I know I am in the gayest part of the internet right now, but I have wondered for real:

I know I am in the gayest part of the internet right now, but I have wondered for real:

To my knowledge, a part of gay pride parades is to say, "hey look, society. The people around you can be gay, and that's okay. We're not freaks or degenerates or perverts, we are people just like you, and we are important. Please don't hate us; instead recognize that we are just like you and we are humans, too."

But then instead, you see a parade of gay men wearing thongs and pasties, waving and sucking on rainbow dildos and grinding against each other while batting their false eyelashes and twirling a rainbow scarf around the handle of a sign that says "I love cock and I drink cum". All of this is while college liberals cheer like they're supporting freed Tibetan political prisoners or something.

I guess my point is this: if you're trying to say "we are not total degenerates like you think," then why are you literally parading around doing the most degenerate (legal-in-public) stuff imaginable?

Do you know what would make me stop and think? A gay pride parade where the people just wore nice suits and regular business clothes. That would make me say "huh, these people are in our society and are just regular people. That's actually something cool and they should be valued."

But instead they intentionally display the opposite message. What is going on? Why? They're having fun, I guess, but it's just a big inside joke or something, which will only polarize and strengthen hate more. What is going on??

...

I'm gay and I have no idea why pride parades are so disgusting. The parade in my city is a pretty big deal and a lot of straight people go just to laughs at the freaks. Keep in mind that I've only ever been to one and I left almost immediately because of how disgusted I was

Thanks for your input. Do you think these people are clueless? Or are they actually- ACTUALLY - proud of the disgusting show they're putting on?

There are a lot of people (usually the older generation) who couldn't act a certain way or they would be prosecuted. A lot of the youth generation fall into the, "I will play your hero" roll but just take it very far over the top. I work with a gentleman who is 50 years old and openly gay. He's never been so happy to be gay but he refuses to go to parades because he doesn't want attention, he just wants to be accepted.

I have a number of gay friends who feel the same way.

It's an important step. It's so in your face about being uncomfortable that over time people become desensitized to people who are different or who they don't understand. Also, it's working fairly well. It also helps show numbers., and identify who the parade represents.

I honestly don't know. People just use it as an excuse to party in the street in my opinion. You'd have to be pretty deranged to think that prancing around main street in women's underwear while playing with dildos in front of children is going to make you more excepted by society and don't even get me started on the lesbians. Lesbians are the worst.

Thanks
It's good to know that I'm not alone on this. I have like zero gay friends

*accepted

I've known tons of gay people. Only one acted like the people at these parades and his job was literally playing a drag queen at gay bar events (trivia contests, etc).

Off the clock he was totally normal, didn't even care about drag. It was just a shtick that he was good at.

Yes, I cannot understand how you can say "accept me", and then act like you are out of control. Then, if anyone says "you are out of control with that kind of display", just respond with "you're hating me - no wait, you're ___phobic! Bigot!"

It's like, no, I don't hate you. I just can't believe that you don't understand that we should act civilized or whatever.

I've been to pride events all over LA and the surrounding area, and no one responds like that that I've seen.

Did they do nasty shit in the parade or is that just a Columbus thing?

I'm exaggerating. I know no one says this at the time, but it's the general vibe presented in the media and on my lame Facebook feed.

I have a Facebook friend who turned out to be gay, and likes a bunch of posts relating to drag. So I'll scroll past and it will be a huge nightclub event yelling "CUM see Ivanna Pixie and grab my balls!"

Is that not a bit much? I get that it's supposed to be funny, over-the-top type humor. But I wouldn't want to see "cum grab my teddies at the build-a-bear!" either. Like, knock it off and stop being gross.

The purpose of pride parades isn't to convince straight people that they should like us. It's not a plea for acceptance.

The purpose is to meet other LGBT people, have fun, and express ourselves in a safe and supportive environment.

What straight people think about these events is utterly irrelevant~

Why advance your cause and put forth a respectable image when you can prance around in assless chaps with a horsetail butt plug?

So it's just a big part in the street?

>What straight people think about these events is utterly irrelevant~

>straight people are about 96.2% of the population

This almost confirms that you are actually trying to be societal outcasts.

That's basically it, a big, gay street party that's interrupted by a parade.

For most people, including myself, basically yeah. Some people bring politics into it of course, usually with signs or whatever, but mostly it's just normal-looking gay people hanging out and having a good time.

The pictures you see of these events give a really skewed picture too - there's usually only a handful of drag queens or otherwise "over the top" people.

I think you missed the ball m8.

It's about embracing who you are, being gay and celebrating it.
Clue is in the name... Pride.

if you google "pride parade" it's basically all you see you faggot

I'm this guy and I was scared off by the freaks but if it's actually like you say it is after the parade it sounds like fun. Too bad I missed it this year.

I caught hiv from a guy at one of these parades so yeah they're pretty fucking degenerate and make gay people like me look bad

look at pictures of the crowds dumbass, not people in the parade

:(
I'm sorry user
This is why I'm a virgin. I'm too afraid of the stds to actually get with someone

final bump