, both looking surprisingly
wide-eyed and fresh after such a long day, distributed information
about MELI. For a small contribution, you could get a Marriage
Equality T-shirt! Matrimony never looked so fashionable! MELI
is the Long Island chapter of MENY (Marriage Equality New
York). Check out www.marriageequalityny.com
for more info. Marching with the Long Island Switchboard were
Paul Paquette and Vinny, two men also involved with the Suffolk
Gay Men's Group. The Suffolk County Men's Group meets
on the first and third Friday of the month at 8 PM at the
Sayville Congregational Church. Call Paul at (631) 447-1711
or Vinny at (631) 471-9514 for more info, or e-mail SUFGAYMENGRP@aol.com.
Harold O'Brien, of the Long Island Gay Men's Discussion Group,
the oldest continuously running gay group on Long Island,
marched with Paul and Vinny. LIGMDG meets every Tuesday. Call
(631) 873-1415 or log on to http://members.aol.com/ligmg
for more info. Louis Trapani, moderator for the popular LI
Pride eGroup and LI Pride Discussion eGroup at Yahoo Groups,
was also marching with the Switchboard down 5th Avenue, camera
in hand!. Also spotted at the Parade, among others, were Eric
of the L.I.
Ravens MC, Tony from Thunders,
and an out-of-drag Evoca Rain. Queens nightspots Music Box
Bar, Krash, and Friend's Tavern had amazing floats.
No
matter how many parades anyone had been to in the past, this
year's celebration was enough to make any gay man or lesbian
realize the importance of Gay Pride, and hopefully to revive
within ourselves what is essentially the essence of it all:
recognizing what is different and unique about ourselves.
Once we recognize it, the next step is to celebrate it. There
was something for everyone at this celebration, no matter
what your age, gender identification, poltical affiliation,
cultural/ethnic group, religion, or lifestyle. 80's pop icon
Cyndi Lauper was perched like a bird of paradise on top of
her own float. Off-Broadway shows "The
Rocky Horror Show" and "Love,
Janis" had their own floats. Blond hottie Randy Harrison
got hundreds of boyz excited as he waved from the "Queer
as Folk" float (and yes, he is as absolutely adorable
in real life as he is on TV!). "The
Donkey Show" float threw much-welcomed bottles of
water, complete with "Donkey
Show" labels, into the crowd. A HUGE contingent
from GOAL (Gay Officers Action League) NYC marched by, as
well as FIRE-FLAG, the organization of gay and lesbian firefighters
and EMS workers. (Alert: husband material marching through!).
Also high atop a float was a representative from the gayest
show on TV today-- no, not "Will
and Grace!" "Robin Byrd's 'Men for Men!'"
Yes, the Queen of Public Access Manhattan TV was there, daring
to wear leather pants on that scorcher of a day! Robin Byrd's
delightfully decadent show on Time Warner Cable Ch. 35 has
been awakening gay men's supressed libidos for ages now. I
yelled "I love you" to her from the ground, to which
she yelled,"I love you back!" The most exciting
float was the one promoting the upcoming flick "Hedwig
and the Angry Inch," the movie based on the hugely
successful off-Broadway musical about a transgendered rock
star. A Hedwig look-alike lip-synched to the movie's amazing
soundtrack while throwing three-dollar bills with Hedwig's
face on them into the crowd! The float reminded us to "GET
HED" this summer! This will be "MUST-SEE"
gay cinema! Don't miss it! Check out www.get-hed.com.
The movies "Legally
Blonde" and the gay movie "Adventures of Felix,"
now playing at Manhattan's Quad Cinema, were also being promoted.
Other eye candy included Senator
Hillary Clinton; the Harlettes, a gender illusionist cheerleading
squad; a small group of husky twenty-somethings calling themselves
"Generation
X Bears" (Why don't they just call themselves "Cubs?");
and much, much more!
At
Pridefest afterward, Parade-goers were treated to a free concert
by
Deborah (not Debbie anymore!) Gibson, who performed a
crowd-pleasing selection of her classic hits like "Shake
Your Love" as well as songs from her new, GREAT CD
(It's called "MYOB." It's amazing! I'll refund your
money if you don't like it!). Her hair colored a lovely shade
of auburn, a more womanly-looking Deborah reminded many of
us in the "pushing 30" crowd about one of the first
CD's we ever bought (Her "Out of the Blue"). During
the last song she performed, "Your Secret," she
was joined onstage by a group of hunky Chippendales dancers.
Deborah might be too closely associated with the 80's, but
what separates this diva from so many other one-hit fly-by-nights
is simple: This girl's got talent! She could have tried to
play "catch-up" with the boy- and girl- groups all
over the place now, but instead she simply lets herself be
Deborah-- and she's fabulous. I met her after waiting outside
her trailer for 45 minutes. What a sweetheart! Also at Pridefest
was openly gay actor Anthony Rapp of "Rent," signing
autographs and talking with fans. Another sweetheart!
The
evening set in, and Christopher Street became a mass of tank
tops, shorts, body piercings, tattoos, bare chests, sweat,
running makeup, and mingling as people headed to the Piers
to watch the traditional end of Pride Day fireworks. By then,
it probably dawned upon a lot of people that the next day
was Monday. I wonder how many sick calls were made the next
morning...
In
the year 2000, Vermont started recognizing civil unions. "Will
and Grace" won an Emmy for best comedy, and Sean
Hayes also won for his character Jack. "Queer
as Folk" premiered on Showtime. In 2001, openly gay
Bertrand Delanoe is elected mayor of Paris, France. A revival
of Noel Coward's play "Design for Living,' a story about
a love relationship between two men and a woman, is given
a revival in New York, starring openly gay actor Alan Cumming
and directed by openly gay director Joe Mantello. OK, now
I've just given you new reasons to celebrate for next year!
To alter the words of a departed President, "It's not
what your gay community can do for you... it's what you can
do for your gay community!" Start planning your outfit
for Pride 2002!
Photos
by Louis Trapani and Jed Ryan
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