Treenie's Big Gay Day!

As some of you know, I love the annual Gay Pride parade in Boston. 
And I love taking my daughter.

This is a very strange world that we live in.  It's full of happiness and joy as well as fear and sorrow.  I've experienced my fair share of both.  I have often thought of what kind of person I would like my daughter to become.  I would like her to be a fair person, a kind person, and a person who treats EVERYONE with dignity and respect regardless of their color, social class or sexual orientation.  So off we go every year to the "Rainbow" parade.

I've told my daughter that rainbows are a symbol of love.  So every year we get together with thousands of people and we celebrate love.

Last year I wasn't feeling too well and I mentioned to my daughter that maybe we should skip the parade.  She nodded and went to the living room.  I heard her weeping...not loud obnoxious crying, but softy weeping.  I knew that the Rainbow parade would be a tradition.  So here she is, patiently waiting for the parade to start.

Don't ask me to do squat unless I have my morning coffee, that even includes my favorite parade!

These are members of a group called Moving Violations, a lesbian motorcycle club.  They always start the parade.  Wow, they are LOUD!!!


I don't remember the name of this marching band, but they were very good. 
I love a good gay marching band!

Here is the Senior Pride Coalition.  I think they are great, whether they just came out or have been out for some time.  Back in the day it was hard as hell to come out of the closet and here they are marching proudly, I think that's great.

I loved her sign!

This is a member of a gay men's softball team.  He was offering my daughter the softball so she could throw it towards another guy across the street.  To my surprise, I found out that my daughter has a pretty good arm.  Why do gay men have to be hot?  Sooooo not fair!

Here is a member of a gay hockey team, they went the whole parade on rollerblades, I would have already broken my neck!

This is State Senator Dianne Wilkerson, she doesn't like paying taxes, but she supports the gay community and that's cool with me.  Hey!  I don't like paying taxes either!

You can't see it in the picture, but these gay couple was holding up a sign that said "Together for 53 years, married for 4."  Good for them!

This is our Governor Deval Patrick.  He is marching with his daughter.  She just came out.  I felt bad, the Boston Herald was going to run a story about her being gay...basically they were going to out her.  She beat them to the punch and did an interview with a local paper "Bay Windows."  The Gov has shown his unwavering support for her and has proven to be a great dad.  Now if he could just get around to fixing the roads in this state...yeesh!

These are my shoes.  I  just think they're really cute. Later in the day the MBTA broke down or their was a fire or someone just plain ol' dropped the ball and I had to walk 13 blocks to the nearest subway station... in my cute shoes.

The National Organization for Women, I like that they protect my right to choose!

Here's my friend David, he was marching with a group called Masala, the members are South East Asians.  He actually didn't march, he pulled a rickshaw.  He does so every year, its his thing.  And he was exhausted when it was all over!

I like a nice colorful drag queen!

It really irks me that this drag queen is in all probability a size 6.  Life is unfair.

There was a wonderful children's area with bouncy houses and slides and things.  Treenie had no trouble making friends...so cute!

WEEEEEEE!!

I loved this guy!  He was giving out free hugs!  And they were the best hugs!  I think that should be a job.  Imagine you are feeling down and need a little pick me up.  So you go to the free hug guy and you get yourself a great hug!  And then you feel better.  The other side of the sign said "Abrazos gratis!" That means "free hugs" in Spanish, I thought that was really funny!

More gay people than you can shake a stick at!  And it was fabulous!  As always, I had a great time and Treenie had a blast.

I know there are people out there who would disapprove of my taking my daughter to the Gay Pride parade.  Maybe they think bringing her around a bunch of gay people will turn her gay.  Just like hanging out with tall people will make you tall.  Or they think that I'm raising her to be a deviant.  Or some people even think God will disapprove.

On this final note I will share a little a little story with you.  As we were sitting waiting for the parade to start, there were some people handing out pamphlets and holding up signs telling everyone to repent and how we were all going to hell.  My daughter asked me who those people were, plain and simple, I said they were bigots.

She asked me what their deal was and I said that they believed that if a boy loves another boy or that a girl loves another girl, it would make God angry, that he would turn his back on them and send them to "the bad place."  As one of the fire and brimstone types was walking by, my little girl says as clear as a bell:

"God loves everyone, no matter what!!"

That's my girl!