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Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Pride on the Water?

posted by on April 25 at 12:18 PM

After yesterday’s vertiginous now-Pride-is-cancelled-and-now-it’s-not updates, the Pride parade is slated for Fourth Avenue. Sweet Jesus, that’s good news.

However, the Pride rally appears to be… non-existent? The LGBT Center has plans for something called Queerfest in Volunteer Park. But the idea of trudging two miles up hill after the parade makes me want to drink, starting now. Dan suggested marching right into Seattle Center without a permit and setting up camp on the lawn by the fountain. That might be kinda relaxing, until the police arrive in riot gear and tell us to haul our gay asses up the hill.

There’s another option: Rallying at a big park downtown. You know, the one overrun by stoners in August: Myrtle Edwards Park. Here’s a picture from Hempfest to help you imagine what the Pride rally could look like:

could_this_be_pride.jpg

Myrtle Edwards Park is near the parade route, it’s big enough for a large event, we could have a big sound system, and it’s a public space without usage fees. And if SOaP is to ever pay off their huge debt at Seattle Center—and pay for this year’s parade—a rally site will help them raise the money they need. Down at Myrtle Edwards Park, they could sell vendor spaces, sell water, host a beer garden!, and collect donations at the narrow little entrance.

Oh, about that narrow little entrance. A hundred thousand parade marchers funneling into the waterfront park would be a tight squeeze. But with line managers and help from the cops, we could have our parade and our rally, too. Of course, this is just an interim location until SOaP shapes up or another organization forms that can hold the rally in Seattle Center without incurring six figures of debt.

RSS icon Comments

1

Hey, local community organizations: You are getting screwed by SOaP! What good is a Pride celebration without the festival for you? Are you really going to sign up new members and volunteers and collect donations while being pushed down Fourth Ave. by a gaggle of ugly drag queens on a flatbed truck behind you?

Save your entry fee--it would be a senseless waste of valuable resources to enter the parade with no benefit whatsoever.

Why no festival? Because SOaP needs to cut expenses so that it can use your hard-earned funds to pay off its bad debt. Just say no.

Posted by My Ass | April 25, 2007 12:22 PM
2

w00t! I agree - ME is a great interim solution, and it would be an awesome place to hang out and people watch for the afternoon. Plus plenty of space to set up vendors and whatnot...

Posted by el ganador | April 25, 2007 12:23 PM
3

Has it crossed anyone else's mind that maybe two separate orgs could produce the parade and the rally?
I know Dan suggested earlier that Tacky Tourists or someone could do it...but what about a new org with no baggage, and maybe some people who fundraise for a living?

C'mon...in this town there's got to be at least one queer who specializes in bizdev kinda stuff...right? right?

Posted by el ganador | April 25, 2007 12:32 PM
4

How about skipping the parade this year and have some make-do festival in Volunteer Park. Then we'll pay off the debts in be in the clear to have a financially sound parade and rally downtown in June '08. I think a parade every other year would make it less boring.

Posted by raindrop | April 25, 2007 12:38 PM
5

The parade is the money, people. So, having two organizations involved doesn't help, because in order to produce the festival, you need the entry fees for the parade. Capiche? Therefore, SOaP is going to produce the parade, save on the production of the festival by cancelling it, and take all of the proceeds from the parade to pay off last year's debacle. This is SOaP's debt repayment plan and has little if anything to do with Pride or community or visibility.

Where exactly will the LGBT Center, or any other organization, get the funds to produce the festival?

Posted by Parade = $ | April 25, 2007 12:47 PM
6

Good lord that picture looks awful. I miss the parade going by my house on sunday morning to wake me up from my pride hang over.

Posted by codes | April 25, 2007 12:52 PM
7

How about the LGBT Center go ahead with their Saturday events, and the SOaP go ahead with their Sunday parade?

Posted by Dan Savage | April 25, 2007 12:52 PM
8

Myrtle Edwards Park is the perfect location for a post parade festival. Hempfest has been putting on incredible festivals in this park for years and it's well set up to hold many many people. Did I also mention it's beautiful and right in the heart of downtown?

The only downside is that pesky narrow entrance, thanks ever-so-much to SAM and the Olympic Sculpture Park. But the park is viable, the city must recognize that and make the park accesible for special events.

That way both the gays and the hippies will give SAM nightmares about touching their art!

Posted by meh | April 25, 2007 12:57 PM
9

Damn, if the Seattle stoners can pull off the largest hempfest in the country, you'd think the Seattle 'mos could pull it together.

