Gay Pride parade cancelled.

[J-Dude]

I'm rather astounded it took almost halfway through the second page before I saw a single post with any level of reason. Gays each individually suffer some incredible hardships. In some ways, even worse than what certain races have suffered.

Think of it this way: If you were a discriminated race in a volatile time for said minority, would you EVER have to worry about the loyalty of your own kin? No, you wouldn't. Your skin is the same as their skin, and you're born under the same cause.

But in some families, on top of the external discrimination, we see kin turn on each other.

One of my absolute best friends discovered his homosexuality in the Navy of all places, and was beat half to death for it by his own crew-mates and previous friends. His Captain, who he knew well, vied fervently to get him an honorable discharge from the service, which was granted. But not even his own parents knew about the reason until later. To this day, his psycho-"Christian" father has done his damnedest to rid him of "the gay", quoting unfitting Bible verses which refer to homosexual acts as tribute to a Pagan God of fertility that nobody even heard of, dragging him to Church where half the sermons seem to preach how gays are "Ruining America", and having him do paid work to arrange a concert and seminar on "How to turn your Gay Son Straight for Jesus".

The man is unstable on top of this, prone to road rage and known to be violent, an old Vietnam War Veteran who I'd like nothing better than to be in the same room as when the coward turns on his own son for things beyond his control.

The very idea that homosexuality is a choice seems like such a daft concept to me anymore. Who would PRETEND or WANT to be this way if it means distancing your own family from yourself and hanging a big fat societal label around your neck?

My personal feeling is that these folks SHOULD have their parade and SHOULD speak out against their oppressors that they're not content to hide themselves or who they are for fear of retaliation. There is no change if there is no catalyst for change. These are people who have been oppressed since the dawn of man, and as recently as 50 years ago would be beaten to death in the streets in the United States, by whites and blacks alike, should they be discovered for who they are.

Point is, this isn't something you can be indifferent to. It's just about the last real civil rights issue in America, and it's one that only relatively recently has gotten the attention of the world. If you have the slightest inclination for the betterment of humanity, then support the gays and their rights.

 

[Grega]

Well we arnt talking about America are we?

Pride isnt something that can be atained or sustained with parades and such bull****. Pride comes from the knowledge that no matter what others say or do you stay true to your conviction.

Thats waht pride is. Its got nothing to do with parades or what ever else you think of. Hell im all for a good party/parade but calling it a pride parade just ticks me off.

 

[Chakra-X]

Well we arnt talking about America are we?

Pride isnt something that can be atained or sustained with parades and such bull****. Pride comes from the knowledge that no matter what others say or do you stay true to your conviction.

Thats waht pride is. Its got nothing to do with parades or what ever else you think of. Hell im all for a good party/parade but calling it a pride parade just ticks me off.

J-Dude's post brought up many good points. Just because he happened to be talking about America does not automatically make it irrelevant. Thinking to yourself "I am gay and I embrace it" is great. But things like a pride parade lets everyone deal with their struggles in a positive, collective manner to let the entire world (and their oppressors) know that they are proud of who they are. It's basically what you think pride is, but in a group setting, which happens to be a parade.

Again, what bothers me about these parades is that they seem irritating. Not because of their message or purpose, but men in drag =/=gay image, if you ask me. Unless it's including Transexuals, which is a whole different story for me.

 

[Spunky]

Hey guys. I'm not a homophobe, I'm just going to rant about gays for a while. Ok? Great.

 

[sub]

J-Dude and Dienekes both made great points, I couldn't agree with them more.

 

[Damaera]

Alright. I am posting this because I wanna talk about the "gay pride" parade that was supposed to go on today in Belgrade, the capital city of Serbia. It was called off because the authorities considered it to be a tad too dangerous and risky for the participants of said parade, dangerous because, sadly, in this country, homophobia is still at large, and I don't see it declining any time soon.

Now, I am not a homophobe, nor do I have anything against gay people, but I am still against this parade. Why? Well firstly, because it's pointless. What is there for the gays to gain from having this parade? Nothing, except a day where they openly declare and shout out that they're homosexuals.

Now, some people might say it's good to be proud of what you are. WRONG! Being proud of being gay is the same as being a goddamn patriot. It makes no sense. How can you be proud of something that you've not earned through your own effort, something that is your birthright? The only thing to be proud of when it comes to being gay, is the effort they put into being able to live like normal people, while still being gay. But such a success is an individual success, not something shared by all the gays. Infact, I'm sure that a lot of the gays that would show up at this parade, are still scared to admit their homosexuality to others, in fear of the consequences. Now, if the gays as a whole had changed something, for example, how society sees them, or some bizarre law that is crippling their rights, then there would have been a reason for a parade. A reason to celebrate something. Now, there's absolutely nothing to celebrate.

