Newspapers / Lambda (Carolina Gay and … / Dec. 1, 2006, edition 1 / Page 6
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as though the was staring at me, Reflections On Pride from a straight ally By Erin Black The bus was nearly silent as we returned back to the ride a drag king!” and time flew by as I worked to get everything University. As I sat there, wearing a rainbow flag around in order. Before I knew it, it was time for the parade to start, my waist and a shirt that proudly proclaimed “Chapel Aswemarched,Ifoundmyselfamazedbythevarietyofpeople Hill GLBT-SA — ALLY,” I began to understand, at least lining the streets. There were families with small children, church to a small degree, how it might feel to be out as some- groups handing out water, high school students and retirees, thing other than the socially-acceptable heterosexual. As we passed a local hair salon, an older woman having her hair permed on the porch waved at us. Although I had known going into the festivi ties that Pride would be a com pletely new experience, I was surprised by the levels of ac- I ceptance demonstrated at Duke. Seeing just how many people supported Pride and the friends I was marching with renewed my flagging faith in humanity. After the parade, I roamed the booths. I was surprised at the variety among them: although I expected those urging safer sex and publicizing equality groups such as the Human Rights I Campaign, I did not expect the booths with artwork or clothing. It was more than a little overwhelming at first, but re minded me that the LGBTIQ community is a community, and one that I am proud to support. That fact was further driven home when we went to Elmo’s to eat lunch - it seemed as though the entire restaurant was filled with Pride participants! Un fortunately, we spent most of the rest of the festival eating. When I made it back to the booths I was to hand out fliers for Tran scendent, and most of the crowd had already left. Pride was over, but there’ll be one next year. May be someone on the Robertson bus will make a snide re mark and I’ll get to tell them off, or maybe our cam puses will have progressed enough so that no one even notices the rainbow flag I’ll be wearing around my waist. It seemed entire bus at us, and it made me feel, well, different. An Outcast. The reaction that feeling pro voked was distinct — I want ed to get up in their faces and ask what their problem was. If one of them had asked me if I was a lesbian, I would have bellig erently replied “So what if I am?” The silence dragged on as I sat there anticipating a confron tation, and I didn’t feel comfort able until I was back in my dorm. Although the bus ride back to campus affected me more than the other events of Pride in Septem ber, and will stay with me for a very long time, it is hardly indicative of my first-ever Pride experience. As a straight ally, I had no idea what to expect, and the most anyone else could tell me was that I would love it; it would blow my mind. Our ride dropped us off in a corner parking lot, the closest he could get to the parade. I wasn’t sure where we were, but we knew that all we needed to do was fol low the rainbows and we’d eventu ally end up at the UNC-CH float. In the words of a friend, “I’ve never seen so many queer people and allies in my life!” As we walked we passed brightly colored floats, signs, flags and flowers. The parade refused to be discreet, and so did the participants. When we finally found the pickup truck that was to be our float, we gathered together to start decorating it. My personal task was coloring in a sign that read “Save a horse. photo courttp) of Brin Black University students representing GLBT-SA gather in Durham for the annual Pride weekend held in September to celebrate and af firm the greater LGBTIQ community.
Lambda (Carolina Gay and Lesbian Association, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
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Dec. 1, 2006, edition 1
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