Posted by emjava | April 25, 2007 1:08 PM
10

Dan @ 5: I think if SOaP will agree to give a percentage of its take from parade entry fees to the LGBT Center to produce the festival (in the same proportion that production of the festival last year bore to production of the parade last year), you might be on to something. Otherwise, where does the Center get the money to produce the festival? Charge local community organizations for the festival, too? Thankfully, they are all flush with cash for this kind of bullshit, right? Or, charge an entry fee to the public--now there is an idea that will ensure a direct trajectory to the Cuff for CeCe Penniston.

Posted by Parade = $ | April 25, 2007 1:10 PM
11

Stoners vs. Mos in a Battle Royale.

Posted by elswinger | April 25, 2007 1:11 PM
12

Stoners v. Mos? Damn it, whose side do I take? I'M SO CONFUSED!

Posted by monkey | April 25, 2007 1:31 PM
13

Here’s a modest proposal: Let some other group (Tacky Tourists?) organize a function at ME Park in partnership with SOaP (for the right to use “Pride Seattle” or what ever the hell the brand name is). Charge vendors who are selling shit (food, beer, whatever) to get access, let service groups set up booths for free if they are in the parade and for corresponding fee if they are not, find a sponsor (The Stranger?) to bring in a DJ & sound system, take advantage of the narrow entrance to shame the tight ass fags in this town to donate to defray the cost of the event (with excess proceeds going to paying the bill for last years party that we all enjoyed so much) (Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence might be good at this) give them a sticker good for a discount off a sponsored beer garden (Bud Lite?) if they do donate, and your done. This is not that hard. I thought we were supposed to be good as this kind of stuff…

Posted by You_Gotta_Be_Kidding_Me | April 25, 2007 1:34 PM
14

LOL guys. Pride was not going to get cancelled. There are way too many people who want Pride to happen for it to have never happened.

Posted by Gomez | April 25, 2007 2:14 PM
15

As a Board member of the Tacky Tourists Clubs of America, I can tell you now that we would not have the time or the energy to spend on this because in June we are in the middle of planning this years cruise and our efforts will concentrated on that.

Sign up for cruise alerts at www.ttca.org

Posted by Michael McAfoose | April 25, 2007 2:26 PM
16

ME Park is a great idea... for next year. This late in the game, I don't think any organization would want to touch that one with a ten-foot donation bucket.

This year, we've got a downtown parade and post-parade activities ranging from Rat City Rollergirls and an impromptu Seattle Center fountain frolic to the usual events on Capitol Hill. And LGBT can do their thing in Volunteer Park.

Given the current situation, that should be enough to keep the majority of people happy and entertained. Next year: a bigger, better and more cohesive Pride as time & support will allow.

Posted by Explorer | April 25, 2007 2:36 PM
17

the pride rally will be held this year in my bathtub.

Posted by adrian! | April 25, 2007 3:36 PM
18

I'm so there.

Posted by Dominic Holden | April 25, 2007 4:20 PM
19

I think Dan and Terry should plan the Festival...I went to their anniversary thing at ReBar a couple years ago and it was GREAT!!

How big is their backyard?

Posted by michael strangeways | April 25, 2007 5:17 PM
20

Voyeur agrees with Explorer!!! Stay Focused.
I would love to see Gay Pride on the water front. Tacky Tourists can lead the chant of "we're out we're proud" when the cruise ships cruise slowly by M.E. Park, just like the Stoners do their Hemp cheer. Beside the wind off the water will help your flags fly stiffer.

Posted by voyeur | April 26, 2007 8:47 AM
21

How did those artists for SAM not see the real connection between pot and art? Can any one of the people who designed the sculpture park say they have never smoked pot? I think they have been smoking that extra potent stuff the ignorama's have been hyping. Do you really think they'll see the real connection between homosexuals ad art and expand their tight ass entry for them? Reality doesn't always make it thru the eyes of the rich people.

Posted by voyeur | April 26, 2007 8:58 AM
22

No, actually, I think its just that rich people don't like it when people urinate on their stuff. Funny, that.

Posted by You_Gotta_Be_Kidding_Me | April 26, 2007 9:04 AM
23

And all of you who are slinging rocks and arrows at the Pride Committee have volunteered for many years, made donations to the organization and otherwise helped out, correct?

Posted by JT | April 26, 2007 11:11 AM
24

I for one LOVED the downtown parade. I don't care for a giant celebration in the park afterwards. Besides, at previous parades I only went to the park for like 5 minutes and then I was like "Let's GO!" It is really sad that the gay groups in this town can't work together on something as wonderful as PRIDE. Produce a nice parade then let the bars host their own after events. Save your money!

Posted by belltownfag | April 26, 2007 8:45 PM

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