Pride Parade San Diego

Last evening i was walking my mom around the block when we passed a bus that was parked.  i asked why the driver was reading his newspaper and my mother replied he was ahead of schedule and needed to sit for a while before moving on.  As we walked past  i looked at the people on the bus, one woman of color was drawing an elaborate design on a sketch pad and i thought she had talent.  The piece wasn't finished but it had a certain appeal that drew me in as i walked past, in fact it made me look back to see more.

The others on the bus were minding their own business, staring out the window, reading newspapers or just waiting for the bus to get going.  i was thinking the bus looked quite peaceful until i got to the back end of it.  In the middle of the back seat sat an American Indian all by himself sprawling all over and looking huge.  He had long dark hair and a pock marked face right out of an old western movie.  i thought he looked distinguished until i looked down and saw he was flipping me the bird.

My mind went into overdrive as i walked past the back of the bus. i turned around, walked back and mimed "Why?" through the window back at him.  He flipped me the bird again, no smile, no change in facial expression just this hand tilted sideways flipping me the bird with an intense stare included.  i mimed "Why?" again and mimed  "i'm a nice person" through the window.  He maintained his posture, his stare and his hand flipping me the bird.  i flipped him back the bird and smiled.  He then broke a smile and we were both happy.

My mother couldn't believe what i was doing, she thought i was inciting a riot but i explained i was communicating.  The same thing had happened while at the beach with my sister and her twins a few days earlier.  Three men of color, in their early 20's walked up to me.  One of them asked me to hold what i thought was his half smoked cigarette.  i told him i didn't smoke and didn't want to hold his cigarette while looking away.  He pointed to a pink sweat shirt on his arm and said...could you hold this.  i said no politely and continued talking with my sister who was going to blast him.  i stopped her and said they were OK to just leave them alone.  Her twins were alarmed and i told them to calm down they had done nothing.  My sister was offended by their pants falling off and their brazen attempt to engage us in conversation.

i told her to relax, they were fine. Once she stopped being annoyed they walked away.  i explained that being nice was far easier than being offended and if you expressed offense it opened the door for more abuse and that is the topic i'm really interested in today.

Abuse is a well known state for many gays and lesbians but Saturday on University Avenue in San Diego they expressed their pride in who they are by holding a parade.

It was a lovely day for a parade, sunny and warm.  From the apartment window i could see them pouring in for hours before the parade was scheduled to begin.  The participants were lined up all along the streets and the floats took up the side streets, it was quite a colorful display.

i decided to walk as far along the parade route as i could to find a shady spot to watch and to get into the thick of things.  Along the way i came upon a group of protesters who were being protected by police tape and two police cars.  The display looked wrong so i stopped to talk with the policeman.  i asked him who they were protecting.  He said everyone.  i looked at the scene and said it looks like you are only protecting these folks who are against people not following their bible.  He looked around also, then smiled back at me and said nothing.

As i walked away i also saw in the parade people marching along with signs they had made at their churchs.  These people who adhered to the same bible intrepreted it differently.  They had love in their hearts.

Some men of "God" claim they know what "he" wants.  How that is possible i will never understand.  Although the bulk of the participants were of one mind, that everyone was equal, those few protected by our tax dollars stood out as sore thumbs.  They looked mean and hateful and were booed by almost everyone that passed by.  i think it is they who need to look into their hearts and see human beings not sex acts.