NEPA PrideFest (Allentown, Wilkes-Barre, Republic: big house, move to, rich)

[SteelCityRising]

I know there are several other LGBT people on this sub-forum besides yours truly, so I thought this would be a good venue to announce that I have just learned that The Rainbow Alliance is sponsoring "NEPA PrideFest" starting at 2 PM on August 10 at Kirby Park, just across the river from downtown Wilkes-Barre. At least 200 people are expected to attend, which might sound meager in comparison to much larger pride celebrations in nearby cities such as Allentown, but for an area that has such a right-wing slant to it, it's certainly nothing to sneeze at.

[wileynj]

Hummm..not very popular in the PA thread..lol : ) If this was a NJ post..even the straight folk would want to join in. It's time scranbarre...make the move to NJ : )))

[Jungle George]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

I know there are several other LGBT people on this sub-forum besides yours truly, so I thought this would be a good venue to announce that I have just learned that The Rainbow Alliance is sponsoring "NEPA PrideFest" starting at 2 PM on August 10 at Kirby Park, just across the river from downtown Wilkes-Barre. At least 200 people are expected to attend, which might sound meager in comparison to much larger pride celebrations in nearby cities such as Allentown, but for an area that has such a right-wing slant to it, it's certainly nothing to sneeze at.

It's good news that such an event can be carried off in your area, but I personally am not a big fan of the Pride events unless they've changed since I've been to one.

Back when I was growing up, we had ZERO tolerance, no role models, nobody that we could talk to about our orientation (except the clergy, who we all KNOW have their own pre-concieved beliefs), no GALA or support groups, no computers for networking and we had to fight for every inch of ground we could gain in showing people we were really no different than them to gain acceptance.

I remember when Stonewall happened...I was 12 y/o & all I remember thinking was "the war's started". And it's been a form of war...war against predjudice & pre-concieved stereotypes as well as injustice.

That's the main reason I don't care for Pride events now...every one I've been to has turned into a "freak-fest" that the media blows out of proportion!! My generation of gays (based solely on the people that I've known & not on every gay on the planet, & mind you, this is just my opinion) fought to be seen as "everyday" people who do the same things as hetero people do, save the one difference of being attracted to the same sex.

I remember being really PO'd the day after the Pride Parade in NYC back in the 90's. After all this fighting to be shown as "everyday" people, what's on the front page of the Daily News & the NY Times?? A great big blasting picture of guys in flesh-colored bodysuits simulating sex on a float & inside pictures of 300 pound bulldykes on motorcycles as the 7-foot tall drag queens wave their feathered boas!! All I could think of was "after all this, these conservatives are going to use this as a weapon back at us & the average person's gonna look at this & perpetuate the gay stereotype"!! Of course there was no coverage of the "average" gays who marched or took part in festivities...

Now don't get me wrong Paul, the war's not over yet, but it's a heck of a lot easier for gay youth these days & acceptance is growing because people are really seeing we're just people too, hence the Pridefest in NEPA. I just hope that these events have "leveled out" & that the media's "shock-value" coverage has been toned down!!

JMO

[wileynj]

Originally Posted by Jungle George

It's good news that such an event can be carried off in your area, but I personally am not a big fan of the Pride events unless they've changed since I've been to one.

Back when I was growing up, we had ZERO tolerance, no role models, nobody that we could talk to about our orientation (except the clergy, who we all KNOW have their own pre-concieved beliefs), no GALA or support groups, no computers for networking and we had to fight for every inch of ground we could gain in showing people we were really no different than them to gain acceptance.

I remember when Stonewall happened...I was 12 y/o & all I remember thinking was "the war's started". And it's been a form of war...war against predjudice & pre-concieved stereotypes as well as injustice.

That's the main reason I don't care for Pride events now...every one I've been to has turned into a "freak-fest" that the media blows out of proportion!! My generation of gays (based solely on the people that I've known & not on every gay on the planet, & mind you, this is just my opinion) fought to be seen as "everyday" people who do the same things as hetero people do, save the one difference of being attracted to the same sex.