Lemme ask you something. How come the gays never protested for their rights? How come they never clogged our traffic and marched on Belgrade, demanding that their rights be granted by the state? Instead, they want to clog our traffic by celebrating something that they haven't achieved. I could bet my left arm that, since the day I was born, up until now, not a single important law concerning homosexuality has been changed in my country. And I'm 17, so that means something, people.

Hey, I'm going to throw a parade and then have a party afterwards.

But then again.. it is taboo to enjoy yourself and have fun no matter what the occasion is, so I might not.

 

[Deathshot]

We had a White Pride parade here.. but Apparently it was racist... Three weeks later was the Black Pride parade... Six weeks was the Latino Pride parade...

Yup... I was in a racist parade....

Then again the Man's Day Parade was considered Sexist....

 

[Tenzo]

We had a White Pride parade here.. but Apparently it was racist... Three weeks later was the Black Pride parade... Six weeks was the Latino Pride parade...

Yup... I was in a racist parade....

Then again the Man's Day Parade was considered Sexist....

Wouldn't we be better without any parades at all?

 

[Deathshot]

Wouldn't we be better without any parades at all?

No. I like watching the retarded people who strip down naked and run out into em get beat down by cops. Eitherway, I think we need 1 parade celebrating the thing called life. "Hey look, I lived another year. Lets Celebrate." Even if its called a Birthday, we should choose to have 1 on like... July 25th.

So as of now, Everyone shall celebrate having lived another year on July 25th. We can cancel all Parades other then this day. I dont care what you wear, or wear anything at all... Just show up and party and do whatever is legal.

 

[Nemix]

I dont mind gays but what ticks me off is stuff like this.

Why do you need a ****ing parade

Cause if they get one i ****ing want one to >.<

LETS all go to GREGA PARADE!! its gonna be awesome ^^

 

[Dienekes]

We had a White Pride parade here.. but Apparently it was racist... Three weeks later was the Black Pride parade... Six weeks was the Latino Pride parade...

Yup... I was in a racist parade....

Then again the Man's Day Parade was considered Sexist....

It's viewed as racist because, and this is simply an assumption, you're from a predominately white area where there is no need to remind everyone that white people are, in fact, in power. That's just me.

That's kind of why a Man's Day parade is frowned upon, but a Female Pride parade would probably be okay.

That isn't to say I agree with either case. If you want a parade, and you're not preaching hate, march your heart out.

@ Dzamija:

I agree. But why stop there? We can have a parade one day a year for each minority, because I'm certain that, at least here, they suffer equally as much as gays do (saying you're Hungarian, for example, in certain parts of my town will get you beat and robbed.).

I agree. Why stop there? Why shouldn't all people of all ethnic backgrounds have parades? They absolutely should. Not Hungarians, though. Heaven forbid they even reveal their origin. A crime against nature, they are.

Really?

How can gays expect to be accepted like normal people into their society if they keep acting abnormal? No one's making a straight parade, so if they want to be so equal, why are they making hypocrites out of themselves with this parade?

I don't understand how or why asking to have a parade is abnormal. No one is making a straight parade because, quite obviously, the vast majority of people around you are straight. People don't typically celebrate the status quo.

It's obviously not just a party. If it was just a party, then the gays wouldn't have declined when their parade was supposed to be moved to Ušće (another part of town, instead of it going throughout the whole town, for safety reasons), stating that the reason they're holding the parade in the first place is to show people that they're equal citizens (which is hypocritical, as I stated earlier). It was more of a riot being passed as a parade, because they thought they'd be in less danger than in an actual riot. And I don't think they'd accomplish anything with it. They have to fight for their rights, as people before them have. It's simply like that, and as long as humans remain the barbaric race we are, it'll remain the same.

They declined because being told, "You can only have your parade in that alley over there where no one can see you." kind of defeats the purpose of having a parade. Parades are meant to be seen by everyone, especially by anyone closed-minded enough to believe a parade is an act of war. They quite obviously aren't equal citizens if their lives are in danger for being something they had no say in. It's as illogical and irrational as racism.

I'm finding it difficult to comprehend why anyone would want to stop a peaceful, albeit flamboyant, parade. It just doesn't make sense to me.

