The Prideless Parade: Drugs, Extremism and Hate, All in the Falsehood of Diversity
It’s not the first time I’ve written about it. What is described as the ‘Pride Parade’ has nothing to do with pride. It has nothing to do with the very significant and wonderful contributions of gay Canadians to society in general.
Simply put, it’s an utterly crass, falsely promoted, hyped-up sexual carnival, whose extremist lobby would attack anyone that dared question the monumental ethical lapse of allowing an anti-Israel float (would they allow an anti-Palestinian, anti-terrorism float?), exhibitions promoting drugs and parade participants, whose conduct would be, on any other day, against the law.
Along with three other pals, I lived with a gay man in the mid-90s. Terry was a terrific friend and a promising young lawyer. AIDS took his splendid life rather quickly and shockingly while we were still housemates. It was painful to watch him go. Very painful.
It’s painful still to watch the Pride Parade disgrace the memory of my friend and so many others, just so the Prideless Scoeity can say they had a parade. Every year, the attendance figure is announced well before the end of the parade and it’s always inflated. Every year the parade becomes a lightning rod for criticism, because the Pride Society Board will not take responsibility for the chicanery they showcase.
And, worst of all, the mainstream press in this town, are too gutless to ask the tough questions–except for (hurray!) Global, that actually had a reporter press the Pride Society President the day before the event, for an explanation between what they claim is a “family day” and the reality; that the parade is mainly constituted by illegal acts, obscene behavior and, now, hate-mongering (although the Global reporter’s question was not as specific). The response: “Oh, it’s all part of our diversity, our flamboyance”
Really?
Let’s a take a look at that…
Here is the lovely gal that spent the day selling hash brownies. She offered a young family, several times, that included two children (girls well-below 10 years of age), “delicious HASH (emphasis added) cookies. You’ll LOVE them.” The Pride Parade is a “family event”, did you know?
And to begin the prideless day of ignominy is a group affectionately self-proclaimed as ‘Dykes On Bikes.” No stereotyping here, not a chance. All lesbians look like this, right? Right??? Lord love a duck…not sure who the guy is…then again I’m not sure if it is a guy…I gather I’m not supposed to…marvelous…
Yesiree, fun for the whole family….
Early entrants to the ‘Miss Butch Legs Contest’…..
Not a hope that this young fellow is more than 10 years old. I have blackened out his face and that of his idiot mother, to spare her the shame. A future ‘Mother of the Year’ candidate, without question. Poor lad.
Here’s yet another ‘Mother of the Year’ candidate. That’s her daughter on the right. She’s holding a condom that was just handed to her (why would anyone hand a condom to a child???) She had no clue what it was. “Mom, what kinda gum is this?”
How in the the hell ‘d they get Pamela Anderson to show up??? Boy, she sure looks different from the 417,943 front cover appearances in 24 Hours Vancouver…..nice shorts, by the way…
Oh my God! It’s the bear from North Van that keeps knocking over the garbage cans in the lanes along Lonsdale. Quick, my tranquilizer gun!! Um, is there something stuck in his fur?
This is what happens when Saturday night turns into Sunday morning, and you didn’t notice…
Oh look, it’s Vision Park Board pinhead ‘Arrogant’ Jasper and his lovely companion Sarah Blythe–in formal wear…Armani for Airheads…
Vision Clr. Andrea Reimer (far left–how appropos!) to Clr. Heather Deal (still far left): “Hey did you see anybody throw Gregor’s roach over the railing?! We’ve GOT to find it before he comes down! And pull out the speaking notes Penny and Mike gave him!” In the Miami blue shirt, Vision School Trustee and chief private school hater, Mike Lombardi, dressed as Harvey Keitel.
And here’s the Hollyhock puppet himself. Plus,Vision Clr. Tim Stevenson (left) fresh from his welding class (nice glasses). Is it me? Or does Gregor look like he’s having just a little too much fun? Frightening…
The Reverend Tim Stevenson finds a friend in the crowd. “Hey fella, would ya like to see my welding torch?”
This must have been the ‘Bride(s) of Frankenstein’ float…
“And the soldiers plaited a crown of thorns, and put it on his head…” John, 19
Perfect. It’s official. Jim Green and a shark have mated. Marvel at the offspring… More scales than a ‘Lady Fitness’ locker room.
‘The Prince Albert Memorial’…as its being erected…family fun, for sure…can’t beat it…
Heard of ‘Baywatch’? Welcome ‘Gaywatch’…
BC FED boss Jim Sinclair, who looked like he’d rather be getting drilled in a dentist’s chair, minus the Novocaine…nevermind the rhetoric
Another “enthusiastic” union guy. Bet he’d rather be at Nick’s Spaghetti House…hey, come to think of it, not a bad idea! Always great food. I could be poster boy!
More candidates for ‘Parents of the Year’. These geniuses actually had the kids walking the route. Unbelievable.
This woman was handing out condoms…in the absolutely impossible event that she might inspire someone to want to, oh never mind…..
Heeeeeeeeeeeeere’s Miss Perky! Um, uh-oh, nice bulge sweetie…real nice…
Clearly not a Jew…
Um, no, let’s not end the ban. It’s got nothing to do with being discriminatory of gays–if it was, I’d be one of the first people against it. But that’s precisely where the tainted blood came from to begin with–a high risk group. I have the same antipathy for men who frequent prostitutes and want to donate blood. Sorry, but I don’t care who you have sex with, that’s your business. If it’s from a high-risk group, though, you shouldn’t be able to donate anything except common sense by staying home–period. Freedom shouldn’t equal danger. More political correctness gone mad.
‘Sisters’ of the Order of Premenstral Agony…
Jamie Lee Hamilton’s been cloned!!!
Introducing Chester, ‘Queen of Scots’
Any more arguments for legalization? Didn’t think so…
I’ll not be able to think of the Calgary Stampede quite the same way ever again…
Oh Jesus Christ…imagine the view…
For a minute there, I thought the banner said ‘Liberal’…it would certainly explain a great deal…
That back placard reads ‘Burn the Bra’. Why? They’re certainly not necessary in this crowd…
Come out??? For him? No wonder the closet’s still full… Happy Halloween!
Ladies and Gentlemen, Green gift Adrienne Carr. ‘nough said.
Nazi quoter, climate change alarmist, and general all-round lying nutbar, Elizabeth Mayday, Leader of the Greens.
THIS is the Tory candidate that will go up against cross-burning Hedy Fried??? Oh I get it, it’s like an eye for an eye…but in this case a nut for a nut…makes perfect sense. In an interview this year Ms. Greenfeld said she was “ignoring the gay community” because she wanted a “broader constituency.” And here she reeeeeeally proves it. Steve should be so proud.
The female of the species always loses her antlers in the late summer…gawd, when will this end…the Tories could run a lunchbox and get more votes than this shadow-dancing harridan.
Somewhere, Marcel Marceau is in the depths of agony…
Friends, join me in welcoming, Elton Gone…
“Hey, you bick guy, yoo wook out wif mee? I makey gud deel fo yoo. Fotty fife dalla fo one owa…”
Makes you immediately think there’s no value in either bag…I’d hide my face too…
Why cover up when you look this good? Think he’s ever read any Longfellow? Hopeless. Yup, fun for the whole family, folks….
You’d think after losing a whopping 50,000 viewers per night since my pal Parsons went from Global to CBC–CTV now ranks a woeful third, by a long way down–they’d stop pandering to the lunatic fringe of any community, retire awkward-laughing Ms. Botox, tell Bill he’s done, stop taking degrading leg shots of Colleen with (lovely) gams slathered in Hawaiian Tropic oil and put Kerry Adams and Mike Killeen on permanently at six. But, nooooo, why do things that will help the station’s legitimacy and reputation. You’re the best, Margo. Never mind what everybody else says…pure genius. This kind of brilliant management decision-making is why their A-Channel lost $98 million last year…and then CTV applied for regulatory relaxation to the CRTC. With management decisions like this, the bleeding at the bank (and in ratings) will never stop. Media is a serious proposition. But locally, CTV is our answer to ‘Entertainment Tonight’.
Where’s Todd Bertuzzi when you need him?
Fast, someone call Aquilini…our defensive problems are solved!
“The bigger your deposit, the greater the interest…”
“Holy nightmares, Batman…”
Hey! Wait a second here, I NEVER walked in the parade! What the…
‘Mother of the Year’ no doubt about it.
“Excuse me, Mr. Policeman…can you please get me the hell outta here?!”
Well, the lad shows great promise, despite the circumstances… Kudos!
Further proof that the Apocalypse is clearly upon us…
I once dated her mother when I was traveling through Dubai…
What an intelligent expression of diversity. What a smashing display of innovation. What classic flamboyance….what a bunch of incredible bullshit the organizers of this sexual carnival shovel every year. This is as much a family event as I am a New York runway model.
Wow, a bicycle porta-potty. Who woulda thunk it? Nice touch.
If there’s one time to lose a key, this must be it…
And here it is–my favorite float every year…..the hypocrisy and stupidity you could cut, but only with a chainsaw. These great physical specimens dance and grind up against one another, and, at some point down the way, the parade stops for a moment of silence to remember the lives of those who lost them from committing to the live version of what these fine fellas were simulating not a half kilometer earlier. But the Pride folks cry for the lives lost…..and yet condone the simulation of that very same behavior. SHAMEFUL!
“Oh, here you go little girl..shall I show you how this ‘little rubber balloon thingy’ works?”
Now, to the added disgrace of this year’s parade: This year, it went from obscene sexual carnival to hate filled cauldron. No?! These are the ‘Stop War’ anti-Semites that bred the likes of NDP MLA Jew-hater, Mable Elmore. Wait for the follow-up to see how shameful the Prideless Parade has become.
Here are the spectacular dimbells of the ‘Stop War’ crowd that went after the Prime Minister for doing the right thing by bolstering our security. Same people that would wail about the PM’s negligence if he followed the Chretien model and allowed the military to deteriorate to sling-shots and paper airplanes, eventually resulting in a sure attack on Canadian soil.
‘Whale Watching’…finally some truth in advertising…
Where are the brains of the Hillel organizers? Why would you bait the pro-Palestinian terrorist supporters by using the word ‘Mecca’ in your pro-Israel message. Very stupid indeed.
And here is the reason the Pride Parade should have been shut down this year. This group of sickening fools are suggesting that Israel, while being HUNTED by a surrounding Jew-hating mob of Islamo-fascist countries, has done the Palestinians wrong. The Pride Society should hang their empty heads in SHAME!. Question: Why has no one taken them to the Human Rights Tribunal of B.C.–that great bastion of fairness? Allowing this participant group is inciting hate–it’s promoting hate. But did you hear about this in the mainstream media? Of course not. Cowards.
