Religious groups were present and extending hands to the same alliances that their brethren have so vehemently fought-and they were doing it with the most indubitably genuine smiles.Washington: Police in the US’s Houston city are investigating a threat against a Gay Pride parade scheduled for next week. Speaking even louder were the dozens of floats and banners manned by church groups reaching out to include, not change, the LGBT community. Car after car of stuffy-looking candidates did their best to blend in, and while their motivation was clear the fact that the gay community was so openly recognized as important constituents serves as a commentary to progress. Mayoral and city council candidates took advantage of the gathering, conscious of the fledgling election season. While glitter and balloons seemed to be the prevailing theme, other patterns emerged. “I thought it a really special opportunity to come down and share my slice of daily New York gay life with this really wonderful enclave of gay America.”Īs night fell over the festival the crowd migrated to the parade route. “This is not everyone’s first thought for a state of progressive civil rights,” Lovitz said. Although he was invited to attend many Pride festivals around the country, Lovitz was drawn to Houston. As a resident of New York City and openly gay man on television, Lovitz’s sexual transparency is a luxury that many members of the Texas LGBT only dream of.
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Lovitz, LOGO TV star and this year’s Celebrity Grand Marshal, this was not a drastic change in daily life as it was for many in-state attendants. On festival grounds there was no animosity, no protesting, no jeering.įor Jonathan D.
Montrose, transformed even further from its eclectic norm, was a safe haven. There was certainly a familial atmosphere – from sporadic, friendly chats to passing bottles to new neighbors, the day seemed to elicit a collective sigh of relief. This is the place for you to be who you are and be amongst those of your family.” “In the midst of that, we can give at least one day to come out and just be who they want to be no matter who it is. Obviously, New York changed it for everybody, but Texas is probably number 48 or 49 that will happen to,” said Pride Houston’s president and CEO Frankie Quijano. So, why is this event, standing in stark contrast to the deep-rooted traditions the city is built on, continuing to attract such a diverse population? Houston Pride was named one of the top 10 attractions to experience by the Greater City of Houston Visitor’s Bureau, and is the second largest parade in Houston, falling only to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
Yet Houston’s Pride celebrations outshine and easily outnumber not only Austin and the rest of the state, but the entire Southwest. It might have been easier to place these scenes on the streets of Austin, a Texas oasis known for embracing the atypical. While the city streets were temporarily converted to a sea of rainbow, the national symbol for LGBT, it was easy to forget that this was the largest city in a state dominated by conservative politics. Just the night before, after months of deliberation, New York became the sixth state to legalize gay marriage, giving a new meaning to this year’s festival theme, “Live, Love, Be.” This bore an obvious mark on the day’s festivities, giving restored and hopeful attendees a pass for the most raucous and simultaneously sincere celebration. This year’s finale, however, held a different kind of poignancy. Saturday’s festival and parade, which managed to completely shut down two blocks of Montrose, were only the culmination of the week-long revelry for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community.
There were children and dogs, “twinks” and “bears” (both of which I was referred to the “gay glossary” for an accurate definition of), first timers and veterans, and enough beads to rival a New Orleans’ Mardi Gras celebration. Performers took their renditions of Top 40’s songs to a stage set up in the middle of the melee, met by enthusiastic crowds that unabashedly belted the lyrics along with them. Booths lined the streets, ranging from lesbian travel agencies to wine vendors. But that did not deter the thousands of revelers sprawled throughout the Montrose neighborhood at the weather’s peak during Houston’s 33rd annual Pride celebration. The weather was typically muggy Saturday afternoon, making it impossible to keep the 100-degree heat out of the conversation for more than 10 minutes.