So, today I marched with the progressive political folks in Millcreek's Fourth of July parade. It was pretty cool. It rained, like last year. I wonder how frequently that is the case for the parade. When we were lining up, the parade marshal said something about us marching in between WCTL (a local Christian radio station) and some group called the Mudslingers. I have no idea what the Mudslingers are. I joked about us and WCTL glaring at each other for the length of the parade, but actually it was fine. Their van was ahead of us, and we walked by I think we wave, and I think that they waved back. I was amused that their mascot is apparently a lion. Does no one else get why a Christian organization choosing a lion is funny? (Hint, think about the ancient Romans, and their less than kind way of dealing with the early Christians.)
James and I carried the Erie Gay News banter, and James brought a long bamboo pole, which is much better than the foldable thing that I was using before to hold the banner. Later that night, I went over to his house to get the photos from him, and I carried the pole back in my car diagonally going through the front passenger window and the back passenger window on the other side. James said it looked like somebody had harpooned my car!
The only other GLBT person to march with us was Eric, who was carrying a homemade gay flag. (Deb was flitting about taking photos of the progressive contingent, and another gay guy as walking with the Green Party.) Eric had also marched with us last year. A couple of the other people who marched last year weren't able to make it, one having moved away, and the other one had gone to be with her granddaughter. Alas, James was the only other pagan that I was aware of. I think it was a timing thing, and am hoping for a better turnout next year. Someone had written to me with all kinds of concerns about violence and hostility, and I shared my experience is from last year. I had also pointed out that the idea of violence occurring with that many policemen, firemen, TV crews and bystanders seemed faintly absurd. However, some people just don't tend to want to test the waters.
The actual parade itself was a really wonderful experience! We have a lot of people smiling and waving at us. People also have their kids waved at us, and it just felt really wonderful and embracing. It wasn't so much that we were anything special (because of course we are not), rather it which is wonderfully affirming to experience that we were just one group among all the other groups, no different, and just as much accepted.
At one point, I saw what looked like to rather butch lesbians watching along the parade route. I am pretty sure that I saw one of them mouth "Thank you" when she waved. As far as I was concerned, that made the entire day worthwhile!
I didn't hear this myself, but at one point earache said to me that some guy on the side had said, "God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve!" I rolled my eyes at how unbelievably trite this was. I was sort of embarrassed for Mr. Disapproving, and suggested that maybe we should get him a writer to give him some better material. Please, is that the best they can come up with? How pathetic.
Along the parade route, I saw a former coworker (we said howdy to each other), one of the women from Temple of Bast, (who ran out to hug me and James), and lots of other friends. Eric had a bunch of people waving and saying hi to him as well. Again, this doesn't indicate that we were the focus or anything ridiculous like that, just that we were there with everybody else, and everything was cool. I think someone came running out to take our picture, and it felt really friendly and embracing.
When we got to the end, Sean Lafferty from WJET TV 24 and his cohost were announcing people and groups as they went by the reviewing stand. Sort of like last year, Sean says "hi Mike! Into the microphone, so I shot back with a "hi Sean" back at him. All of the peace and Justice folks, and the rest of us us took some photos at the end.
I always roll my eyes (if only mentally) when I hear somebody talking about how dangerous it is to do something public like this. Bear in mind, I have done some form of mass media for her the past 15 years, which is slightly more than a third of the entire time I have been alive. It's sort of like telling someone that they aren't sure yet about indoor plumbing. I just feel like I have enough real world experience that I felt confident in how people react. If I had to sum up today's experience in one lesson, it would be that if you just smile and wave, people smile and wave and are friendly right back at you! The downside to staying in the closet is that you miss out on these really wonderful and uplifting experiences.