In case you can’t make out the placard, it reads, “WE STAND WITH QUEERS IN PALESTINE” AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! What queers in Palestine?! The ones in soap dishes? The ones stoned to death? The ones ground up and fed to Grandpa Ahmed? The ones buried alive? These people should be locked up for their despicable hate-mongering against gallant Israel. But the MSM wouldn’t dare question the Pride Society’s allowing such disgusting dissemination of hate–for fear of what exactly? Why are they afraid to ask fair questions? The Pride Parade should be about the significant contributions of gays and lesbians, that we can all celebrate, and should all be proud of, but the crass commercialism and extremism has taken over. The Pride Parade is done. It’s all about political posturing by hurtful groups.
Further evidence of this same extremist insanity is the ‘Free Marc Emery’ dope fiend exhibition that was also present. Incredible..there’s another innocent little child in the heart of it. Sickening.
And don’t even think about the (hopeless?) Vancouver Police stepping in and doing the right thing on this day. This clown was openly smoking dope (along with THOUSANDS of others at the parade, including–open crack smoking). This float shouldn’t have even been allowed. It glamourizes dope, which is harmful to your health and is a pandemic in the gay community.
Future Justice critic of Justin Trudeau’s opposition team–meets all the qualifications. I weep for this country…honestly…and desecration of the flag…
A sign of hope? Don’t bet on it. These very fine folks were the best of the floats. The message is simple enough. ‘Hugs Not Drugs’. Sound good? Well, not to other floats and bystanders who loudly booed them. Three floats, prominently positioned, promoting drugs in the gay community, and only this one with sensible people aboard saying ‘No’! Pride Parade Board incompetence and lunacy? ABSOLUTELY!
Here is one of the other pro-drugs floats that has no business in any parade. The Vancouver Seed Bank is about, well, you guessed it, marijuana promotion. And they commit to the apotheosis of sleaze-bag pusher Marc Emery. From their website: “We at the Vancouver Seed bank are appalled by the cowardly acts of Rob Nicholeson and the Conservative Government of Canada – who signed all three counts against Marc Emery and officially handed him over to the American government for selling seeds in Canada.” Maybe that’s because you incredible dunces are too busy lying. Emery was sent to the US to serve his time for selling seeds IN AMERICA. Yes, he sold them FROM Canada, but he sold them IN the US. Therefore, he should rot in jail there. It’s stunning how these people pretend to be coherent. Then again, it’s not called DOPE for nothing. Rob Nicholson and the Tories are HEROES for shutting down Emery.
Dolly Parton and Dog the Bounty Hunter had an affair. Behold the love-child.
Finally, ‘The Munsters’ heading home after a long, hard, er, day…
My friends, it’s not complicated. There is no pride in this parade. There never will be until someone on their Board has enough decency to spearhead the clean up this this sad, offensive spectacle.
But don’t hold your breath. It’s just a sexual carnival for dope promoters, exhibitionists and now HATE-mongers that are going after the most persecuted people in the history of mankind.
The politicians that attend should be chased from office; thrown out on their derrieres…
Pride? Not a chance.
Shame…
Hi Alex,
I am shocked and confused! Some of these images are very disturbing to me.
I have many gay and lesbian friends which I have always supported.
I have never attended a single Pride parade except once by accident. My brief encounter was sqeaky clean quite the contrast to the images you have shown above.
I agree with you, “The Pride Parade should be about the significant contributions of gays and lesbians, that we can all celebrate, and should all be proud of…”
If this is what my gay and lesbian friends are all about then I have to say I’m not proud.
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I don’t think the majority of the gay community appreciates the parade as it stands. I have many friends whom are gay and NOT ONE will attend and NOT ONE will support it. It’s an offensive spectacle that now features HATE. I have a huge problem with that. Freedom of expression crashes and burns at the intersection of hate-mongering and political correctness. I will NEVER attend this parade until it’s reformed. I attended once, years ago, and it was almost as bad, and frankly, boring.
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Hi Alex,
I forgot to mention I am pro Israel and I don’t appreciate the hate mongering either. I wonder if one of the reasons City Hall turns a blind eye to such behavior may be due to the fact that the Pride parade generates approximately $2 million tourist dollars.
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According to who!? I don’t believe a word they say anymore. They lie every year about the real amount of participants so why would I believe anything about economic spillover?
Ask yourself this: Who is doing the estimates? By what measure? According to what standards?
Announcing a count prior to even the half way mark is a joke. I had a cop tell me there were no more than 350,000-400,000 people on their best year. But challenging the accuracy leads to absurd calls of homophbia and other contrived slanders.
It’s just gotten so ridiculous.
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Sorry about the misinformation. The dollar amount I was talking about was printed in one of last years local news papers.
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Surely it’s not your fault. They just LOVE to lie about he great success of the parade.
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you mean $20 million…
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Yeah, I’m just sure…more lies by proponents…
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Hi Alex, Excellent “exposing” photos and comments, the “Parade” can be described easily: “Exhibitionism for Voyeurs”
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Sure, and now, a soapbox for hate speech.
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How exactly are yo EXPOSING things that happen at a public parade for all to see?
You are a fucking dimwit of the most highest extreme!
I’m sure you don’t do anything EVER sexually “out of the norm” with your girlfriend, wife or mistress do you?
You are holier than thou and your beliefs trump everyone else’s? ….right?
PIG
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…I hope you don’t ever screw your whore unless to have a baby!
HYPOCRITE!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Here he is again. Note the high-level of insanity.
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NOTE TO READERS: I am allowing this clearly disturbed individual’s comments to go through. Read them carefully. It tells you EVERYTHING you need to know about how many in the gay community react to having the obscenity that is the pride parade questioned. WARNING: Strong language to follow. He’s left several comments. My apologies in advance.
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You truly are a fucking pig.
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Wow, very high praise indeed. Thank you so much. Blessings to you and yours…
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Alex,
When you are at your best there is no one better. I laughed my head off. This is a very good post and I really believe that you nailed it. The pride parade is nothing to do with pride. Hats off Mr. T!
Jack
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Thx Jack. Nice to hear from you.
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Jack would like to suck you off AGT at his earliest convenience, oh wait, you’d be sucking yourself off then wouldn’t you?
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As one of your gay readers I have to say that I think you put the parade into perspective. I attend every year and every year it deteriorates into an bigger joke.
I am also really sorry to hear that the death of your former roommate still bothers you. I lost many friends in the community and got some help dealing with it. Without being offensive I suggest you do the same. It sounds like you had a great friendship. I admire your compassion for the gay community. Do not think that just because had fun with this post that it is lost on us how powerful your message is to all of us who understand. If we want legitimacy we need to do better. Thanks Alex.
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A very thoughtful comment John–and one which I very much appreciate. And I’m not anymore bothered by Terry’s passing than I was before. He was just a great friend. We met at UBC and stayed in touch. I went to England and he went to Osgoode Hall to read law. When he got back we rented a place in the West End with some other pals and got along famously. It’s all good. I appreciate your concern and thoughtfulness. Thx.
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“an bigger joke’ ?
…your “gay” readers need to stay in school.
Oh wait, YOU needed to stay in school.
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My analogy for the pride parade is
Catholic School Girls (CSG)
If you put a bunch of people together, oppress/suppress their normal tendencies (sex, parties, typical teenage debauchery)…
watch out.
If you are between the ages of 13-17 and want to meet a girl that can drink you under the table screw your brains out and then never talk to you again (and care less) – find a Catholic School Girl.
The gay pride parades in my judgment are becoming more and more banal and tame with every passing year and my CSG theory suggests that this is because being gay is much more mainstream and “ordinary”. “Ordinary” people are not as overtly oppressed/suppressed and they don’t feel the need to act out as much as say CSGs.
Therefore in a few more years everyone will be fully dressed and instead of parading they will be perhaps in Volvo’s or another suitably sensible car driving to Costco down the west end streets where people once walked naked. QED
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I’m not sure where you’re going here. I’ve known lots of Catholic school girls and none of them live up to your, er, analogy. Quite the opposite. They are no more adventurous than other gals.
As for your contention that the parade is more tame…not a chance. A comparison form last year shows more open drug use and drug dealing, and an increase in nudity and this year’s parade–hate.
Nothing tame about any of that, pal.
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The response: “Oh, it’s all part of our diversity, our flamboyance”
======================
Parts of the parade make diversity=perversity
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Exactly right. I have no problem with seeing a little fun, but this has gone way overboard.
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While it right to be concerned about the anti-Jewish (not just Israel) message, I see that they still mock conventual nuns, which is only hatred of Catholics and their moral beliefs. They have everything they sought ,but still the whining continues; perhaps they don’t have quite everything they want? Why else must the sweep along Davie in the splendour of their vulgarity and vigourous unwashed animality? They wish to teach our children of the ugliness, the moral squalor of their libidinous and goat-like philosophies. Your piece, Alex, triggers my autonomous gag-reflex; and I am not capable of subtle suggestion. It seems too, that the mayor was once again involved in public law-breaking, or is it no longer against the law to ,appear naked in public. Where were Vancouver’s finest? Are they no longer protectors of the innocent? Thank you Alex for shining light in the darkness!
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Thx Larry for the kind words…I will continue to hammer away at the Pride Society until they start telling the truth. Their parade is a garish sexual carnival that is NOT a family event.
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i brought my 8 year old nephew and 12 year old niece, so it WAS a family event.
SORRY!
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I’m sorry for your niece and nephew that they have an uncle who should most definitely be wearing a straight-jacket and occupying a padded room.
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Some how alex you need to take up the challange to have this sort of thing not taking place. If i was to dress (or lack of dress) like that I would be arrested. There has to be something that can be done to take this type of stuff off the streets. Some parents should be arrested for allowing their children to watch these x rated scenes
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I agree with you. It’s despicable.
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Not sure what point you’re trying to make here, bud.
All you’ve done is publish a bunch of photos and make stupid jokes about them. I’m so offended by your ignorant and arrogant attitude that I barely know what to write here.
I know you think you’re smarter than most people out there – lord knows you were born with a silver spoon in hand, St. Georges and all that junk – but you sound like a cranky old man in this post.
Get over it. It’s a parade.
If you have an issue with the parade, don’t go.
This may surprise you, but not everyone has the same societal, political, and religious views as you.
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And your welcome to your absurd opinion. My point is that the prideless parade is a hyped-up sexual carnival that is not suitable for families and the parade itself showcases law-breaking, hypocrisy and this year, bigotry and anti-Semitism. Get the point now? And I’m not your damned “bud”…thankfully.
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My “absurd opinion”?
Why? Because it’s not your opinion?
You missed my point. Don’t go if you don’t like it.
The LGBT community supports the parade – not sure why that’s not good enough for you.
But you certainly made a strong effort to disguise your lack of tolerance and acceptance behind a pleading call for a return to “family values”.
