Proud:
Had a memorable Pride Weekend which, even though I’m straight, I find reason to celebrate the great things San Francisco has accomplished. Gay rights is something we can all be proud of.
My friend Lucia invited a bunch of us to come watch The Parade (which included Dykes on Bikes, The Mayor, Gay Cheerleaders and Straights for Gay Rights) and hear music from my new favorite band Simon Stinger and my friend Tim’m’s band, Deep Dickollective. Chaka Khan was the headliner but by then we were sunbaked and tired and all headed home.
That night, Suzan and I went round and around about what movie we wanted to watch (after suffering through 15 overwraught minutes of Radiohead: Meeting People is Easy and turning it off) and finally settled on And The Band Played On which we had Tivoed. Although it will never have the same place in my heart that the book has, the last 10 minutes, a montage of AIDS related news and casualties set to Elton John’s “The Last Song.” Suzan and I both sobbed, over all that had died, over all the ghosts that now walk the streets of our city, over innocence lost and painful lessons learned. It reminded both of us that, despite how far we’ve come, as a city, as a nation, there is much work left, much heavy lifting, repeated reasoning and shoe leather to get us all to believe that the lives of each of us, no matter whom we choose to love, are equal and deserving of our respect.