Episode Seven - Pride

Well, this will be a rather short post. I just wanted to quickly recount the events after I got off work today. After work (7am) I went to downtown Vancouver and hung out. I had breakfast, drank some americano (quad grande long marble mocha to be exact) and then wandered around where the Vancouver Pride Parade was going to be set up. Eventually people from the group I was with started to show up, BC Humanist Association, Vancouver Centre for Inquiry, and SFU Skeptic Society. Most people highly overlap. I had met a couple of these people at the Richmond Skeptics at the Pub meeting I went to last week, so at least I knew some people.

So, basically we hung around, we had 4 very happy Humanist people on posters, three banners and a bunch of people who were high on life, literally, these guys were awesome. They kept me going the entire time. So, when the parade started going we were near the end and we were dancing away to the music from this group of homosexual space cowboys (who were downright awesome if I may say). One of the people in our group noticed a church coming up and they were waving at people, so we may have intentionally raised a couple of our signs in their direction a bit, one of them being the SFU banner that was inspired by the London bus ads "God Probably Doesn't Exist, so stop worrying and enjoy life" or something along those lines. Two ladies gave us some really piercing scowls and made sure the others on her float saw our sign. Interestingly one of the guys came over and started handing us suckers with these cards on them. One side said, "My life would SUCK without Jesus" (emphasis on the card). The other is a business card for the church and at the bottom it says "Progressive and radically inclusive followers of Jesus, seeking God's healing and transformation for ourselves and the world." I have mixed feelings regarding Christian religions, or any Abrahamic religion being "inclusive" towards homosexuals. One, it is great to see a decrease in intolerance and hatred, but it also means that their church becomes completely based on hypocritical teachings. Even if they live soley on the teachings of Jesus, he himself states in the book of Matthew that all of the old laws are still valid, and both new and old testament (so the Torah) unquestionably say being gay is a sin. I wont even bother with Islam. So that is just my thoughts on that.

As for the parade, it was downright awesome. There was so much energy, and partially/almost completely naked ladies running around. It was also a very strange feeling to be walking down the street having over half a million people watch you and see your message. Even if they disregarded it almost right away. Many people cheered for it and liked the banners.

So, ya, it was a lot of fun, and by the end I was sore, exhausted, highly dehydrated but as you can see, I still have enough energy to shaw this with you.

So, I made it home in one piece, AWESOME! I had fun! I got to meet some more interesting people. And I was part of something rather amazing and wonderful to see the inclusiveness. Sure, some people didn't like us atheists, but everyone was there to be inclusive towards people who were in the past not accepted as complete members of our culture. I truly think it is wonderful. And honestly, no parade I think will ever be able to stand up to the energy, power and just general love for humanity than a Pride Parade I think. Everything else is kind of dull in comparison, and this isn't just because of the scantily clad ladies, but seriously, I can't discount them completely. And for all the ladies and gay guys out there (the guys I am sure already know this) if you want to ogle guys, there are probably equal to if not more guys at these parades.

Well, there you have it, my first Pride Parade, it was fun. I am completely beat now. So, goodnight.