But you’re right in one regard….you’re not my “bud”.
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No, not because It’s not my opinion. We gets LOTS of different opinions here. Your opinion is ABSURD because you accuse me of intolerance.
So I ask again: What is intolerant about not believing that a hyped up sexual carnival that glorifies drugs, anti-Semitism, hate-mongering and stereotyping? It’s not occurred to you, clearly because you might not be able to understand, but “tolerance” is not a word that you should be using. You do it to yourselves, frankly. What’s to be tolerant of? Why must someone be tolerant of gays and lesbians? Do you not see the inherent defeat by using such a word in that context? I tolerate a cold. I tolerate a rash. I tolerate par music. But why would you put the love of two same-sex people in the same category?
And I didn’t plead for “family values” at all. I made my point clear: the pride parade is prideless because of the outrageously obscene spectacle it has become–AND IS NOT WHAT YOUR PRESIDENT CLAIMS, A “FAMILY EVENT”. This year it was even hijacked by anti-Semites. No comment from you on that of course. LOL!
Listen, you must have been on the dope smoking float to have mangled my comments so badly. You’ll be shown no quarter from me, in case you haven’t noticed. You’ve had your 15 mins of fame. Now run along…
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…NOBODY wants YOUR tolerance stupid!
I don’t tolerate you either!
Fucking freak!
You tolerate the things you hate, I hate you and don’t tolerate you either.
My bible says you are an abomination!!!!!!!!!!!
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My great thanks.
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Thank you, Jim, for putting in words what many queers were thinking while scanning through AGT’s inane album and tirade. Funny that he seemed to relent on his stand against having children in attendance when he spotted a ten-year-old lad apparently ogling a young semi-naked girl. That, apparently, was “promising”. Very revealing of this windbag’s deep-seated double standard.
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Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome Kevin Dale McKeown, the gay columnist for the Georgia Straight during the 70s and the editor of that other incredible bastion of journalistic excellence: the WestEnder, affectionately known in HIS world as the ‘backender’ for its multi-page glossy colour ads in the back, featuring such earth-shatteringly attractive ads as “Call Rina for some buttplay” or “Dale, 44DD-26-38…9″
Kevin, I didn’t back off at all on the young child being there. I made that comment, like all the others, in jest. But you just keep thinking I’m a windbag. The public is turning on your brand of despicable filth. With every year that passes, your community is disgraced by the hyped-up sexual carnival that is the parade. Defending hate now are we?
I mean, everybody knows what a ‘terrific’ job you did when you were editor and ‘gay columnist’ before hand. What a joke. Should I write that I’m a straight columnist? Equality is earned, Kevin. Not demanded after a spotty record. Get a life.
The pride parade and the society that runs it do no favour to your community. How bout some features on why there are so many beatings that go unreported in the Davie Village? how bout some honesty about why the AIDS rate won’t go flatline in Vancouver because the fringe elements in your community won’t let go and condom usage is down because of it? Can’t do those stories, because you’re too busy navel-gazing out the window of the ‘Red Umbrella’ Cafe at breakfast. Please go sell crazy elsewhere. Some of your sycophantic pals have already been here. But because your extremist royalty, in this town, I’m giving you some extra play. BTW, nice that you’re facebook friends with Linda Solomon–Gregor Robertson godfather Joel’s sister.
Ladies and gents, the far-left loons have arrived. This will be FUN if not entertaining.
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And before you think of some bile to send over…perhaps you should read this:
http://alexgtsakumis.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Mar192009.pdf
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And this:
http://alexgtsakumis.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Aug102007.pdf
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The promoters of the Gay Pride Parade confuse sexuality with the sexual act. To celebrate the love of same-sex couples makes sense in this world of homophobia and outright discrimination. But Gay Pride actually reinforces the notion that the gay lifestyle is one of unbridled orgies and kinky behavior. What a disservice to healthy gay relationships, gays who want to adopt children, and gays who are pushing for a level playing field at the altar. This type of pornographic show and tell does more to disgrace the community than promote it and those who participate need to ask themselves how it would look if people from the heterosexual community offered up the same type of parade. Clearly, they would be arrested for indecent exposure. Where’s the double-standard now?
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I couldn’t agree more.
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….oh yes, another post where AGT can agree !
Lordy lordy praise anyone most high!!!!!!
fuckface.
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Actually Marc,
I don’t believe Alex gets high, but you might want to rethink what you’re on, it makes you sound really angry, and dumb , lacking in both social graces, and a brain.
Your words lose all their power when your comments are hate filled…I can even en-vision the spittle flying from your lips as you read this aloud.
Just an observation, people that need to swear use it as filler to add to a conversation, why you ask….. because they have nothing of value to say. That lesson was taught to me by an 8 year old.
If this is how you plan to get your point across, you failed miserably.
Since this article is about Pride, diversity, freedom from hate…. you are in the wrong forum… good luck with that anger management monkey on your back.
Just re-read your first post…
You must be Vision member, my understanding is they swear a lot. ..sadly we have a hate monger, somehow that goes against any Pride ideologies.
You speak of your Bible, what religion is that that promotes such hate and that potty mouth.
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Welcome to Gomorrah, Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls. Gosh, this has to be great for tourism, huh?
I think my favorite part is that the little boy watching this obscenity pass by is wearing a Canada t-shirt. How appropriate for such an occasion, as the children of Trudeau strut their stuff.
So, does this mean I don’t have to wear clothes anymore (don’t worry, folks, I like wearing clothes, we all like that I wear clothes, I know; I just mean in theory) can I wander off to the supermarket in what we quaintly used to term my “birthday suit” or would that be a problem, what with my being straight, rather a brief parade by myself and all that?
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You said it brother.
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…another post written by the almight AGT !
AGT has alot of time on his hands doesn’t he.
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Wrong again. You really need help.
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Mark, you really don’t get it….your words lost power when you started name calling.
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No, you need help you fucking moron!
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One of the great things about the Internet is that you don’t have to censor. Until the mainstream media thoughtfully and thoroughly reports on this to the level you have many people won’t have a clue what’s going on.
Corporations, Governments at all levels, anyone who participated in this activity is complicit in spreading the perversity. If the LGBT community and those who support it have issues with the parade, stop supporting it. Perhaps those corporations should be held to account. I don’t bank with TD, but after seeing them support this, if I did, I would pull my accounts. Perhaps a letter to councilmen, MLAs, MPs who participated would be a good idea; holding them accountable and asking them how they could support such monstrosity.
I do find it interesting that there have been no proponents to the behavior that have posted here yet, even ‘Mother of the Year’. Obviously those people believe in the farce of the parade as you have depicted it.
Keep up the great work Alex!
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Thx EJ. Much appreciation for your contribution here.
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And of course, our national voice, the CBC, was Proud to be there, and as usual posted pics (without your snappy commentary, Alex!) on their employee website. I can only agree with you and many posting here: the gay community at large must speak up if this kind of celebration does not truly represent them. And the ‘hands off” approach, by the press, government, and business, to this event must stop.
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I agree. If they are not prepared to clean up their parade, I think it should be banned. I’m al for flamboyance and revelry, but public nudity, simulated group sex, open drug use and anti-Semitism are most certainly NOT matters of interest to anyone with even half a brain. It’s high time someone called the Pride Society to the mat on this. I invite any of their Board to come here and try to explain away the obscene parade they put on this year as anything other than what it was: a disgrace.
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What is WRONG with you!?
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What’s WRONG with me?? I’ll tell you, that I don’t like being lied to or having my city made a mockery of by people like you who hide behind the curtain of politcal correctness that my tax dollar affords you, simply to support anti-Semitic, bigoted, offensive, law-breaking behavior.
Perhaps the question might be asked Madam, what is wrong with YOU. But I gather the list would tend to be exhaustive, as much as exhausting.
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This is MY city too You retard!!!!!!!!!!
Born in St. Pauls’ in 1971
Baptized
Communionized
Confirmationized
And you ARE SPREADING HATE AND I AM REPORTING YOU TO THE POLICE!
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“Communionized…Confirmationized”
I don’t suppose you’d consider being lobotomized to spare the public any further danger?
LOL!
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You did it again Tsakuminator.
You even drew fire from your biggest stalker vision Vancouver liar Jonathan Ross. In case you haven’t seen it here is a clip of his rant against you today.
“This guy is always ranting against someone, because that is just what he does. But out of all the offensive things he has said, whether about me or others, the vitriolic content in this post could take the cake as the most stomach churning. Let’s examine some of what he says, which are accompanied by photos that allow him to further ridicule participants and spectators of the parade:
He pokes fun at the gender of a participant, finding it funny that he cannot tell whether the individual in question is male or female (hmmm…hilarious, considering that this is an appreciation of the lesbian, gay , bisexual and transgender community).
He makes fun of a woman’s physical appearance by labelling her “Miss Butch Legs”
He criticizes the Mayor for “having just a little too much fun.” God forbid.
Direct quote under the picture of an Asian woman: ““Hey, you bick guy, yoo wook out wif mee? I makey gud deel fo yoo. Fotty fife dalla fo one owa…” This is just beyond offensive. Talk about being a racist…just another example of the pot calling the kettle black.
He takes pictures of a child, covers his eyes (as if that makes the boy in question impossible to identify – and for the record, it doesn’t), and then ridicules his parents.
Refers to some individuals as “whales,” presumably because of their weight.
He refers to the Pride Parade being filled with “hate,” yet the only hate that I can detect is coming from the author himself. For shame indeed.”
Great post BTW. I worked with Ross when he was a liberal, before he became a conservative, before he was with vision, before he was with the NDP. Ha!
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He’s upset because he’s being ignored. As well he should be. Jonathan Ross is a whore. He gets paid to tell lies about everyone that is not on board with the Vision Vancouver propaganda. SEVERAL hierarchs in Vision have already decided he will not be involved in anything during the election since he was such a disaster last time. There is a real split in their party where this fool is concerned. He’s not stable. HE claims I’ve said “offensive things” about him??? AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! The guy is really delusional. I still have his emails where he ranted against my parents, family, background, business, etc. Then two weeks later sends me Christmas wishes. Later on, (this May to be exact) I call him enquiring about a veeeeery interesting little no bid, no tender contract he got from the West Van Police while Kash Heed was Chief, and he blows a gasket. Then starts challenging me to meet him somewhere (so that in the span of the five seconds it would take to…) I’d get arrested for aggravated assault. The guy is nuts. The spin he’s given the pictures and JOKES (clearly) I made, are laughable. I made fun of an Asian woman because I wrote a sentence in Chinese phonetics? Really? Then Robin Williams, Russell Peters and Billy Connolly should be going straight to jail for using such accents. I poked fun at a participant? No, I was poking fun at the disgraceful stereotyping of lesbians in a parade that’s supposed to be about anything but (BTW, the ‘Miss Butch Legs’ was once a part of the parade–no I kid you not, but Ross would have been hanging off his Mommy’s mammaries in those days). I ridiculed a mother for allowing her precious young lad to watch a sexual carnival that included nudity, simulated group sex, open drug use and anti-Semitism? Oh, I’m just a terrible guy.