@Grega: Parades don't create pride. They're a byproduct of pride, a way to voice that pride in the loudest way imaginable. It doesn't have to be about standing up for one's convictions. A gay person probably won't be proud in the fact that no matter how much someone *****es at them, they're still gay because that person didn't really have a choice in the first place.

@Chakra: Men in drag don't equal gay, but as with most things, the minority in a group tend to be the loudest to make up for their small numbers. I'd make a political point but that's probably not the best idea.

 

[Dzamija]

They declined because being told, "You can only have your parade in that alley over there where no one can see you." kind of defeats the purpose of having a parade. Parades are meant to be seen by everyone, especially by anyone closed-minded enough to believe a parade is an act of war. They quite obviously aren't equal citizens if their lives are in danger for being something they had no say in. It's as illogical and irrational as racism.

From what you just said, it's obvious this parade is much more than just a party. However, if you show a parade of gays to closed-minded people, how do you expect that, and that alone, make them accept gays all of a sudden? It'll have absolutely no effect on their decision. Closed-minded people will stay closed-minded until either something major happens in their lives, or someone wise opens their minds. There's no such parade that'll do that.

I'd absolutely agree with this parade if its concept was a little bit different. Maybe some people wouldn't like a parade marching in front of their house all day long. I'm all for the gays to have their fun, as long as other people (non-homophobes) aren't disturbed by it. When you have a party, do you tend to make enough noise to wake up the entire block, or do you try to keep it down to an acceptable level?

 

[Sicron]

You guys don't have any other parades in your town? Don't those 'disturb' some people as well? Fact is, you can't make everyone happy, so what the hell if you disturb those people. It's their choice they don't want to watch that parade.

 

[J-Dude]

It's about making their presence known. If they just sit there quietly and take no action, nothing happens, no change is encouraged. You give the cause publicity, and people have to acknowledge it. You get people talking, taking sides, taking action. Best case, it forces change in the country. Worst case, the country and countrymen try to suppress gay rights, and hopefully provides further publicity to the world, putting pressure on the government of said nation. Point is, you keep at it and it's impossible to make it go away, the minority keeps pushing until they get what they want.

 

[Dienekes]

I don't think I've ever been to a party where people were concerned about noise levels before the cops showed up.

 

[ChaseUbito]

Gay people are not proud to be gay, but they are proud to admit that they are gay. The Gay Pride has been a succes for many years here in the Netherlands, even attracting many non-gay people (even though they don't take part in the parade, they do watch it).



If you want to ban these parades, because they are 'pointless'. You might as well ban all concerts of your favorite rock bands as well, why view them live when you can just listen to your CD? Well...just because you can, actually.

Whoa. Proud to admit they're gay, that actually makes perfect sense.

 

[Deman]

Whoa. Proud to admit they're gay, that actually makes perfect sense.

It does if you talk to ones who've had to deal with friends, family, or community members who force them to keep it hidden because of their intolerance.

 

[Sicron]

Whoa. Proud to admit they're gay, that actually makes perfect sense.

Many gay people have been expelled from their families or have been killed for letting family and friends know they are gay. Just look at...I think it was the Indonisian Prince, he was banned from his country by admitting he was gay. Thus, gay people tend to hide their homosexuality to the outside. Acceptance is the only thing these people want, they are not evil, they do not bite you in the ass either.

Acceptance and acknowledgement is something every human wants. If all your friends...no, if every man alive would suddenly turn their back towards you for whatever reason, and completely ignore you. Wouldn't you do something to get noticed? Something to get accepted by other people?

By having a gay parade, gay people want to show you that they also live on this planet, and that they are just as ordinary or as extra-ordinary as the next person and they just want to get accepted, despite their choice/feelings for the other sex.

 

[J-Dude]

Many gay people have been expelled from their families or have been killed for letting family and friends know they are gay. Just look at...I think it was the Indonisian Prince, he was banned from his country by admitting he was gay. Thus, gay people tend to hide their homosexuality to the outside. Acceptance is the only thing these people want, they are not evil, they do not bite you in the ass either.

Acceptance and acknowledgement is something every human wants. If all your friends...no, if every man alive would suddenly turn their back towards you for whatever reason, and completely ignore you. Wouldn't you do something to get noticed? Something to get accepted by other people?

By having a gay parade, gay people want to show you that they also live on this planet, and that they are just as ordinary or as extra-ordinary as the next person and they just want to get accepted, despite their choice for the other sex.

Well said, although I'd argue whether or not it could really be called a choice. I know my pal wishes he did.

 

[Deathshot]

In Seattle, Washington, they have the Zombie march, where you walk and act like a Zombie all day, roaming the streets and malls. It is pretty fun.