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Thursday, May 17, 2012

LGBTQITSLFA "Your Collective Individualism on Parade Even as You Stand in Place"

Posted by Dominic Holden on Thu, May 17, 2012 at 8:39 AM

Don't even try parsing that headline.

Seattle Out and Proud, producers of Seattle's gay pride parade, have selected a theme for this year's event, and that theme is “The Many Faces of Pride.” Who knows that that means, right? Well a-fucking-hem. Seattle Out and Proud's website has provided this—how shall I put this?—descriptive body of text to explain exactly what this year's pride parade is all about. Have at it:

This year, as you revel and participate in the 2012 Seattle Pride Parade, look to your left, then to your right. Look behind you, ahead of you, across the street. All around, you'll see it — community, and the beautiful people who make it theirs. Some will be immediately recognizable; others may catch you by surprise. But there you stand, shoulder to shoulder, comfortable and cohesive among them, your collective individualism on parade even as you stand in place — unblemished youth at the elbow of battle-scarred senior; the utterly fabulous against the gently indistinguishable; the confident alongside the questioning; the jubilant beside the impassive.

All around you, the intricate jigsaw of Pride will unfold to you — Latino and Asian and Native American and black and white; families in all their wondrous incarnations; 20-year locals and first-time visitors; the transitioning and the transgendered; the impaired and their companion animals; the athlete; the aesthete; the strange; and the stranger. These are The Many Faces of Pride.

Sounds like pride this year is not one to miss.

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Comments (25) RSS

Oldest First Unregistered On Registered On Add a comment

Young people (hot!) mingle with janky old people (gross!), fat ass bears gasp and wheeze, fit young jock boiz grace you with their presence and for fifty cents you can ride a service animal like a carnival pony.

Ironic mustache rides, 5 cents.

Posted by Baconcat on May 17, 2012 at 8:44 AM

NEW RULE: Themes are themes like "1930's Oscar Night" or "The Gay 1890's" or something like that. "The Many Faces of Pride"? that's something made up from a really bad ad agency in Spokane.

Posted by Cato the Younger Younger on May 17, 2012 at 8:48 AM

"transgendered" after Lady Gaga got in trouble for the same word?! Good luck Seattle Pride.

Posted by LukeJoe on May 17, 2012 at 8:58 AM

Last time I tried to unfold a jigsaw puzzle, it fell apart. (Okay, I never did that, but still ... who folds jigsaw puzzles?)

Posted by Yoder

on May 17, 2012 at 9:02 AM

Will they boo at the Log Cabin gays again?

Posted by Some gays are not welcomed on May 17, 2012 at 9:06 AM

#5 Hopefully. Gay Republicans can go to hell.

If you know what percent of homeless teenagers are LGBT and then still support tax breaks for the rich while cutting public education, Pell Grants, health-clinics, food stamps, etc....you can go straight to hell.

Posted by LukeJoe on May 17, 2012 at 9:08 AM

@5 Are there any left?

Posted by Brooklyn Reader on May 17, 2012 at 9:10 AM

It looks like it was written by a committee of 8th graders?

Posted by Reverse Polarity on May 17, 2012 at 9:19 AM

Comedy gold. Speaking as one of the gently indistinguishable, that is.

Posted by gloomy gus on May 17, 2012 at 9:21 AM

Indeed SOaP is NOT a pack of writers, they put on a parade. Dominic and his peers there at The STranger are supposed to be writers (we all wonder). The Stranger crew does not put on a parade. Cut SOaP some slack. OR BETTER YET volunteer to do some writing for them, they really really could use the help in that arena.

Posted by Sargon Bighorn on May 17, 2012 at 9:30 AM

@3: Wait, is transgender a naughty word now too?

I've come to dislike the word 'pride'. Much like 'fierce,' it's used all too often in ways that don't make any sense. And who's allowed to use it can occasionally get annoying. I'd like to pronounce pride in my European heritage without people measuring me for that white hood and robe, thanks.

Posted by NateMan on May 17, 2012 at 9:45 AM

you can go straight to hell."

The true face of 'tolerance'.

Posted by Some gays are more gay than others on May 17, 2012 at 10:05 AM

I can't wait to see the "gently indistinguishable" part of the parade.

But then, how am I going to notice? They'll just look like everyone else. Except they're gentle. Or something.

Posted by Some Old Nobodaddy Logged In on May 17, 2012 at 10:06 AM

The more I read what Dominic posted the more I want to projectile vomit at what was written, not the intention, but it just sounds so disgustingly saccharine.

Posted by Cato the Younger Younger on May 17, 2012 at 10:07 AM

Your Collective Individualism on Parade Even as You Stand in Place"

Well, individualism as long as you only believe in the nanny state. Non-conforming queers are not consider 'individuals'.

Posted by We are all individuals! on May 17, 2012 at 10:10 AM

@10) Maybe one of these days I'll try my hand at producing a major political event in Seattle.

Posted by Dominic Holden on May 17, 2012 at 10:13 AM

I'm getting close to falling into the "battle-scarred senior" category. But those aren't battle scars, cupcake. Sadly, those are just wrinkles.

Posted by Reverse Polarity on May 17, 2012 at 10:17 AM

What? "A Knight to Remember" was taken?

Posted by Soupytwist

on May 17, 2012 at 10:20 AM

@16, yes, now that I think about it for a sec, without your tireless early efforts Hempfest might not have grown into the hilarious cavalcade of nincompoopery it is today. A-plus venue for shirtless guys though.

Posted by gloomy gus on May 17, 2012 at 10:23 AM

Not the best written release but well-intentioned. Sounds to me as if they are at least trying to get away from the somewhat assimilationist trends of recent parades. LGBTQ folks have no need appease the straight population by attempting to blend in, if blending is against the grain. Passing for straight or being low-key parenting types is fine if that is where you are, but casting shame on fetishists, fems, bulls, trans, and others is not what being queer is about.

Posted by thatsnotright on May 17, 2012 at 10:54 AM

And just wait until you see the parade. 3 hours of people marching with banners! Yay.

Posted by very bad homo on May 17, 2012 at 11:42 AM

There will be a Queer Geek float in the parade this year: https://www.facebook.com/GayGeekPride

Posted by zephsright on May 17, 2012 at 11:46 AM

19) I'm glad we can enjoy that silver lining together.

Posted by Dominic Holden on May 17, 2012 at 11:53 AM

@23, it makes me buy those mirrored sunglasses with leaves on them, making it easier to stare shamelessly. They assume I'm just in a stupor like the rest of the crowd, at least until I start waggling my eyebrows.

Posted by gloomy gus on May 17, 2012 at 12:05 PM

@11: No.

"Transgender" — as adjective only — is proper use of the word: "transgender agency", "transgender informed consent", "transgender voice being heard", "transgender respect", "transgender-owned, -operated, and -managed", and so on.

"Transgendered" as an adjective is not grammatically proper. "Transgender" as noun is not grammatically proper. "Transgenderists" is not grammatically OK; besides, the Mattachine Society sort of died out decades ago, and they secretly loved that "-ist" suffix like it was Liberace wearing a plain black suit and simple white Oxford button-down.

What's more absurd is that Seattle Pride use "transitioning" and "transgendered" [sic] as oppositional ideas. Completely and utterly clueless, like it was written by a bunch of stupid cis people (oh, wait). It also reads like the copywriter is more used to writing academic papers than marketing copy.

Their whole statement is a big bag of used condom-fail.

Posted by Telsa on May 17, 2012 at 7:18 PM