No need to mention the words 'gay' or 'lesbian'. It is all about Pride.
As I am typing the tv is showing the Sydney Mardi Gras parade. Ho hum. I've seen it all before. There is an expected crowd of 300,000. When we attended in the mid 1990s the crowd was 450,000. What pleases me is to see a bit more racial and community diversity now. Rather good to see Australia's Prime Minister march in the parade and the Chair of our ABC national broadcaster.
We watched our first parade on our new computer in the 90s. Subsequently the coverage has ricocheted between ABC and SBS tv. For some years it was not shown on mainstream media at all. The ABC made a good coverage of the parade Saturday night.
We attended Mardi Gras in the mid 90s with two friends who were partners. R had a panic attack because of the overcrowding at the parade and bashed his way through the crowd back to our hotel. The overcrowding was terrible. I rescued R from the hotel and we went on to the after party. One may have taken a mind altering substance and one may have had a fabulous time.
This slut boi may have had bad hair but he seemed to be desired. A number of people including one girl wanted him to perform despicable acts with them. No, no, no. I am not like that. I am just here to enjoy the party.
R in a moment of passion with someone managed to knock down a plastic wall. I confess to nothing with a black American guy. Oh lala. I remember him vividly. He perfectly fitted the stereotype.
Aside from that, I remember nothing else, the rest not even being hazy memories. Oh yeah, I kept checking in with my Singapore born hairdresser Simon from Melbourne. Did we do anything? I can only remember gently rubbing one of his nipples with the back of my hand, so therefore I am innocent.
Actually in my very limited experience male hairdressers, effeminate as Simon was or not, are rather good at sex. I can't think why.
Ok, memories return. I saw D-Ream go through the motions on stage of singing Things Can Only get Better. He did not look happy to be there. Kylie singing something and of course she was fabulous and convinced me she would have performing for nothing to please us faggots.
If you are lost for words, you could guess what was in my black bum bag. I don't actually remember but I know what would have been in the bag. To kick it off, there would have been some cash and a hotel key.
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Well, this unpublished post was forgotten and is now far from timely. World Pride and Mardi Gras has long gone. The tv coverage was good. Openly gay ABC national weather presenter Nate Byrne was terrific and while you may think the classy and urbane Jeremy Fernandez in the tv screen photo is gay, he has two children and so cannot be gay.
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Parades should always interesting.
ReplyDeleteSusan, Mardi Gras parades tend to be very interesting.
DeleteHas two children and so cannot be gay? Surely you jest.
ReplyDeleteOne of my colleagues at LL was at the very first Mardi Gras. She she was arrested and wears her conviction with pride.
Two kids, I was thinking the same thing.
DeleteEC, oh wow. She was a 78er. They never knew the change they would make to Australia at the time. Please thank her on my behalf.
DeleteTP, I really have no knowledge about his sexuality but if it quacks like a duck...
DeleteElephant's Child beat me to it. Of course he can still be gay, many men marry and have children because it is the thing to do, yet they are still gay, whether openly or not. And gay couples nowadays are adopting children.
ReplyDeleteRiver, not often but at times here we see two fathers with children. We can only guess that they are a couple or just two fathers together with their own respective children. Sometimes it is obvious, but mostly not.
DeleteI do love your tongue in cheek reporting style.
ReplyDeleteAnd I really love how your sock match your jocks.
Caro, I suppose my jock and sock matching was intentional but I can't remember.
DeleteThey always put on a good show, flashy and so on.
ReplyDeleteNice memories it seems Andrew for you.
Of course he's gay even though he's had two children. We have a friend/s who gay but has two children, in fact I'm Godmother to one of them and B is Godfather to the other! The male has lived for years with his partner down by the beach.
Is Fernandez doing a slow realisation thing? I don't know. I suppose one of your gay friends was in a relationship with a woman and they made babies.
DeleteWell you had a grand time, but I can't handle unbearable crowds either and would have been smashing away from it with R. The Country Fair is that way sometimes, the wide trails you are restricted to so people jammed you can't move forward, backwards or sideways. After experiencing that at the Country Fair, I never went back, but it was nowhere near the rollicking wild times of Mardi Gras. How old were you in that photo? Looking good!
ReplyDeleteYou've got exactly how it was Strayer. It is actually quite frightening. Simple math to work out old I was but I thought I was younger than 38. It seems not.
DeleteYou were near 40, Andrew? Good on you for being so fit. And once again like Strayer, I dislike immovable crowds and pushed my way out of a dance club on an unexpected St. Patrick's Day crush. It's amusing now to think of my small frame shoving towering people aside. Thanks for sharing your memories.
DeleteDarla, there is no way now to tell exactly what year it was now and I think I look younger than 38 in the photo but it was either '95 or '96. I was born in 57.
DeleteGay men can (and do) have children. It seems to have been an exhilerating time for you.
ReplyDeleteDebby, do tell me how. I've tried for years and it's never worked. I must have now run out of eggs.
DeleteI was thinking more in terms of gay men who are desperately trying to hide from themselves. I know of plenty of stories of gays who tried to be straight, married, had children, and then divorced. A fellow from church has two children. He's a very good father. He is also gay, and happily married to another man he met in church. Those sorts of stories are not uncommon.
DeleteOh so true Debby and it at times ends very badly. The friend we visited last week was married and has a grown daughter and while he remained friends with ex wife, he is firmly gay.
DeleteMardi Gras looks colourful and fun but I would hate the crowds. It seems I see life through a television lens!
ReplyDeleteJabblog, the crowds were unpleasant. I couldn't cope with it now.
DeleteGreat post! You were certainly dressed for the occasion. Re. the contents of your bum bag: Poppers? :D
ReplyDeleteYep Steve, condoms, lube....
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