Today is June first. It marks the beginning of Pride month for the gays. Years ago I went to the Pride Festival here in DC but never really enjoyed it. I thought it was full of the things I didn’t associate with. I’m not a queen, I’m not into leather, I don’t belong to any gay groups. Besides the fact that I’m gay, I really don’t have anything in common with the people who attend the gay pride festivals. I’ve been out for 20 some years and don’t have that newly out attitude where you had to do everything that’s gay. Plus, I think the gay pride festivals have become way to commercialized. They know gays have money so they turn the festival into one big marketing event to lure the gays in so they’ll spend some money.

This year might be different though. The climate for gays isn’t very friendly and there aren’t as many companies heralding their pro-gay policies. Maybe this year the pride festivals will be somewhat subdued. We’ll see. I wonder if a bunch of those crazy religious right idiots will be protesting. I wouldn’t put it past them.