Today I ventured downtown to watch the annual Vancouver Pride Parade, arriving on Robson Street about an hour before the noon-time start. The sky was overcast but there was no threat of rain. A sizable crowd was already gathered in the 1200 block where I chose to watch from. It would be standing room only, something my feet would hate me for three hours later.
Let me start by saying the energy and enthusiasm in both the parade participants and the crowd is great. The parade going on for two hours is less great. The weirdly large gaps between floats in the last half hour that feels like an attempt to pad things out is less great still. Being wedged in like the proverbial sardine with barely a micron to move to your left or right is what one might call not great at all. Still, I was there to have fun and take pictures.
My camera battery died partway through. I was tempted to pack it in at that point but I felt I’d be cheating someone by cutting out early. Mr. and Mrs. Pride, maybe. Plus I wanted to see the VGVA float. As it turns out, it showed up at 2:04 p.m., one of the last entries in the parade, and long after the camera had gone kaput. The boys had fun with their balls all the same.
I must say, though, there’s nothing quite like seeing an old guy get handed a fistful of Trojan condoms and wonder what to do with them. He ended up giving them to an appreciative and virile young guy standing next to me.
Speaking of getting free stuff, there was another guy who apparently came to the parade for three things: to dance, to blow his whistle and get as much free stuff as possible. It didn’t matter what it was as long as it was free and he got it. He also took to running out and dancing in front of many of the floats, always doing this weird little jig with a giant grin on his face. At one point he wore his visor upside down. He was very odd but seemed happy. Very happy.
To the left and in front of me was someone I refer to as “Don’t sit in front of me!” lady. Before the parade a few people would ask if they could sit in front of her and she would immediately tell them no, that there was someone in a wheelchair coming later. This seemed a bit off to me as I didn’t think they would put the wheelchair right onto the road itself. Indeed this was not the case as when it arrived it was parked up on the sidewalk to her left. She just wanted no one sitting in front of her. This point was later driven home when a couple o young guys did sit in front of her despite her admonishments not to. By this time she had been given a small Pride flag and started waving it around so as to bat the guy in front of her with it. They eventually left. Clearly she did not fully absorb the message of tolerance that was on display!
For most of the parade there were a couple of women to my right, including one who was of the “I must comment on everything” variety. But her comments were pretty cute, so I didn’t mind. Often heard: “I think that was a man.”
Here are a few pictures I took before the camera conked out. You can see the full gallery of 20 images here: Vancouver Pride Parade 2010
The crowd at 11 a.m., one hour before the parade began:
The political contingent saw representation from COPE, the BC and federal NDP, the Conservatives, federal Liberals and the Green Party. There was also a “Free Marc Emery!” group. Conspicuously absent were the BC Liberals, possibly because they think all parades are gay, so why should they come to this one? Hedy Fry, who last year came dressed as…um…an alien, I think, decided to show up as Justice this year. I can’t quite figure out what’s going on under the robe. Maybe she was wearing power armor.
No Pride parade is complete without a float filled with men in underwear.
And censored for your sanity, scary old naked guy also made a return.
Note the reactions of the crowd. Delight! Confusion! Mild horror!
When the last truck filled with underwear-clad young men trundled by and the parade ended, I have to admit I was glad to get out of there just so I could sit on the bus. Next time I’m either dragging along someone to suffer with me or I’ll just catch the highlights from the ol’ Internet.