My post clearly used satire to illustrate a point–and the point is, the pride parade remains a disgrace.
Look, Ross is a baiter. He goes after people he knows he’ll never be able to compete with and tries to draw them into a back and forth. His blog is lucky to break fifty readers per day. My posts usually garner between 5,000 and 10,000 readers, depending on if it’s local or provincial, federal or international, social, etc. One day Ross ‘ll snap and that will be it. I just feel sorry for him. He lives in his own world. His hate-on for me will never end. Yawn…
But thx for stopping by.
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Pride parade has become the most VULGAR display of human selfishness. The Mayor and all elected officials by joining in, condoned every law that was being broken. I feel charges, or tickets should be handed out to every participant that broke a public decency law…they do exist. Can’t pee in public, then put your urinating device away, my kids and I don’t want to see it….where are my rights Mr. Mayor. Bet I get labeled no fun for that comment.
To me this wasn’t a display of diversity, it crossed all boundaries of common decency, and turned it into a hedonistic, vulgar display of exhibitionism…. everyone of my gay friends have the same opinion.
I have been IN the Pride Parade in years past, with my child….wouldn’t even consider it after this years display of crap.
Alex, your commentaries, mirrored each and every photo with the same level of arrogance and disrespect exhibited by the subject itself….Bloody Brilliant !!
It angers me that a child doesn’t receive the same political and social correctness as anyone marching in that parade is demanding.. This is advertised as a family event. IMO those kids rights to a safe family event were being abused.
I don’t understand what being naked walking down the street has to do with sexual orientation, or the freedom to be who we are. We have laws regarding public behavior which applies to every sexual orientation, religion, nationality.. same rules for everyone.
We seem to be giving more rights to law breakers, at the expense of our most vulnerable… our kids, be they gay, straight, blue, green ….
Pride Parade was once a great event, over the years it would seem that the organizers have forgotten what they stand for…
Exactly what message about the Gay community do you think those children walked away with?
Sorry for the rant, but when I saw those kids, I lost it.
Shame on every politician that was in that event…because they condoned the behavior and laws that were broken.
.
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Of course it has. And with every passing year, the vulgarity strengthens until the rest of us speak out and say enough is enough. It’s outrageous. Smoking drugs and anti-Semitism? Simulation of group sex acts in front of children?
Not a stitch of pride…
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Alex,
a friend just sent me pictures from the Medicine Hat stampede parade – Shriners in little cars and an SPCA float – a big truck with dog’s ears and a tail. Corny? for sure! Family friendly? Absolutely!
Someone told me about the F***parade in Germany – I figured with a name like that it has to be raunchy but as this you tube clip shows it is nothing in comparison to the pride parade. Maybe that should be the 2011 Pride Parade byline — “Pride 2011 – WAY raunchier than the F*** Parade”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mY6E4Ft9kUQ
Whether gay or straight the pride parade is nothing to be proud of.
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I agree. I would be just as put off if it were a straight parade with that kind of stuff going on in public. Great comment and I appreciate the link.
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Thanks for the link… now that was a party! A real Celebration and everyone had clothes on, and still looked like they where having fun!!
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Yeah, absolutely! Great link.
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Well, I was not surprised by the photos, nor the disgusting ant-Semitism involvement. Alas, it is too predictable. However, with that said, my mood was quickly enlivened by the comments of your detractor. I had a vision of this genetically deficient miscreant having spasms at reading your readers comments. I’m sorry, but I just have a mental picture of this buffoon steering itself around its domicile, genitals in hand, raving and howling and unable to express itself…….
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I thought about not approving the comments but they are typical of the defense being provided by the gay community for allowing the anti-Semites and bigots in the parade. It’s hysterical that they allow these people in, who are secularists and do NOT believe in “tolerance” or “democracy” (how many Islamo-fascists do?) and yet they still bill the event a “family” outing. No answers to any of that, of course….
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The parade has become a parody of itself. Which for a culture that “pride’s” itself on taste and originality may be the unkindest cut of all.
It just strengthens anti-gay sentiment by pretty much focusing on sexuality —actually, lewd behaviour—alone. Those that are loudest in proclaiming their rights to be crashing boors are pretending that the tasteless displays are about “llberation”, when they are really about selfish behaviour, exhibitionism and childish, ego-driven self-absorption.
While i don’t expoect the parade to be about gay accountants, doctors and lawyers marching shoulder to shoulder in Brooks Brothers suits, i do expect that most in the Pride parade understand that there are “community standards’ that we can all embrace, regardless of our orientation. That means respect for yourself as well as for others.
Too many in the parade were giving the virtual finger to everyone else who attended. That the Executive Director of the Parade came up with such a LAME excuse for the antics, shows that he and the board “don’t get it” and should be dismissed from their positions.
Their job is to build bridges across communities—not burn them down.
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FANTASTIC comment.
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Omoishiroi – Thought the F*** Parade in Germany was awfully tame, for a bunch of Jung Germans. Just the way I like, the music wasn’t to my taste but at least they weren’t goose-stepping across Europe. The Vancouver “Pride” parade was something out of the Wiemar Republic era, something imagined by Christopher Isherwood and W.H. Auden.
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Odd.
I actually found the parade pretty generic and tame.
But I got a chuckle out of all your angst!
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Angst? No, not at all. Utter disgust, yes.
I think it’s beyond sad that you feel such a despicable affair with all the hate it provided was at all something that is a laughing matter.
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You’re disgusting.
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From you this is an exceptional compliment. Thank you!
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You doth protest too much methinks.
Why else would you attend the parade every year simply to take photos to post on here in order to bash the parade?! If that’s not insane, I don’t know what is. Couldn’t you have spent your Sunday doing something that brought you enjoyment? Afterall, as another poster said, it’s not like people can’t go there for themselves and see what’s going on. It’s an annual public event, and nobody needs you to “reveal” anything.
I also find it hilarious how every homophobe has a story about a “gay friend” of theirs. You’re such a cliche.
By the way, criticising the actions of the Israeli government does not equate to anti-Semitism. But then again, somebody who wastes his Sunday attending a parade he clearly despises AND takes photos, cannot be very bright.
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You know, I’ve been waiting for the dunce brigade, and here you are…
1) I didn’t attend the parade. I’ve been traveling for some time. A member of my staff took those pictures.
2) If you read carefully, you’d know that I attended only ONE year, many years ago.
3) Sure the parade needs to be REVEALED for the shameless, obscene sexual carnival that it is. IT gets funding form the public through various sources and taxpayers have a right to know where their money is going and through what means it is getting there.
4) You refer to me as a homophobe. Homophobia does not exist. It’s a contrived slander. Have you ever seen anyone running away from a homosexual. I used to live with one and we shared the same floor and bathroom. there was no fear on my p art. Just love and respect for my friend. Frankly, I fear no man.
5) You think Terry’s death is “cliche”? You are sickening. On the one hand you condemn me for telling the truth about your disgusting event you support and call me a homophobe for it, on the other you ridicule the death of my very dear friend and housemate, who was gay. Perfect sense.
6) The ‘Queers Against Israeli Apartheid’ group are anti-Semites. They condemn Israel in EVERY WAY. They suggest Israel has committed genocide against the “peaceful Palestinian people” that have either sat by and watched or actively contributed to the sending of over 10,000 rockets over onto Israeli soil, and that’s just from Gaza, The group you defend were spreading HATE against a country that is surrounded by it. The fact you can even try to spin such bigotry and racism is beneath contempt.
But you keep tilting at those windmills. Thx for stopping by.
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ANYBODY who cares to find out about what goes on in the parade can do so by simply looking at the tons of photos available online, or by watching the news. Like I said, there is no secret to be revealed. You either like it and you attend or you don’t like it and you stay home. If you happen to be there expecting to see a PG show, well you’re still free to turn back and go home once you observe the nudity. Nobody is forcing anyone to watch the parade. And who are you to pass judgement on those who do?
Vancouver Pride is organised by the Vancouver Pride Society which is a non-profit and entirely volunteer-run and is sponsored by various corporations; this year the big sponsors were Telus, which sponsored the Davie Street dance party, and TD, which sponsored the parade. The Pride weekend festivities, including the parade, are funded entirely by community support (donations) and corporate sponsorships. Your tax dollars do NOT fund the parade, so do your homework before uttering nonsense.
Re. Queers Against Israeli Apartheid, I am not necessarily defending them. However, I stand by my comment that criticising the actions of the Israeli GOVERNMENT, whether justified or not, does not amount to anti-Semitism. What the QAIP is doing is just that. Following your logic, would I be anti-Islamic if I were to criticise the actions of the government of Iran? It’s funny how you accuse me of perpetuating the “myth” of homophobia, saying it’s a contrived slander, when zealots like you play the anti-Semite card at every opportunity to silence legitimate discourse about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Unless someone is spewing hatred against the jews as an ethnoreligious group, they are NOT an anti-Semite.
Lastly, I wasn’t calling the death of your friend a cliche. The fact you used the “gay friend” story to give your bashing of the parade an objective perspective is a cliche. In any event, I’m a “professional” member of the GLBT community (I’m a young lawyer) and I was IN the parade this year to support my friend who was in charge of organising his employer’s parade float. It was an opportunity to have fun and let loose for a day. I couldn’t care less if it wasn’t family friendly or if it wasn’t to your taste. There are lots of things for families to do in this city and activities for prudes to get involved in. Don’t like the parade and think it’s crass and debaucherous? Fair enough. Stay home. That’s what I do every year when the suburban hooligans invade the West End and downtown for the fireworks. I could create a blog and bitch about it, but I choose to stay home until the nightmare is over. It’s that simple.
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“ANYBODY who cares to find out about what goes on in the parade can do so by simply looking at the tons of photos available online, or by watching the news.” Correct, and I printed an unsanitized version of pictures. This apparently bothers you. Tough. No one, Sebastian, is looking for a PG show. Or even one without the feather boas and colourful characters. But as a “lawyer” (interesting claim since you hide) surely you will eventually regale us with explanations for illegal activity the likes of which is most certainly NOT showcased in any other parade. Surely you will impress us with your incredible cranial firepower and explain away how for four posts you are clearly confused (or a willful dupe) about and for a renegade group of ANTI-SEMITES.
No? Okay, let’s help you. You sound quite young, and most public school teachers, I’m told, now walk over the Holocaust like it’s a turd…..
