We had a fantastic, wild and fun pride weekend. This year we
decided to spend the weekend in San Francisco. We were able to get a centrally
located hotel room in the city. Friday night we attended the Magic Theatre over in the Marina district.
Saw "Bruja" by a hot new playwright, Luis Alfaro ("Oedipus el
Rey"). The play is a reimagining of Euripides' "Medea" told
through the lens of a Mexican immigration story.
After the show, we went dancing at one of the late night
official pride dances. I think we made it back to our room around 4am.
Saturday afternoon we shopped around the Castro
neighborhood. We ended up at a friend's pre-Dyke
March party a couple blocks from the start at Dolores Park. Later that
evening we had a tasty, romantic dinner at the restaurant Catch on Market Street. We turned in early
to bed after a quick stroll around the Pink Party street gathering in the
Castro.
Dolores Park before the Dyke March.
Sunday we were up early and made our way down to our staging
area to march in the Pride Parade this
year. We marched with the San Francisco Gay
Men's Chorus. Luckily, the chorus was one of the early continents in the
parade and didn't have to wait long at all to march. The groups at the end of
the parade can end up waiting hours before they march. SFGMC marching in the Pride Parade 2012
Link: http://youtu.be/kLTDxrOBTdA
We spent several hours checking out the Pride Festival in
the Civic Center. Afterwards, we attend an after pride party hosted by a couple
that generously supports of the chorus. At the party we had an opportunity to
meet and talk with two celebrated gay icons and activists. We first met Gilbert Baker, the artist and civil
rights activist who in 1978 designed the Rainbow Flag. Later we also met Cleve Jones, who conceived of the NAMES
Project AIDS Memorial Quilt and co-founded the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. Rainbow Flag Tribute to Gilbert Baker, SF Pride 2012
Link: http://youtu.be/V1btuGVMOj0
This morning I walked down University Avenue, the main
street in downtown Palo Alto. One store had decked out its window display for
Pride. American Apparel
had its gay t-shirts prominently displayed. A couple other stores had colorful
rainbow-type displays but not enough to give it a gay vibe. Palo Alto is still a gay friendly
community. Two years ago I wrote a
blog entry about how supportive the city is. The entry is still relevant even
though a number of businesses have changed hands, closed or new ones opened. Read
it here.
We all know that Father’s Day is another one of those “Hallmark holidays." It is an opportunity to get the marketing and sales machine going. Nevertheless, here are a few commercial greetings to gay fathers everywhere.
The JC Penny ad to the right has stirred up the anti-gay groups demanding boycotts of the store. The ad features a real same-sex couple -- Cooper Smith and Todd Koch -- and their kids. The live near Dallas, TX. Read more about them here.
Below are a few old ads that celebrate Dads and their kids.