I remember being really PO'd the day after the Pride Parade in NYC back in the 90's. After all this fighting to be shown as "everyday" people, what's on the front page of the Daily News & the NY Times?? A great big blasting picture of guys in flesh-colored bodysuits simulating sex on a float & inside pictures of 300 pound bulldykes on motorcycles as the 7-foot tall drag queens wave their feathered boas!! All I could think of was "after all this, these conservatives are going to use this as a weapon back at us & the average person's gonna look at this & perpetuate the gay stereotype"!! Of course there was no coverage of the "average" gays who marched or took part in festivities...

Now don't get me wrong Paul, the war's not over yet, but it's a heck of a lot easier for gay youth these days & acceptance is growing because people are really seeing we're just people too, hence the Pridefest in NEPA. I just hope that these events have "leveled out" & that the media's "shock-value" coverage has been toned down!!

JMO

I have to agree... I was put off by the NY pridefest a few years back. Men dressed in leather with a chain, a leash, attached to a younger male in leather. Woman dressed in fish net outfits with everything exposed for everyone to see. This behavior hurts the cause! I haven't been back since. Perhaps we should start a "conservative GLBT organization"

[Jungle George]

Originally Posted by wileynj

I have to agree... I was put off by the NY pridefest a few years back. Men dressed in leather with a chain, a leash, attached to a younger male in leather. Woman dressed in fish net outfits with everything exposed for everyone to see. This behavior hurts the cause! I haven't been back since.

Exactly!! The media (which we KNOW is so unbiased..) jumps on the opportunity for sensationalism & if they took pictures of the "average" gays at the events, there'd be no whoop-tee & the story'd fall flat. Unfortunately, sex, shock & scandal sells.

That's why I have no part of these events...I feel what I do in my personal life promotes our acceptance far more than being in a parade or shoving my orientation down people's throats.

Down here, even the redneck bubbas have no problem with us 'cause they see we're just "regular" folks!! They joke around & say "as long as y'all don't try to kiss us we're cool"....

[wileynj]

Originally Posted by Jungle George

Exactly!! The media (which we KNOW is so unbiased..) jumps on the opportunity for sensationalism & if they took pictures of the "average" gays at the events, there'd be no whoop-tee & the story'd fall flat. Unfortunately, sex, shock & scandal sells.

That's why I have no part of these events...I feel what I do in my personal life promotes our acceptance far more than being in a parade or shoving my orientation down people's throats.

Down here, even the redneck bubbas have no problem with us 'cause they see we're just "regular" folks!! They joke around & say "as long as y'all don't try to kiss us we're cool"....

LOL..same here. I'm surrounded by Republican Farmers . I have never had any isssues.. we are the token lesbians - they also call us the rich folks with the big house on the corner. In the winter, I wake to find my driveway plowed. Really great neighbors! They see that we are "normal" by their standards and this aids in eliminating ignorance..hatred.

[Retired Law 08]

For anyone who Is Interested....here Is the site...

GayNEPA.com » PrideFest (http://www.gaynepa.com/category/pridefest/ - broken link)

[Jungle George]

Originally Posted by coartist88

For anyone who Is Interested....here Is the site...

GayNEPA.com » PrideFest (http://www.gaynepa.com/category/pridefest/ - broken link)

Thanks coartist!! It is good that they are having counseling services for teens & families & I don't want to come across as "anti-PrideFest" (it's more "anti-media"), it's just not my "cup of tea"...

[wileynj]

Originally Posted by Jungle George

Thanks coartist!! It is good that they are having counseling services for teens & families & I don't want to come across as "anti-PrideFest" (it's more "anti-media"), it's just not my "cup of tea"...

Same here.... anti-stereotyping - promoting the extreme via. the media

[Jungle George]

Originally Posted by wileynj

LOL..same here. I'm surrounded by Republican Farmers . I have never had any isssues.. we are the token lesbians - they also call us the rich folks with the big house on the corner. In the winter, I wake to find my driveway plowed. Really great neighbors! They see that we are "normal" by their standards and this aids in eliminating ignorance..hatred.

All of our neighbors are great also!! We're like 1 happy family!!

When we got hit with 2 back-to-back direct-hit major hurricanes in '04, we were very lucky to sustain no damage. So we got out the chainsaw & tools & helped all the people around us who'd lost their roofs & had trees down everywhere & I put out 2 hoses from the house (we're the only ones on our block to have city water hooked from the back street & it kept running in the aftermath) for all the neighbors to have water for bathing & flushing their toilets & such.

Nobody cared that we were gay.