Our gay vice mayor addressed attendents
Listening to the speech at History Center
Listening to the MayorJune 28th welcomes the first pride festival in our town. So i decided to pull out my camera and get a sneak peak of what is going on there, and hopefully unnoticed. Well, first i was in the wrong place. There is another cultural festival at downtown. Fortunately, the LGBT people set up a table at the cultural festival. As I started scanning the material on their table, the guy told me that the pride festival is two blocks down, like he knew what i was looking for. On the way there, i prayed that i won't be seen by any acquaintance and mentally practiced what if i am seen. "i can pretend i am there just for photography." "if i am confronted, i will just politely end the conversation without addressing the question."
Luckily, there were no serious accidents except two episodes: first, i met on the way there, an acquaintance who was accompanied by her husband. we said hello to each other without stopping. I hope she did not realize that i was heading to the pride festival (she was not). Second, i met a fellow/friend who i have suspected lesbian on site. I can tell she looked at me astonished, and probably thinking, "is he ...?". But she is much senior than me and has a record of being friendly to the young. So i am not so afraid of coming out to her, especially that she was there herself with her partner, who i thought was a women (but a second sight seemed to suggest otherwise... i cannot really be sure).
Well... the festival was really what a festival should be. I can tell people were very happy, like in a festival. I am also very thrilled to see a blend of age, gender, race, and body types.
While the festival showed a liberal side of the town. I also realized the general intolerance of homosexuality. I searched the news on the pride festival. The only two comments I saw there, "since when did being a pervert become something to be proud of?" "I'm glad I wasn't in Lexington today with my children. Their often public display of affection is disgusting." Needless to say, these moral judgments are refutable. As most fear are caused by lack of knowledge, so is homophobia. Those who have LGBT among their friends/relatives are much more comfortable with homosexuality; this is exactly why such pride events should be there -- it lets people know who we are in real life.
Two cute hotshots walked to the vice mayor
Two bears gently hold their hands
Two lesbians relaxed, moment after one danced to the music
People listened to the speech.