By definition:
Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is prejudice against or hostility towards Jews, often rooted in hatred of their ethnic background, culture, and/or religion. In its extreme form, it “attributes to the Jews an exceptional position among all other civilizations, defames them as an inferior group and denies their being part of the nation[s]” in which they reside.[1] A person who practices antisemitism is called an “antisemite.”
The ‘Queers Against Israeli Apartheid’ were suggesting that Israel has committed to “forced racial segregation” (the definition of apartheid) because–and this is from their literature, this is “the ISraeli way.” When questioned by one of my staffers, one genius said (and I have it on tape), “because that’s the way the fucking Jews operate, you know?” Now, you don’t need to hear that to see their HATE filled bile. Who in their right mind would refer to the Palestinian “condition” as “apartheid” without a total condemnation of everything Israel stands for. The implication is that the Jews are occupying Palestinian land and that they have SEGREGATED Palestinians from their “natural home” Well know Vision Vancouver clod Riaz Behra, has spent hundreds of facebook posts supporting such insanity. Recently, he spent dozens of similar posts DEFENDING QAIA. Same difference. Your facile and unsurprising feeble attempt to parallel what my criticism of QAIA has shamefully done with making a criticism of Iran be anti-Islamic is hair-brained. The fact that you suggest QAIA is “legitimate discourse” shows me that there is something really wrong with you.
As for your contention that the Pride Society does not receive “taxpayer” support. Let’s help you again, since you had such a great time, you’re still in a fog. TD Bank, like all other Candian banks receives tax breaks and incentives from govt. Govt is supported by whom, my little genius, tell me…? That’s right, you and me. Pride also receives support from the City of Vancouver through police services etc. Who pays for that precious, tell me? Who?
And your suggestion that I “used” my former housemates death, again, shows how sick you are. Now wonder you danced in the parade. Good luck to you. NOT ONE of my gay friends thinks that the Pride PArade is ANYTHING other than cliche and stereotypical of the kinds of behaviors that have AIDS spiking the world over. You’ve had your 15 mins fill here. Good luck in your life. It appears that that might be the only thing that will get you through.
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HI Alex, a co-worker put me on to your blog, and I must say, how ridiculous you sound!
Your quote of “It’s got nothing to do with being discriminatory of gays–if it was, I’d be one of the first people against it.” is hate-filled and belongs in the 1950′s, and then to follow this open display of hate with “the ‘Stop War’ anti-Semites that bred the likes of NDP MLA Jew-hater, Mable Elmore” when referring to a sign asking Harper to pull out of Afghanistan, is over the top.
How can you vehemently accuse this parade as promoting hate while spouting-off your own brand of hate and homophobia? Your spurious link between anti-war protesters and anti-semites is not grounded in reality.
I’ve heard this sort of crazy, unintelligent fear and hate mongering before…..on Fox News.
I see that you, despite hating it so openly, stayed for the entire parade – start to finish, toured the set-up/tear-down area, and managed to take photos of almost every scantily clad man participating.
Is there something you would like to admit to, Alex???
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I feel sorry for people like you, I really do.
1) IF you bothered to read this stream you’d discover that I was not at the parade. I would NEVER attend such an grotesque spectacle. A staff member took the photos–it was repulsive enough to hear how repulsed he was without having to be there myself, thanks.
2) Your rendition of what I wrote is comical. There is no reply to someone that a) cannot read b) projects his own bias onto what was written. There is no response to that.
3) Homophobia is a contrived slander that does not exist. I am not-anti-gay, clearly, if you’d bothered to read what I have written in the past about the gay community and my support for gay marriage etc.
4) Thanks for the compliment regarding Fox News, I consider it a privilege to be included with North America’s premier news organization. Many, many thanks for this. You are way too kind.
5) The pictures I received were of every single float or parade. There was no selective nature to what I put out. There were multiple pictures of floats that I thought couldn’t be published (because they were so despicably vulgar) so I went with the more tame ones.
I love the way you question my sexuality because I happened to report on the disgrace that is the pride parade. Really, you are to be pitied.
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I’ve been living an openly gay life in the west end for thirty years. Think your post is a refreshing look at what many of us have identified as a problem.
The Pride Parade does not celebrate what we are. All it does is reinforce hurtful stereotypes about LGBT persons.
I also thought the anti Israel group was offensive. I dated a Jew and I know what kind of pain they feel when these groups crawl out of the woodwork.
I enjoyed your efforts to make a review of the parade funny, but I didn’t enjoy the conclusion that I agree with by the way. I think the vulgarity and attacks against you are done by those in my community that are twisted into thinking that only our opinion counts.
Poking around here I have to say you make sense. I don’t agree with everything but I like your blog and have bookmarked you.
Thank you for taking a difficult position on the parade. It makes me feel that before I die my community may change to something better.
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You are most welcome. It’s heartening for me to such such clarity coming from anyone in your community, since as you can see above, there have been some visitors who are a little, shall we say, shaky.
I wish you peace, success and good health. I feel privileged that you took the time to come here and comment. Thank you, Alastair.
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“why would anyone hand a condom to a child???”
Consider the nature of the event.
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Sorry, let me get this straight…you mean there is actually an excuse for handing a condom to a little child?
The sickness the permeates people’s heads sometimes astonishes me. Kids are swamped with enough adult content in their lives that we can spare them the torture of sorting out in their precious little heads what a condom is for? No?
The nature of the event is to be handing out condoms to little kids?
DISGRACEFUL! SICKENING!
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Stay down Sebastian, stay down, don’t even try to get up….
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I know what I call adults happily exposing themselves to children (hint: it starts with “p” but its not “proud”)
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Wholeheartedly agree. Think of what kind of sickos know they’re going to be exposing themselves in front of little children and do it anyway. Unbelievable.
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“If you don’t like it, just stay home” just doesn’t cut it. On downtown public streets I certainly expect to see PG shows, doesn’t everybody? And I’m allowed to turn around and leave when I see obscene acts on the street? What laws and standards in our society do you recognize? You’re one hell of a lawyer, Sebastian!
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LOL! Imagine paying the twit $250 per hour to exercise that kind of mental “firepower.” LOL!!!
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Debating with zealots like you Alex is a lost cause and a waste of time. You’re tunnel-visioned and refuse to see things from anybody else’s perspective but yours.
FYI, this “twit” does get paid pretty well to exercise his mental firepower, and would also like you to know that some of the captions under your photos amount to libel.
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I had a conversation this morning with a retired judge who’s a very good friend of mine. His short advice was that you need to desperately reread the libel laws, and have someone explain them to you. I guess you thought the captions were meant to be serious when they were clearly in jest? I guess you missed the two captions when I poked fun at, gasp, me? I guess you can prove the aggrieved parties suffered injury? I guess you can attach a dollar amount to that? I guess you’re just not a very good lawyer. Again, from the judge, “Tell him to either shit or get off the pot–maybe literally. If he wants to sue, let him, I’ll give you at least three names that will make mincemeat out of him. By the way, maybe you can ask him what an officer of the court was doing present of illegal activity. I’d bet the Law Society would have a look”
Have a nice life Sebastian. I feel sorry for your clients.
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Illegal activity? Are you out of your mind?! You really think that major corporations, federal, provinicial and city politicians, chief constable of the VPD etc. would all take part in an event that promotes illegal activity?! Activities such as drinking in public and open drug use happen all the time, everywhere. I repeat my example of the fireworks. The fact they happen is very different than the event organisers promoting them, no? Can I say that the Celebration of Light event advocates illegal activity then?
Trust me, I have more important things to do with my time than sue you. LOL Who even said anything about a legal action?! I am very familiar with the torts of libel and slander and certainly don’t feel like I need to prove my legal knowledge to you.
Your retired judge friend thinks that the Law Society would give two hoots that a junior lawyer attended an event in which veteran politicians and the mayor of Vancouver also took part? LOL is all I have to say. I’m done with your nonsensical diatribe.
Happy blogging.
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You are only demonstrating that getting a law degree and having a brain that operates are can be mutually exclusive. I would wager quite heavily that NONE of the organizations you named knew ahead of time that open dope smoking (an illegal activity), full nudity (an illegal activity) or hate-mongering about Israel (and illegal activity) would have not frowned on any of these (except maybe for Vision Vancouver) There is something in the law, entirely key, referred to as ‘intent’…but I’m sure you were busy dancing when that term of classes was offered.
Having the marijuana legalization morons and the anti-Semitic ‘Queers Against Israeli Apartheid’ was a first and hopefully a last. But not if it’s up to fine upstanding officers of the court like you. Hey, if you’re so proud of your involvement, give us your real name. Why the cowardice?
And your example of the fireworks is not like in comparison to the parade. The fireworks is not a parade. It’s not promoting hate. It’s got no more a percentage of illegal activity than any other public event in this city. On the other hand, the Prideless Parade is overwhelmingly LOADED with illegal activity, and, this year, hate. The two are polars apart. (Although I certainly agree with you where the idiotic MMA is concerned).
And I LOVED your spin:
“Your retired judge friend thinks that the Law Society would give two hoots that a junior lawyer attended an event in which veteran politicians and the mayor of Vancouver also took part? LOL is all I have to say. I’m done with your nonsensical diatribe.”
No, that’s not what he was interested in. He was actually interested in how a dimbell like you disrespects THE LAW. He was interested in knowing what kind of clown would “practice” law but support a society and event that promotes illegal activity (by knowingly allowing at least four floats doing so).
I notice, now that I apply a little heat, you retreat. Typical of the far left cowards who occasionally brave these waters…
C’mon you’re a tough guy. I’m sure you had on some combat boots with your tou-tou when doing all that dancing a celebrating to anti-Israeli epithets and open dope and crack smoking… No? Afraid of an old judge are we? Listen pal. I’ve been around a long time. If you can’t take it, don’t bake it. I know a ton of people who LOVE reading here and would fall all over themselves to support me (and in many case they do).
You attended a shameful event that featured illegal activity. And in defending it you got slapped around here and are now backing down. C’mon…let’s put those pictures and the story of what really happened in every major newspaper in North America. I’d happily like to see the Pride Society defend their actions in the court of public opinion more so than anywhere else–and that’s your biggest problem face it. Someone finally went public with the REAL story behind the Prideless Parade.
You really aren’t too bright a bulb… Why do you think I was baiting you?? LOL!
You should have listened to the Cossack and stayed down.
See ya ’round, Sebastian.
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Do you even live downtown?! What do you have to say about the open drug use and alcohol consumption at the fireworks every year? the oversexed douchebags and slutty girls here every weekend? the prostitutes? the drug addicts? the UFC event that took place here, after which hordes of drunken thugs were released onto the streets? Gastown? DTES?
