Pride/Happy/Happy Pride
Aug. 8th, 2010 03:00 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
askygoneonfireGod I love Brighton. Today was Pride. And it was epic.
I was lucky enough to be in the Parade (more on that tomorrow, and pictures!) which was just amazing. The atmosphere was incredible, the whole of the (2hour long) parade route was lined with people and in some places they were 15 or more deep. The whole way round people were cheering and applauding and we took it on ourselves - the 50 or so of us walking for the Terrance Higgins Trust - to pick out people watching from windows and rooftops and wave to them to include them in the atmosphere and make them smile. We did it with a countdown and a quick instruction (top left, 3 doors down. 3, 2, 1...GO!) and all of us would turn, throw our hands above our head to wave and 'whoop' as loud as is possible. Moreover, as soon as we made any sort of noise it was echoed back to us by the crowds lining the streets in equal or greater volume.
We were applauded, cheered, people reached out hands for us to high five, kids literally jumped up and down with joy. And we were just as enthusiastic to greet those who had turned out - which is, it is accurate to say, almost all of the residents of Brighton and Hove.
This year there weren't even any right wing Christians - or if there were their numbers have dwindled so much they were undistinguishable from the crowd who cheered us. They were always onto a losing bet trying that shit in Brighton. This city starts it's inhabitants young on prejudice free living - we had a baby in a pushchair with our group and there were kids of all ages - right down to what must have been a newborn baby - lining the streets.
Tonight - after nipping home for a sleep and several cups of tea and dinner - I headed out again to met up with the usual gang - around 15 or more of us - to go to PopKraft Pride Special. PopKraft is always a delight, with one of the more diverse crowds that gay nights pull in Brighton and cabaret, craft corners (I made a neon badge with sticky letters, other people made sock puppets and balloon animals) Music-wise it's cheese and indie and pop music but all contained in a tiny but beautiful club which was built around the same time as the rest of Brighton (in the 18th C.) You can't beat the Hanbury Club, particularly as it's about a 5 minute stroll from my house.
There's something very homely about the stroll back to my place. I never feel threatened or unsafe on these streets and if you leave, as we did, when the club kicks out at 2:30am, you get to walk in the company of other PopKraft go-ers. Tonight a delightful Northern/Southern couple walked behind me, a bit squiffy but full of the spirit of Pride and a comfortable domesticity...
Are you hungry?
Yeah, a bit.
Do you fancy a bit of bolognese?
Maybe
I know it's late, but I could make a bolognese. It's better to go to bed with a full stomach of a good meal than an empty one.
Yeah, maybe.
Yeah, I'll make us a nice bolognese....maybe with cheese.
I've been grinning like a fool all day long, and I'm going to go to bed in the same way.
I was lucky enough to be in the Parade (more on that tomorrow, and pictures!) which was just amazing. The atmosphere was incredible, the whole of the (2hour long) parade route was lined with people and in some places they were 15 or more deep. The whole way round people were cheering and applauding and we took it on ourselves - the 50 or so of us walking for the Terrance Higgins Trust - to pick out people watching from windows and rooftops and wave to them to include them in the atmosphere and make them smile. We did it with a countdown and a quick instruction (top left, 3 doors down. 3, 2, 1...GO!) and all of us would turn, throw our hands above our head to wave and 'whoop' as loud as is possible. Moreover, as soon as we made any sort of noise it was echoed back to us by the crowds lining the streets in equal or greater volume.
We were applauded, cheered, people reached out hands for us to high five, kids literally jumped up and down with joy. And we were just as enthusiastic to greet those who had turned out - which is, it is accurate to say, almost all of the residents of Brighton and Hove.
This year there weren't even any right wing Christians - or if there were their numbers have dwindled so much they were undistinguishable from the crowd who cheered us. They were always onto a losing bet trying that shit in Brighton. This city starts it's inhabitants young on prejudice free living - we had a baby in a pushchair with our group and there were kids of all ages - right down to what must have been a newborn baby - lining the streets.
Tonight - after nipping home for a sleep and several cups of tea and dinner - I headed out again to met up with the usual gang - around 15 or more of us - to go to PopKraft Pride Special. PopKraft is always a delight, with one of the more diverse crowds that gay nights pull in Brighton and cabaret, craft corners (I made a neon badge with sticky letters, other people made sock puppets and balloon animals) Music-wise it's cheese and indie and pop music but all contained in a tiny but beautiful club which was built around the same time as the rest of Brighton (in the 18th C.) You can't beat the Hanbury Club, particularly as it's about a 5 minute stroll from my house.
There's something very homely about the stroll back to my place. I never feel threatened or unsafe on these streets and if you leave, as we did, when the club kicks out at 2:30am, you get to walk in the company of other PopKraft go-ers. Tonight a delightful Northern/Southern couple walked behind me, a bit squiffy but full of the spirit of Pride and a comfortable domesticity...
Are you hungry?
Yeah, a bit.
Do you fancy a bit of bolognese?
Maybe
I know it's late, but I could make a bolognese. It's better to go to bed with a full stomach of a good meal than an empty one.
Yeah, maybe.
Yeah, I'll make us a nice bolognese....maybe with cheese.
I've been grinning like a fool all day long, and I'm going to go to bed in the same way.
