Pride Parade 2009

File Under: Out and Proud

Sunday June 28 was the Pride Parade and it could not have been a more perfect day in Chicago. Some changes to the parade route had been made, and as a result, we decided that we would start out early, seek out a spot and enjoy our day. Luis sent a message to all of us early Sunday morning, it read “if you want breakfast, come early.” Well, you don’t have to ask me twice.

I arrived at the house at about 9:30. Luis had been a busy man in the kitchen. Before long, we were all feasting on delicious egg dishes and a French toast type dish made with Hawaiian bread. As Luis put it, it was just something he threw together. He’s a good man.

The group for this outing included Dan and Luis, Polo, David, Tina and Denise. Dan so thoughtfully kept us hydrated, providing us with cold beverages, made up of lemonade, raspberry liquor and vodka. He too, is a good man.

We arrived at our post, settled in and waited. It was about 78 degrees, breezy and not a cloud in the sky. We had about a 45 minute wait before the festivities began.

The new rules put into place prohibited attendees from crossing the street during the parade. To keep order, metal barricades had been placed along the entire route. While in the beginning we were not pleased with this idea, it turned out to be a good thing. It kept the parade path at a consistent width, allowing it to move in an orderly fashion and without interruption.

With that said, the parade was still over 2 hours long. Over 200 floats and participants marched past, many very colorful and flamboyant. It really was a fun to watch everybody expressing themselves freely and openly and celebrating the day.

After the parade, we went back to Dan and Luis’ home. We were invited back for a cookout. Dan took over grilling duties for the afternoon. The rest of us were invited to just relax. I don’t have to be told twice.

The food was delicious as were the festive Jell-O shots that Tina made for us and the brownies baked for us by Denise. Ozzie provided entertainment as he defended us against the evil hula hoop. By the time he was done with it, there was no hula remaining in the hoop.

All of the fun takes its toll on even the heartiest of party people. We were all worn out from all of the fun and the party wrapped up at about 8.

Please enjoy these photos from the day.

Thanks to Dan and Luis for being such wonderful hosts on a very fun-filled day.

Waiting patiently, staying hydrated. David, Luis, Polo.

Nettlehorst School. A grammar school in the middle of Lakeview. They marched in the parade for the first time. The kids had a blast and the spectators loved seeing them in it.

Hockey...just not tonsil hockey

Yay Sheriff!

Our State Treasurer and probably candidate for Governor.

Rugby team

Suburbs, represented

Illinois State Lottery float. No we didn't get to see his Lotto balls.

Denise doesn't like to have her picture taken, says she's not photogenic. I think otherwise. Don't you agree?

Broadway in Chicago.

A popsicle?

A friend on a float! Hi Patrick!

FESTIVE!

The crowd

Leather daddies

Plushies!

David, waiting to spank someone happy!

Back at the house...a festive Jell-O shot, complements of Tina.

Ozzie, about to finish off the hula hoop

A Weekend Full of Pride

File Under: Chicago Pride 2008

The last weekend in the month of June in Chicago is when we have our Gay Pride celebrations. Pride Fest is a street festival held in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood and it happens on Saturday, then on Sunday the big parade is held. I attended both and this is my recap of two fun days worth of events.

Saturday June 28 was a gorgeous day in Chicago. The weather was sunny and warm, with an occasional breeze. I arrived at the festival in time to see the first performer, Kimberly Locke, finish her set. I was surprised at how good she is. She engaged the crowd, was gracious and funny and sounded really good.

Afterwards I wandered a while, taking in the sights and some pizza. I made my way to the other end of the festival and saw the Chicago Spirit Brigade perform. They’re a cheerleading troupe who perform at various events around the city. They raise money for charitable organizations. Someone was dropped but I don’t believe they were injured.



The skies began to change a bit, clouds were forming and the wind was picking up. I wandered back to the first stage and saw Frenchie Davis perform. Some protestors gathered in the parking lot adjacent to the stage. She paused and decided to give them a piece of her mind. The crowd cheered!

A while later, local band Cat Fight took the stage. They were fun but their set was cut short due to RAIN. All of a sudden, the adjacent Whole Foods Market became overrun with wet homosexuals. Since it was the place to be, I went in too. I bought a cup of coffee and wandered the aisles. The storm ended quickly and I ventured back outside. I found my friend Anthony, he and I took pictures for a while. Dan found us and we wandered around for a while until it was time for another local band, Sixteen Candles. They are an 80’s cover band and they’re so much fun.

By the time the day was over, I had heard Martha Wash sing “It’s Raining Men,” saw Tiffany perform some songs I never heard, and watched Martha Wash take pictures with fans. Dan and I then walked home, and my evening ended. I decided to have an early night in anticipation of a busy Sunday.

Tiffany!


Martha Wash!

Sunday began beautifully. It was sunny and warm. I met up with Dan and Denise and Ozzie…sitting outside of Dan and Luis’ Uptown residence. Their place was being shown so we had to wait outside. We passed the time just enjoying the weather, playing with the dog and chatting. Tina soon joined us, then Luis. Paul, the owner of Soggy Paws, a business in the building, came outside with his purple dog, Pickles. Mind you, Pickles isn’t always purple, she was just showing her pride. Please note, the product used to dye the dog purple is vegetable based and sold

specifically for pets. We all enjoyed the muffins I brought for us to eat before going to the parade, I just didn’t anticipate eating them while lounging on the sidewalk.

A purple dog, named Pickles!

Coffee Cake Muffins - Delicious!!

Finally we were able to get into the loft, grab our beverages and go. We found our spot and soon the parade began. Typical parade, politicians, great costumes, scantily clad men, dykes on bikes. Similar to the previous day, clouds rolled in and we were soon being rained upon. Some fled, some made the best of the situation and danced. Only then did we notice an exceptionally long pause in the parade, longer than the usual “drag queen broke a heel and we’re waiting for the glue to dry.” As it turned out, someone fell from a float and broke a bone in their foot. Just so happens that Dan and I know this person and we both decided that they should have just dragged her ass to the curb and kept going, or…just kept going. No big loss.

Assorted floats:

Random guy on rollerblades showing his butt.

Random fun with friends:

Luis and Tina

Denise and me

Dan

Luis and me

Random cute guys:

Random penis:

Various friends found me in the crowd. Patrick joined us for a bit until he and his crowd had to get Gillian home. Another friend, John found me and we enjoyed the festivities for a bit.

Vince and John

Patrick


But alas, the weather, the disorganization and the alcohol got the best of us and we decided to call it a day. We packed our bags and Luis folded up his chair and we set off for our next destination, Crew. The five of us ventured north like 5 kids, jumping in puddles and splashing each other as yet another gentle round of rain fell upon us. Finally at our destination, we ordered every appetizer on the menu and we were soon surrounded by cheese sticks, French fries, mini-corn dogs, popcorn chicken and chips and salsa. Fed and feeling satisfied, we all went our separate ways. In all, it was a great day of celebration, rain or shine.

Coming in August - Market Days! Stay tuned.