Why is it that during our most innocuousness, some of the most memorable times of our lives; those that our minds allow us to recall – just show up uninvited?
I believe it is an unintended… unattended check point of our lives. A turnaround on a turnpike, marked “for emergency vehicles only”. I hope they didn’t have cameras there when I last declined their suggestion in signage.
At anyfuckin’rate and for reasons completely random in a less than stable mind. I thought tonight, of a life altering experience I was part of, June of 2000. I will always hold this hesitantly obliged invitation dear to my heart. Once recollecting that day’s events, my mind hemorrhages with the joy that seemingly ordinary day offered me.
As a new resident to Atlanta, GA, knowing no one, I embraced the invitation of my favorite Lesbian ‘tender at the legendary 24-7 bar of it’s time – Backstreet Atlanta (for 30 years grandfathered to the playboy club), (now condos) about me participating in the “Harley Hysteria” that traditionally initiates the Pride Parade of Atlanta’s official “Gay Pride Parade”.
Imagine, my puny 140lb ass atop 1200cc’s of raw American engineered power. Basically a rocket strapped to a bicycle frame – following the direction of a woman I’d always considered to be a very womanly… MAN!
The President of Exxon – a supposed world leader I’d once met, had no longer a place in my personal repertoire of (what I thought was) fame & guaranteed fortune. He hasn’t a clue. He hasn’t a third the leadership skills I was subordiate to that June day.
Amongst the 38 of us “parade starters” were I, one other strikingly handsome (terrified) male… and 36… uh, other… women to some degree. Piloting an estimated three quarter a million dollars worth of obnoxiously loud raucous American pride. Not just gay pride – American pride.
I’ve never witnessed the unbelievable, the unspoken exchange and appreciation – the filming of us bikers, the paparazzi fashioned photography of us from the Mounted Patrol, in an odd sort of analogous way with the APD, the love and equality – the mutual respect and admiration from that of The Atlanta Police Mounted Patrol & Atlanta Fire Department – and we (Gay? or not) Iron horse riders. I’d immagned me being photographed by a Cop – but only at APD headquarters.
It was quite an extraordinary sight to behold. One I’d never witnessed anywhere. That of which I’ll likely never again see or appriciate in my time again. For however a fleating moment, we were on stage for all the city to un-christianlike pass judgement upon.
I’ll not bore you with what became that day’s & night’s activities. But if any readers know Atlanta’s Pride festivals – it’s a solid week long event, rain or shine. Many of these festivals have brought fourth the likes of The B-52’s, REM, Montell Williams, HBO productions, Turner Broadcasting, CNN, etc., Even a version of the current Bush regime showed up. Who was that snake in wolves clothing. God love the poor bastard who signed up for that costume. He’s still recovering.
Truly, it was more fun than I could possibly have ever prepared myself for. In my own simplistic take, I figure the Atlanta Pride Parade is so large, because of the fact that Atlanta is the unassuming buckle of the bible belt. Luckily for me, The Baptist convention was being held there that year.
If God truly loves me, he’ll forgive the spectacle I’m guilty of staging on any given day.
And in that same year, in an unprecedented gesture to all, the then current Mayor allowed the Pride banners to be strung along city light poles all throughout downtown and Midtown. Perhaps his futile effort to burry the fact that he was a political CROOK! He was my neighbor. I loved him during his tenure in his respective office. Let’s just say… uh… he left me alone; as did I turn a blind eye toward him (and his filthy hateful dirty disrespectful spoiled rotten bratty ass children).
The remains of what I’ve carried away from my short time in a very odd conglomeration of a place……. and a wonderful 4 years in Atlanta, amounts simply to this:
Suppression shall always come as aggression for those who disallow evolution.
Quote me on that. PLEASE! GOD knows I need the negative press.
Any at all is good right?All the best my little Angels,
WMT III
