So Pride was upon us recently, and what a celebration it was! Pride is officially one day of the year (August 5th) for the LGBT(Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) community to shine and say to the world: We are proud of who we are and we're here to stay! However unofficially, the party starts on August 1st, running through to the big day of parades, tents, freebies, and good feeling all around. I personally have attended a couple in the past, but this year I went all out and set up my whole week to be about getting into that world and exploring other people's emotions, thoughts on the event itself, and their position towards the Vancouver community in this time of year. I haven't yet seen such an overwhelming show of love for fellow man, and it's so infectious one can't help but have a good time. The image here depicts a snap shot into the days spent running around from event to event. Here we see one of the many representations of the pride flag, given out for free or given from donation, bus passes, take out menus, and sun block(which I thought of after a burn).
Before I get into specifics, I'd like to take the time to thank Vietnam, Brazil and Italy for their lovely fireworks displays. These three shows were put on around the time of Pride: Vietnam being a couples weeks before, Brazil the following week, and finally Italy, which took place in the middle of pride week. I was quite impressed with some things I'd never seen, and the classics everyone loves. They had giant fireworks, little ones that sprayed across the sky, ones that burst into rings, ones that shoot straight into the sky and fade into the night, and a whole lot more! I had decided to just enjoy the show for once and not bring my camera with me, but of course I had my phone and couldn't stop myself from documenting those amazing sights. So here are a few of the images I captured, hopefully they can give you an idea of the splendor that was to behold:
Now on the main event! Why do we celebrate? Well, it brings people together, everyone has a good time, and everyone just takes a few hours out of their busy lives to just enjoy each other's company(usually immersed in some kind of show). It's one part of life that no one needs a reason to be a part of, we just say be there or be square and who ever shows up, is there to share in a moment. Pride was one of those. It really brings warmth to the heart, when you see the smiles on everyone's faces as they march down the street to music, tossing confetti or glitter into the air, all for merely the reason that they want to. And no one celebrates quite like the gays do!
When people share a special common interest, it creates a sudden sense of comradery. Those who might not normally socialize, get together, maybe just for a short time and indulge in that interest together. In the case of Pride, like many adult celebrations, this is the time to drink and be merry! So each night leading up to and including the day of Pride itself, every willing person lines up at the clubs, pubs and bars to have a few drinks, dance, and really remember why it's so fun to be gay. Most people see gay people as overly sexual, which I might agree to a degree, simply because men are generally very sexual beings and I suppose when paired together, double that energy. Although all stereotypes aside, everyone really just wants to have a good time and let go of their fear to be themselves in the face of a potentially judgmental and un-accepting population. This isn't to say the whole world is like that, but, well, we have this day for a reason...
Like any great celebratory portion of the year, gays too, love to decorate everything to the 9's and really dress up every inch of their surroundings. The image here shows a large chandelier-like group of fixtures, lit with different colours, overlooking the dance floor, which is in between two large bars, in front of a large stage set up, and adjacent to a big dj booth. On a regular night, the place is packed. However, packed doesn't even begin to justify the amount of people that were there on the day of Pride. There were two extra stages that lit up underneath people, and every square inch of them, right to the point of some almost falling off were littered with bodies. That's enough to turn up the summer heat to a scorch and the volume to a "not-so-dull" roar. No one club could boast "the best" party, but I think Celebrities can host the biggest.
It's so easy to enjoy a celebration, because no one is worrying about their daily lives. We stop to smell the roses. Taxes, jobs, relationship troubles, and the like are shoved to the side, at least for a little while. Some say there are too many North American holidays, but I am glad we have so many outlets to spread the love and like in Pride, acknowledge others for who they are and that they are important too.
Thank you Vancouver, for giving the LGBT community a day for them to fearlessly be themselves!
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