You certainly would have to lock yourself up in your home if you expect a “PG lifestyle” downtown. My point is that the parade is meant to be a 3-hour risque entertainment show and it happens once a year. It is WELL documented that it is not a PG show and anybody who attends it expecting a PG show is a fool. If you know that it’s not a PG show and attend it anyway only to complain about it, then you’re insane. If you’re prepared to let the above, much more dangerous and common, examples of illegal activity slide, then you have no business complaining about the parade.
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I am happy to publish my name on this one. I don’t know why other gay men come on here and get so vulgar and out of line.
I was saying for years that I thought the parade was a big joke but got shouted down.
As some one openly gay BIG THANK YOU to you Alex for exposing the joke.
Now if we can get on to some real celebrating every year. I don’t think it will ever happen because of people like Marc who continue to embarrass us.
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You’re welcome. I want what’s best for the gay community–which is complete equality. But at some point being gay should not matter any more than being straight. It shouldn’t be what defines you. The parade is a garish display of stereotypes that is hurtful to that cause of equality.
I wish you peace. Be well and thank you so much for coming by. I appreciate your kind words.
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“Sorry, let me get this straight…you mean there is actually an excuse for handing a condom to a little child?”
Not at all. I’m completely disgusted by this whole thing. I simply mean if an event is held to celebrate sexual deviance, no one should be surprised when it attracts sexual deviants.
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My apologies. Your comment was only a few words and I misread it. I completely agree with you that it is a disgusting spectacle loaded with an element of the gay community I find repugnant. No differently than I find elements of the hetero community the same way…any kind of over-the-top deviance is just too bizarre and more often than not borders on some form of abuse. Thx for commenting!
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Well, I didn’t attend either, but it’s not compulsory to do so to venture an opinion or observations, so here’s mine:
It’s a few hours out of one day of the year. Don’t like it? Don’t attend.
Mainstream celebrations and behaviors we countenance include:
Ritual cannibalism and the drinking of symbolic blood (Communion)
Eww, gross.
A months-long commercial campaign designed to inculcate children into believing an immortal man who lives at the North Pole will reward their good behaviour.
A giant egg-laying rabbit
Bestiality is of course rife in our society – a component of many mythologies and immortalized in countless works of art (Leda and the Swan being a classic example) while Coastal First Nations stories often feature human/animal congress. I didn’t see any in Alex’s pictures, so I guess we can breathe at least one sigh of relief.
There were undoubtedly some gay kids in the crowd. What will they learn from the Parade? Gay sexuality is as OK as the breeder kind?
After all our culture is awash in heterosexual erotic imagery day in and day out, and there are many flavors of kink and ‘perversity’ regularly portrayed in all forms of communication. Frankly I’m more worried about the sex/violence sewer in which the mainstream media wallows, which is almost impossible to avoid or prevent children from observing, over a parade I’d have to seek out and plan to attend.
If we seek a return to a Puritan way of life, or even one in which sexuality is a topic confined to the bedrooms of the nation, then the heterosexuals of the world would do well to mind Matthew 7:5
“Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye. ”
(insert counter observation that even the Devil quotes scripture to suit his purpose here)
cheers,
CK
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I’m assuming you closed with “cheers” because when you wrote this you weren’t at all anywhere even close to sober.
Your comments about Holy Communion were particularly offensive and out of place, however…
And no one here is a Puritan, least of all me. But your inane comment with respect to our “discussions” of sexuality being “confined” to the bedroom(s) is completely without merit. As are your other observations since heteroerotic imagery and homoerotic imagery in daily life and the like is meaningless to the topic at hand.
The point of my post was to illustrate the specific lie being perpetrated by the Pride Society that the parade is a “family event”. It’s clearly not. Illegal drug use, hate-mongering and obscenity are not “family” viewing or worthy of participating in. It’s disgusting behavior that most definitely belongs in the bedrooms of those who believe in such conduct.
I would be just as put off if we had a swingers parade with all the kink you can think of right down Georgia and Granville. That’s also behavior that contributes to disease.
The only hypocrites on this stream are those who claim they are within their rights to act like crazed morons and expect the majority of the public to condone what happens.
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You had a roommate in the 90′s?!
Weren’t you a little old to be having a roommate then?
You must be poor.
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I’m not sure if you have a point, but happy to oblige.
I’m 44. Is that old? Doesn’t feel it, most days. And, yes, at the time I was relatively poor. I was between marriages and lost a ton of money on the stock market. Is this something you will enjoy knowing?
Honestly, I really feel sorry for some people…
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Now that I know you were poor in the 90′s, I must look at this parade in a whole new light…..nope, It’s still disgusting. And anybody who defends the parade with any variation of, “If you don’t like it, don’t go” had better watch out. That kind of thinking can turn around and bite you…
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I know, the idiotic comments continue to pour in. There is now even a post on Xtra West’s website suggesting I’m a closeted homosexual for questioning the parade’s legitimacy. Instead of dealing with the realities of the parade, they attack me instead.
Think about the insanity of these people…say I was a closeted gay man (which I am clearly not)…that’s how you treat someone so confused and so injured? You ridicule him? They are the biggest hypocrites on earth!!! LOL!
You make excellent points as usual. Good to hear from you.
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EDITED DUE TO THREATENING NATURE OF COMMENT. POLICE ACTION PENDING.
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EDITED DUE TO THREATENING NATURE OF COMMENT. POLICE ACTION PENDING.
Please click on to the following link.
http://alexgtsakumis.com/2010/08/10/blogus-interruptus-2/
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How backward are you. Why don’t you grow up. Its idiots like you that need to get laid. Too bad no one wants the job. No wonder one of your hands are more callused than the other.
If I had the choice to sit in a room with you or a pile of cow shit I would pick the shit.
Its people like you that make me sick. At least I get laid.
What a….
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May I recommend a good psychologist. Sir? It helped me when I almost lost a child and felt like I’d lose my mind in the process of trying to recover. Since whatever is ailing you has you in the ‘Lost Mind’ continuum, significantly further along than myself, I strongly suggest you get some help for your issue(s). Good luck.
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Hi Mr. Tsakumis,
I am a 23 year old lesbian living in the West End. I read your piece after I found the link on Sean Horlor’s blog in xtra.
I just wanted to say thank you for taking the time to say what many of us feel but are afraid to speak about. You can’t make comments about the community without being attacked. I read your stuff before when you were with 24 hours and I think you’re a great writer who is thought provoking. I am Asian too and did not find your comments about the girl offensive.
Obviously anyone who reads this article sees you were joking as well as serious.
Thank you again for caring about what happens to us here. We are ruled by a vocal minority of the queer mafia. They don’t like openess unless they approve it. Take care and be careful. They will attack your life I am sure.
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You are most welcome. Thx for writing in.
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Late comment here, just catching up. Is there something wrong with being poor? What could possibly be wrong with two or three people getting together to share rent and costs? There is going to be a lot of that happening in the coming years I’m sure. Jesus said “Blessed are the poor” in the sermon on the mount (the Beatitudes) He also said (and especially for Alex’s sake) ” Remember when the world hates you, that they hated me first”.
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Much appreciation. It’s one of my favorite passages. Many blessings.
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Alex,
Is this the post with the most comments, EVER!?? Wow, you have managed to bring some of the community’s nutbars out of the closet (to coin a phrase).
Now…
What I want to see. Leaders in the gay community (whoever they consider themselves to be) lead an open discussion about the parade. It is no secret that the Pride Board has been dysfunctional for years (the infighting is legendary) and clearly does not represent the “diversity’ that it claims to support.
There is no monolithic gay culture, Pride Board, so why do you insist that the parade showcase or allow only the most outrageous and sterotypical examples of it? This is the definition of “self loathing” as opposed to self-parody. Don’t confuse the two.
Alex, are you getting any pick-up from the MSM on this? I think you should send this post to EVERY SPONSOR of the parade. I know people who have written the board about the tone as well as the politics of this year’s parade, and non-professionals (a nice way of saying “cowards”) that they are, they have run for cover and have not had the wit or wisdom to reply to e-mails.
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I agree with you completely. But you should see how it’s backfiring on them. Just wait a couple of days…
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Actually, Frank and Alex, the Pride board is very functional and professional these days and your comments about our competence are simply unfounded. We have a clear mandate, which is to put on a Parade, backed by a large membership of community members and leaders. We are continually supported by the city and all its departments, sponsors, local businesses and 700,000 attendees.
Frankly, we will not whitewash certain parts of our community just because prudes like you don’t like it. We offer a venue for anyone in the LGBT community to show off their true self, and not have to fear harassment from people like you. 700,000 people attending the Parade tell us we are doing something right.
If you want to see the Parade changed or canceled, as you seem to be implying, I challenge you to step up and do something about it, rather than bitch behind the cover of your computer. I’ve seen far too often people who disagree with us do nothing more than complain, rather than actually making an effort to affect the change they want to see.
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This has to be one of the most ill-informed spin-saturated, embarrassing posts I’ve ever had the misfortune of reading.
Firstly, there nothing professional about permitting dope smoking and anti-Semitism to be featured at your parade. It’s despicable. If anyone else did it, they’d be rightly criticized. But the MSM fear the queer mafia. I don’t.
Secondly, I LOVE how all of a sudden it’s gone from 550K to 680K and now to 700K. Face it, you lie about the attendees to hide the truth: You don’t have the first clue how many people attend. You even send the figure out well before the parade has reached the half way point. I have friends who are cops that confirm that.
Thirdly, no one is asking you to whitewash anything. Simply put, your parade is a sexual carnival that is an indecent proposition. It’s not a family event and children have no place there. And it’s not my place to rail against anything. I’m a commentator, not an activist.
Lastly, I LOVE how you are such a coward that you cannot even stand behind your lies by giving us your name! You’re a member of something called PRIDE??
Apparently not.
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Again, get the facts before speaking. The official number released by the VPS a week AFTER the Parade is 700,000. This number comes from a count done by both BC Ambulance and the Vancouver Police Department, so it can be considered official. If you are referring to the number released during the Parade by the Vancouver Sun, that was published without our prior knowledge or consent.
Regarding the content of the Parade, yes I would have much preferred if QAIA was not allowed in the Parade, but we learned a lesson from what happened when Toronto Pride tried to deny them. There were two drug-related groups in the Parade, both legal groups promoting medical marijuana, which is 100% legal in Canada. Seriously, get the facts straight before you pretend to represent the truth of the matter.
You are a prude, simply put. As I said, if you don’t like the Parade you have one of two options: 1) Don’t go, or 2) Step up and do something about it, to either mold it to your liking or cancel it altogether. You bitch and moan in type, and that is clearly as far you are willing to go.
I joined the Board when it was very dysfunctional, and I am proud of how far we have come in only a few short years. You say we are unprofessional because of the content of the Parade, but we will not censor or whitewash any group that wants to support the LGBT community. We are a healthy, financially stable organization, run by a competent team of volunteer Directors and staff.
