NY Pride 2011
So, last night, I was totally going to write all about the Pride March after I watched a few episodes of Misfits.
After some Rice-a-roni and two episodes, however, I could no longer keep my eyes open.
It was 9pm.
So, against my better judgment, I went to bed. I was sure I’d be up at 5am, wired and ready for the day.
Wrong.
I did wake up at 7am because I was having a dream that it was 10:30 and I couldn’t figure out for the life of me if it was 10:30pm and I just took a nap or 10:30am and I was late for work. I awoke with a start to find I still had half an hour before my alarm would go off. I lay back down and breathed a sigh of relief, letting my eyes droop closed again. Next thing I know my alarm is going off.
I hit snooze.
Twice.
I slept for ten hours and I still had to snooze to wake up.
Of course, my first thought was, “Oh no, I have mono.” I have never had mono, but it’s the first thing I jump to when I’m inexplicably tired. However, my spleen didn’t feel enlarged and I didn’t feel any other symptoms besides exhaustion, so I decided it’s possible that Pride Weekend just kicked my ass – in the best possible way.
Saturday night was standard-variety fun times. I’ve never been out to a bar with these cousins, so it was a great experience. They’re loud and bold and hilarious and I loved every minute of it.
Sunday, however, was something special. My cousin and I managed to drag ourselves out of bed after only a few hours of sleep, having gotten home at 3:30 that morning, decked ourselves in rainbows and headed to the city. After a few failed attempts [turns out, most places on the NYU campus are closed during the summer months…], we found some food and sat in Washington Square Park to eat, people watching all the while.
Then we met up with her sister and the friends we went out with the night before, who had secured the perfect spot to watch the parade – under a tree, right against the barricade.
Last year I went to the fair, but I didn’t see any of the parade, so I can’t compare it to anything. All I can say is that this parade – still called a march to remember why it started in the first place – was one of the most inspiring things I’ve ever seen in my life. Thousands of people standing up and supporting this community – gay, straight and everything in between.
It really made me smile from the inside out – to know that there were this many people who were part of and in support of the LGBT community in New York. And to know that there were events just like this in tons of other cities across the country this month. We might be a small number, percentage-wise. But we have a big presence.
And I love us for it.
Turning Phrases 