What PRIDE is really about.

For the last 4 months of my life, I have been completely consumed by organizing the QueerFest Pride Festival in Capitol Hill. Last year I participated as well but I don't think I was anywhere prepared for how this sucker was going to turn out.

Saturday, I walked into Volunteer Park at 9:45am, I had been at the park the night before when it was pitch dark and crews were working through the night to set up equipment, stages, and booths. In the light of day the park looked immediately different. Vendors setting out their items, volunteers running around setting up last minute tents. Base camp looked like a refugee camp. A good majority of our team had to spend the night in the park providing security we were unable to pay for, in order to watch over the $100,000 sound system we rented. Everyone looked tired, and haggard, far worse than I look when I camp out somewhere. There were no tents, no camp stoves, no camp fire, certainly no sleeping bags. Just a few chairs, some blankets thrown to the side, and massive amounts of take-out boxes, and cups that once held coffee.

I gathered all my supplies and headed out to get familiar with my surrounding and the stages I'd be ultimately responsibly for. The mainstage was massive... I wasn't expecting the lights and towers, and full blown sound system. The second stage was considerably smaller, and run by a union outfit as opposed to the rogue crew of AV Pro which inhabited the mainstage. I set up shop in a little tent opposite the mainstage and was completely unprepared for the choas that was just mere hours away.

My volunteers slowly arrived, and while getting them up to speed I began to familiarize myself with the radio that would become my lifeline for the entire day. I was outfitted with a Motorola radio with this great attachment that allowed it to clip onto my pants, then a cord ran up my side and an attachment was clipped to my collar. I felt like a cop, or a security officer, only without the handcuffs. (Although those may have come in handy now that I think about it.)

Around 11am the call came over the radios, the parade was stepping off. In the background you could hear crowds cheering, and music playing, goosebumps covered my arms, and I was immediately anxious. It could have been fear... We were 45 minutes behind schedule to start, the parade took far longer than expected to make its way through Capitol Hill and into the park.
Around 12:30 we recieved the call "15 minutes until we reach the park!", the crowds were even louder, and you could barely hear the executive director speak... minutes later the crowds arrived and calls of "Here we GO!!!!" and "Standby, standby, the parade has reached the park!" and "Happy Pride everybody!!!" screeched over the radios. I could have peed my pants at this point.

The begining was a little bumpy behind the scenes, but from where the crowd was standing it looked like everything was running as planned and thats how I like it. Speakers hopped on and off the stage quickly, and our first act took over. It wasnt as successful as I'd hoped, turns out some of their practices while on stage were a little vulgar, and irresponsible. About halfway through the set, a very angry Dyke got in my face over the inappropriate behavior of the band, all I could focus on was her horrible breath, and bad choice of outfit. (Leather vest w/ no shirt OR BRA, on a FAT lesbian is NOT cute, nor does it smell good.)

Acts came on, and as the day progressed I think we all fell into a comfortable groove. The once frantic calls over the radio were more precise, and thought out. We had found our rhythm as a team, and by 5pm a call came out... "why are these radios so damn quite??!"

We had done it. We had successfully hosted a festival for 30,000+ people, and managed not to kill anyone in the process. Including eachother. The vibe at the end of the night was a happy one, a PROUD one. I didn't get to leave the stage ALL DAY, so most people say "You didn't get to have any fun"... but it was the most fun I've ever had at Pride. And the fact I ended the long day feeling PROUD and like I had accomplished something, isnt that the whole point of celebrating Pride anyways?

I'm very thankful to my volunteers who worked almost the entire day without one complaint. I'm very thankful to my friends who came out and supported me. Brent for volunteering, and his wife for giving him to me for a whole day. Soo and James for sitting in the grass and being my "volunteer supporters". And of course I am very thankful to Jenny, for supporting me in doing something I am passionate about, something I love, and something I can take great PRIDE in.

Here's to 6 months of peace and quite before the whole madness starts all over again!

(Pictures soon I'm sure...)