I will not put my real name, because I fear harassment from the likes of you. Because of the former state of the organization, I faced harassment simply for being a Director. We have come a long way, but there are still people with this misconception that we are still that dysfunctional group of idiots. That is why I am too cowardly to put my real name up.
I am a proud to be a gay man, and am very proud to be a part of Pride. It is the one day a year we can truly be ourselves, fearless of homophobes like you. Yes, you may have gay friends, but your rants against the Parade in your post and subsequent comments is simply derogatory and offensive. It is ill-informed rubbish, based on a misconception of modern social standards. You clearly despise the fact that fringe groups, such as nudists and (legal) marijuana activists are becoming more and more accepted in our society.
Finally, I leave you with a challenge: try and stop us from putting on the Parade year after year. We have the full support of a large and diverse community, Parade participants, local businesses, City council, Police, Fire, Ambulance and sponsors. You clearly despise the Parade and what we stand for, but we continue to receive overwhelming support from all these groups, and that says something about our professionalism and competence. You are fighting a losing battle here, so I would suggest you simply stop attending. By all means tell all your friends not to attend as well, but please don’t lie about the content of the Parade when you do so. Everyone has the right to make up their own mind about the Parade, and not everyone hates it as you do. If you don’t like it, don’t go; it’s as simple as that.
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I love the spin. As with every year, you send out press releases the day of the event. TWO of your representatives told three different news venues that “there were over 700,000 people here today.” Interesting that every year you manage to hit the EXACT number that you predicted the year before. That’s not called accuracy, it’s called self-fulfilling bullshit.
You learned what lesson from Pride Toronto? That allowing the racist and bigoted QAIA to partake was genius? You are a fool. As for your contention that you had two drug-related groups advocating for medical marijuana–you had two groups handing out pamphlets about LEGALIZING MARIJUANA. The medical angle was just that, an angle. Cut the crap, please. The open dope smoking and drug dealing during the parade, plus open crack smoking is NOTHING you or your morally bankrupt board have ever denied or criticized. Why?
Sorry, let me get this straight….you will sit, cowardly, and not provide a name because you fear harassment from me??????? I was threatened by one of your participants, to the point where I had to engage the police. You are indeed a complete joker. No condemnation of that behavior either I notice. It’s okay if one of your critics is being harassed or threatened, but not you. You’re ridiculous.
You should be as proud to be a gay man as I am to be straight. Lovely. Who cares? Homophobia is a contrived slander that does not exist. There are people who do not like you or your lifestyle. That’s a perfectly understandable position to hold, one which I completely disagree with, but people have the right to feel that way without being labelled a homophobe.
As for your challenge, you know what you can do with it. You want me to drag my highly appreciated and respected name through the mud on some wild-goose chase to provide you and your cause with some sympathy. You really aren’t terribly bright.
You come here, with closeted opinions, spin for a sexual carnival that this year added to the embarrassment by allowing insane anti_israelites platform and have done nothing to condemn the open drug use throughout the parade–an activity that has significantly contributed to the AIDS rate and cost your community millions of lives.
Go away. I’m not approving anymore of your comments. You are a confused man, who neither understands or can appreciate his contradictions only serve to hurt his cause. Good luck–you’ll need it.
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First off, there is no law against women going topless. Real journalists do research. Second, Jacob Hunter, the chap openly smoking marijuana, has a medical license. It is not illegal for him to smoke dope. The government has granted him a license. Real journalists do research. Third, the same freedom of expression that you claim in order to critique this parade is the same freedom that others claim in order to critique Israel, sexual norms and sexuality. Real journalists respect that the right to expression is the right of their profession. Fourth, would you call your article ‘hate speech’, or is ‘hate speech’ something that only you get to define. It’s like you wrote an article in French decrying how nobody speaks English. You’re a parody of yourself. Real journalists understand irony. Fifth, where’s the 24 Hours float? Did your colleagues dance up a storm? Real journalists have critiqued pride, calling it corporate and a poor reflection of mainstream gay values. You published pictures of nude people on the internets and railed against nude people for displaying they’re nudity. Like I said, you’re a parody of yourself.
By the by, I believe in free speech and will defend your right to express your hilarious views. The views of the close-minded and ultra righteous never fail to entertain. And that’s why you write for 24 Hours.
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1) You need to read up on the laws against what you might celebrate and understand as indecent exposure. Rather than froth at the mouth, you need to reread what I wrote. My point specifically pertaining to the nudity isn’t that the nudity itself is the problem, it’s that in the context of the Pride President’s absurd comments that the parade is a family event, that the Prideless Parade is, in fact, NOT a family event. If you walked down the street nude, you’d be arrested.
2) That Jacob Hunter has a medical license to smoke marijuana DOES NOT give him the right to do it either in that parade or on city streets. Can you provide a copy of his license? I just checked with someone I know who has one. There are stipulations. Besides, Mr. Hunter was not alone and there were others smoking marijuana and (lots of) crack–I don’t suppose you can furnish us with a medical crack smoking license, can you? LOL!
3) Freedom of expression dies, as I wrote earlier, at hate’s door. If you bothered to read what I wrote (reading, apparently, isn’t your strong suit) I am highly supportive of gay causes, including fully supportive of gay marriage, but do not believe that the prideless parade is doing your community any favors. That’s not hate. Any satirical shots I took (including THREE at myself) were only that.
4) I am no longer employed at 24 hours, I resigned in November of last year to pursue other opportunities in media and private business.
Frankly, if I administered an enema to your comment, I could walk away with any redeemable value in the bottom of a thimble.
Run along, EXTREMELY foolish man.
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i am sad and ashamed of my lgbt community that they do not accept your criticisms.
you are so right on the parade. it is not doing anything but making us look bad. i went and felt i wasted my time.
it is not an event for families you are right on that too.
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Thx Joe. I, too, am sorry that the nutbars and dimbells have come out to defend obscenity, drug use (drug selling too) and hate. At any point during that parade, if the police were not prepared to step in, if I were a Director or even concerned citizen present, I would have said something. Non one did. It is a blight on the significant contributions your community has made to Canadian society and, sadly, an insult to the memory of those who have lost their lives to AIDS.
Thank you again for your kindness. I wish you well.
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Pride Parade is a celebration of the LGBT community being able to actually be themselves, as opposed to times in the past (and currently in many parts of the world) where it’s not only frowned upon, but also used as grounds for legal injustice, murders, etc. So who gives a shit? It’s a party, once a year, it’s supposed to be FUN, not life-changing. Everyone knows when it happens, and can steer clear from downtown one day, if it’s such a huge deal of ‘immoral behavior’ to them. Drug use and selling? It’s not like it only happens during pride, hello, you’re in Vancouver, it’s everywhere.
There is nothing wrong with happy people prancing around naked on the streets. I understand if you don’t want to see, but then, DON’T, and let live!
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Interesting how you chose photos from less then 10% of the entries in the parade. You should have taken photos and made snarky comments on all entries, not just the ones you found offensive!
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Help me here…I am supposed to take photos of inoffensive floats and take offense to them?? Um, okay…
The precise reason I chose those pictures was because they are offensive, showcasing open drug smoking, drug dealing, public nudity, and anti-Semitism.
So, in your world, so long as the cancer is minor, one shouldn’t point it out as a cancer and hope for treatment?
Sure thing, makes perfect sense…
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Hey Alex, many thanks for the many terrific snaps of the parade. As it happens I (a heterosexual male) forgot to bring my camera when my wife and I set out to the west-end that day. Judging by the great vantage point you must have arrived hours before the celebrations began. It must have been quite a sacrifice for you to document this parade of deviants and freaks.
Since you use your democratic right to air your views on all kinds of subjects, please explain why others shouldn’t have that right, whether in writing or in a public venue like a parade? Scores of people totally disagree with Isreal’s policy towards the Palistinians, including many Jews like myself, and to automatically brand those critics, including me, as antisemites is plainly juvenile and laughable.
Your concern for the children among the spectators really touched my heart. How dare these irresponsible parents subject little Johnny to bared breasts and genetalia. Those human body parts are dirty and shouldn’t be talked about let alone be seen.
And heaven forbid if little Suzie asks what those little package with the cute balloons inside are used for. We’ll tell you about those, Suzie, when you come home one day with a growing belly…
Many gays and lesbians went through turmoil at home, school, the workplace with dire consequences when they took all the courage and admitted to the world who they really were. And to celebrate that one day a year still gets people’s knickers in a twist.
From your writing I gather you have no problem with anyone being gay as long as they don’t act gay. (?)
In short, Alex, the parade is all about diversity. Those who embrace it will celebrate it. Those who can’t handle it should stay home or go to the parking lot of Richard on Richards to celebrate and prove their masculinity by bashing each other’s heads in as you admittedly have partaken in repeatedly. To each his own.
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The reason Israel is in jeopardy is because of people like you.
1) I couldn’t care lees that you attended the event with your wife, that you are straight or that you’re a Jew (and not a particularly good one, obviously).
2) I never referred to anyone as a deviant or freak, and it was a pleasure to document since the parade needs exposing.
3) The “scores of people” who disagree with Israel’s efforts to defend herself are fools, uneducated in the Islamo-fascism she must endure from too close quarters.
4) Reading isn’t you strong suit, clearly: I branded the ‘Queers Against ISraeli Apartheid’ as anti-Semites. Their rhetoric is hate-filled bile against your own people, you blithering clod. Read their literature. If you agree with that, then you TOO are an anti-Semite and unworthy of being called a Jew.
5) Body parts are being talked about in classrooms across the nation and by responsible healthcare professionals. They are not appropriately re-introduced to a child, live, by someone other than a parent or health care worker. Is the simulation of masturbation good for kids to watch at a public event? Is the simulation of group sex good either? Condoms being handed out to little children by some nightmarish, high reveler is NOT my idea of health sex education. I guess you know better. LOL! Oh and condom education is really working, particularly in the gay community, suuuure. You keep tilting at those windmills, sunshine.
6) “Many gays and lesbians went through turmoil at home, school, the workplace with dire consequences when they took all the courage and admitted to the world who they really were. And to celebrate that one day a year still gets people’s knickers in a twist. From your writing I gather you have no problem with anyone being gay as long as they don’t act gay. (?)” You need help. If that’s really what you read from my comments, you really, really need help. You can project all you like. The reality is that the pride parade is pride-less for showcasing drugs, obscenities and anti-Semitism. You haven’t the first clue about how I have helped many members of the gay community over the years, but you come here to play silly-bugger because you’re a self-loathing Jew. Winner, winner, ding, ding…
7) It’s nice that you also misrepresent what I wrote in another post. I made clear that street-fighting was an remains stupid. No one went out to prove their masculinity. It was just a stupid thing to do by those who were, more often than not, drunk.
Which is what condition you were clearly in when you wrote this ridiculous comment above.
