This past June 26th was the landmark decision by the US Supreme Court declaring the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional and reinstating gay marriage in California. Celebrations rippled across the United States in waves of joy at the advance of civil rights and the acceptance of diversity (as anyone who has a Facebook surely knows). In light of these historic events, my sister and I drove up from our home in Los Angeles to spend the weekend of June 29th and 30th in San Francisco for what was sure to be a historic Gay Pride.
We saw on TV the day the Supreme Court’s decision“came out of the closet” that San Francisco’s city hall was illuminated with rainbow lights and we heard on the radio that people were dancing in the streets. It was with great anticipation that we made the six hour drive in only five hours to join the celebrations in the Bay Area.
We arrived that Friday afternoon crackling with energy. Throwing down our luggage we fueled-up with martinis at my friend’s house where we planned to couch surf that weekend. Outside his Bay-facing window was a view of the entire city slowly beginning to glow as the sun faded in the West. We toasted to each other, to the forward movement of mankind, and to a weekend of adventure roaming the hills of San Francisco.
That night my sister and I were swept away in a stream of chauffeured cars, luxurious food and designer drinks in the city center, where we were introduced to all types of people from around the US and the world. Many individuals had migrated between continents and countries before adopting San Francisco as their home. In a club called “Monarch” we danced until we dropped, and Cinderella’d back to the apartment on the side of the hill to watch the sunrise over the Bay.
That weekend was warm with the combination of the unusual summer weather, the delicious drinks, and a unique feeling that accompanies the recognition that you are at the epicenter of an important historical movement. This intoxicating combination came together in a blur of people, laughter and dance up and down the hills of San Francisco. Random houses blasted music from their stoops, while strangely costumed characters grooved and rollerbladed together in a choreography encompassing all walks of life.
At one particular impromptu stage in the Castro, tattooed and tough black guys danced with tiny gay blonde boys, as a cowboy rollerbladed in time to the 70’s disco music emanating from a house where everyone wore rainbow colored mesh outfits and danced on the steps. The song “I’m Different” by 2 Chainz blasted as the 70’s notes faded, and I could think of no better theme for a weekend in which everyone was celebrating their diversity. We all got down.
On the day of the Pride Parade, the city swelled with people to form a sea where you could spontaneously run into a drag queen, a lesbian with a three-foot mohawk, or, as was the case many times, a gay couple that had been together for 40 years and now walked hand in hand with a sign saying “finally married – worth the wait”.
While Gay Pride is a celebration of LGBTQ past, present and future, it is also a celebration in which everyone is included and invited to participate. Even though it may be for the short expanse of only two days, in that time all of humanity comes out to play, to dance, to laugh and to celebrate their differences by putting them aside.
If you have the opportunity to go to a Pride event, I encourage you to jump at it. Bust out your rainbow flag, throw on the clothes you’ve never dared to wear, add a dash of glitter and join the celebration of whoever you are.
It’s called “Pride” for a reason.
By Marc Mahoney