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shut the fuck up dude!!! seriously, this is brutal!
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Ladies and Gentlemen, yet another Latin scholar…here to exercise his eloquence.
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Alex: Many years ago, I read “Sodom Had No Bible” by Leonard Ravenhill. If you get the chance, track it down. His thesis centres on the idea that matters like the sexual carnival you rightly decry do not occur in a vacuum. There are conditions which must be met in order for it to flourish. The single most important factor is when those who hold to spiritual beliefs, like Lot did, turn a blind eye of indifference in order to accomodate themselves to the pursuit of the values of a self-absorbed materialist culture. Lawlessness cannot be countenanced on any level by any government in a society that professes to be subject to the rule of law. The Christian community cannot sit in judgement unless it has first knelt in prayer. “Where are your accusers”, followed by “neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more”, carries just as much weight today, as it did when first uttered 2000 years ago.
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Very much appreciate your comment. Thx so much for coming by.
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It sounds lke you’re a total homophobic! I was wondering if you would have the balls to dress up and go on such wagon with me (a hetero!) next year in June? I would be more than happy to take a few pictures of you and let others leave their comments on them.
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In case reading and viewing is something you do only in your spare time, that’s precisely what I did with THREE different shots–I made fun of myself. Then again, you were clearly too busy projecting to pay attention. I completely understand.
And I wouldn’t dare be caught dead anywhere near such a shameless spectacle. It’s degrading to the millions of men and women who have sadly died of HIV/AIDS. And now it’s also a place for open drug use and anti-Semitism. Lovely. You enjoy yourself darling.
BTW, “homophobia” does not exist, discrimination does. I have never met anyone scared of a homosexual. Also, the word your are scrambling for is ‘homophobe’ not ‘homophobic’ which describes a state of being and not the person.
Please take your contrived slanders elsewhere. Thank you for commenting.
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“Homophobia doesn’t exist”
Really?!?!
Have you EVER heard of a little thing called the HOMO PANIC DEFENSE?!?!?! It’s been used multiple times to exonerate MURDERERS by claiming that they did not know what they were doing beause they got SCARED by the fact that their victim was GAY
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Right and it failed every time, because it doesn’t exist. That’s nonsense. Call it what it is: Discrimination.
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I see… no balls then! Thought so!
What I forgot to mention is that your entire article is written extremely negative!
In regards to the drug use, that’s everywhere unfortunately and especially in Canada when it comes to weed. So… I’m curious… did you write something about 420 day as well then??
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Yes, I did. In fact, I was highly critical of the police for not doing their job.
NOTE TO READERS: This dimbell included her email: alexisafuckhead@gmail.com
Notwithstanding the hiding behind a fake name as well.
I’ll let the rest of you decide who engages with balls and who cowers…
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Wow! You all are obviously conservative, puritan, fag hating bigots. If you do not understand the meaning of Queer and what it stands for you should shut up and do some research. The parade is a liberating event for queers and people. What’s wrong with nakedness? What;s wrong with being comfortable and free?
Perv is great and so is Vanilla. Last thing us queers need is some stupid, ignorant, egotistical heterosexual stating his opinion of what a gay parade should be like. You all are so stupid that I laughed hysterically reading this stupid blog with the stupid captions underneath the pictures. Grow and progress, we are not living in the 40′s anymore…
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You really shouldn’t hold back as much. I think you really need to get your opinion out.
Speaking of which…you’re soooooo proud of participating in an overhyped (the attendance figures are total lies) sexual carnival but hide behind ‘SoCal’?
Oh, that’s rich…LOL!
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What’s the matter Alex? You decide my earlier comment was too real for you and deleted it? well here it is again….
Though I too am disturbed by the path that the pride parade has taken over the years, I fail to see how your mindless pandering is meant to help.
Ghandi once said “You must be the change you want to see in this world” why don’t you try it? Your degradation of marchers and spectators alike proves only that you are so upset and angry at yourself that you lash out in highly inappropriate ways. If you are truly upset about how the parade is run then STEP UP! Do something, run for a board position, volunteer for a commitee or don’t go. But publishing photos of people involved in or watching the parade WITHOUT PERMISSION and then mocking and degrading them to no end other than to boost your READERSHIP makes you no better.
Many of the people whose pictures you have mocked and degraded are my friends, good real people with hearts of gold who were simply trying to celebrate the freedom of being who they are. You have cheapened the entire memory of pride more than any commercial float or lobby group could have ever done.
Way to go you souless monstrocity
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Firstly, I don’t know where your first comment went. I would have had no problem posting it as it illustrates several problems that I’m sure a good therapist would assist you with.
Secondly, your assertions about what I did are laughable to the point where if I did delete your comment it would be justified. The pix belong to me. In three of them I made fun of myself. I guess ou missed that. No one was degraded (any more than I took shots at myself), other than the objections to drug dealing, drug usage and anti-Semitism–wherein I was delighted to degrade such fools.
Thirdly, you want me to run for the Pride Board? You must have been on the dope float.
Fourthly, the only people who cheapen gay rights are people like you who do not understand the damage such a hyper-commercialized, overtly sexual carnival does to the community you claim to hold dear.
I’m the soulless monstrosity (learn to spell, pls)???
No mirrors in your house?
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They are in a public place. No one needs permission to post their photos. And as far as Alex “doing something”, he is doing something, he’s bringing this to the attention of people who have no idea how degrading and perverted the parade has become.
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Thx Miguel. I took no pleasure in having to reply to some of these people. They are so blind. They do not see the damage they have done to themselves and their community. The lies, the hate, the reverse bigotry. It’s astounding. All I did, was prove, once again, that the Pride Board has no interest in putting on a reasonable event. And they completely fabricated the amount of people, just so they could secure so more advertising–that much is clear. It’s just a sick, sexual carnival.
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Thank you for being a prime example of exactly why we need to have Pride parades; to show to the world that we are not afraid of people like you and that we will not hide in the closet.
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Perhaps you didn’t bother to read my post or the comments I have made. The Pride Parade is one big lie–everything from the number of attendees to the economic spin-off. And it’s degrading with all the stereotypes of the various constituencies within the general gay community. Nobody, least of all me, wants you to be closeted. That’s moronic. I’d never advocate for that. Don;t anyone who would.
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Wow, Alex,
This thread continues on.
Gee, I didn’t know there were so many “haters” in the Pride Parade community. As for ‘Josh Shapiro” there’s a self-loathing Jew (or an anti-semite posing as a self-loathing Jew) if ever I have read one.
Perhaps he should check out Palestinian TV kids shows (Micky Mouse ripoff spouting crap about using AK47′s on Isreali’s) to get a sense about how peacefully some want to deal with that sorry situation in the Middle East.
And he has surely lost all sense and sensibility when he poo-poos any sense of community concern over some of the lame and gross acting out that goes on during Pride. You know “Old Guy With Saggy Nuts and Grey Pubes” running around completely starkers may be getting his jollies doing that in front of your kid. Would you accept that of a hetero guy? And, really, how do we know he is gay? But because he can waggle his dick at the crowd in the Pride parade, that makes it OK?
I have attended the Pride Parade the last 2 years. I agree (and my cop friends confirm) that their crowd numbers are completely bogus, the Pride exec in-fighting is legendary and the whole thing is one hot mess.
I have many gay friends (young and old) who are frustrated with the sterotypical messaging that this is THE defining message of the Parade: we are to be judged on the size of our packages. It is so juvenile—yeah, right, we get that some spit in the eye of the dominant culture.
There are some in the gay community who do not want to own up to this fact: there are whack-jobs in that community, as there freaks in the straight community. That you seem to have ended up with all of them in the Pride Parade, is a tragedy. It completely undermines your messaging.
Pride parade people: “society” will treat you with the dignity you deserve, when you treat yourselves with dignity. Don’t claim this is a “family” event, when it is not. If you want to have a Carnival, then call it that—gives people a chance to say “OK, I know this might be raunchy”. Don’t scream “homophobic” just because some of us find your saggy tits and leg humping offensive. We wouldn’t like it in a hetero parade, either.
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NOTE TO READERS: REQUIRED READING–SUPERB COMMENT.
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Reading this just gets better and better. I never even heard of this website before. I’m happy that I’ve found it. The humour on here is priceless.
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Glad you’re amused. But the issue is quite serious. The Pride Parade is a sexual carnival that this year featured anti-Semitic ravings of far left wing loons and open drug dealing and usage. In addition, they once again LIED about their attendance figures.
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Please Alex – never use the phrase “left wing loons” ever again. Not only is it a tired meaningless cliche, but it makes you sound like a hick who lumps everyone who disagrees with them into that category. Journalists are supposed to be unbiased and using turns of phrase like that make you sound like a Glenn Beck wannabe. You do some good work, don’t diminish it by resorting to name-calling..
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I also use “far right wing cranks” to describe the other side of the continuum…better?
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Sure it is better, if you think that two wrongs make a right and you have no regard for your craft.
You have an important message that needs to be heard (not the subject of this thread which is inflammatory fluff – I am talking about the BC government corruption that you are working to expose) so please do not allow it to be lost in rhetoric.
This is your blog so you can write whatever you want, I’m just suggesting that you should report instead of editorialize. Once personal bias is introduced your message loses credibility. If your work starts to attract widespread attention your credibility is going to be the first thing under attack so don’t make it easier for the spin doctors to paint you as a conspiracy-obsessed weirdo, which is pretty much what they are going to try and do.
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Great I appreciate the advice Dave. Much appreciation. But I really wouldn’t worry about one topic being confused or blended with the other no matter how I refer to any group of extremists.
Thanks again. Take care.
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Alex,
Great Photos and Biting comments
I’m in total agreement with you on this one.
While the Gay community deserves to be heard it does itself no favours by allowing the Pride parade to be hijacked by the Lunatic Fringe.
Their “tolerance” message is lost amoung the shreiking cacaphony of special interest groups a la “Save the Whales”, “Save Marc Emery”, Save Visions’ Political Ass”, Save TD Bank Depositors”, Save Condoms, etc.etc.etc.
What most of the Parade participants fail to realize is … The majority of people that are there taking your picture ARE LAUGHING AT YOU!
They dont respect you, they dont agree with you, they dont really even like you.
They’re mocking you. That person that is pointing and laughing isnt your friend…
So much for Pride.
Prove me wrong, next year every participant should be respectfully clothed, ( Clowns wear suits too) and promote the advances gays have made in the military, the police, the fire dept. etc.etc.etc.. Serious lifestyles that truly make a difference and that EVERYONE can look up to.
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If they did that, I would happily attend and cheer. I completely agree. It has become a very bad joke.
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couldnt agree more Alex! What a specticle. What ever happend to decency? I find their conduct and pardades SHAMEFUL!
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SHAMEFUL, doesn’t even begin to cover it….
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