Thursday, Aug. 18, 2011

Pride for everyone?

Chris Rudisill.

 

I was happy to be in Myrtle Beach over the weekend for the inaugural Myrtle Beach Gay Days event where an estimated group of 170 people formed a human rainbow flag at the Grand Park complex on the former Myrtle Beach Air Force Base. Before and after the photograph, people enjoyed music, local drag entertainment and games. Elke Kennedy, mother of slain young gay man Sean Kennedy from Greenville, spoke about the loss of her son and Sean's Last Wish, the organization developed following his death to educate about hate crimes and hate crimes legislation.

The whole idea developed when Myrtle Beach Pride ceased operating back in May, cancelling all events originally scheduled for this month. If you remember, Myrtle Beach Pride had returned to the Grand Strand as an event of The Center Project in 2008. After The Center Project closed its doors, the organization continued to assist in programming until another group took over the event, officially forming earlier this year under the name Myrtle Beach Pride, LLC.

Folks including Micki Strickland, owner of Rainbow House Bar & Grill, Patrick Evans, longtime local gay activist and others banded together to make sure that 2011 would not be another year where the LGBT community didn't have a voice. .

It wasn't all wine and roses, however. I made my way around my old haunts along with trying out a few new places in town, visiting with friends and reliving old memories. I saw lots of friends out and about. But the odd thing was - when I was at the Human Rainbow flag event, there were only about five or six people that I recognized. Now, I've been gone for nearly two years now - but where were the other gay and lesbian business leaders? Where were the original board members of The Center Project? Where were the all the folks from Myrtle Beach Pride, LLC? Some were there. Don't get me wrong. I'm sure I'll get quite a lot of grief from some friends for this column - but what Myrtle Beach needs is for everyone to start putting personal egos and agendas behind them and think of the greater good that can come from a community that stands together. If the answer is that you didn't like the way the event was organized, then honestly, maybe you should have stood up to help organize it.

STRAIGHT PRIDE

In other Pride news, Sao Paulo, Brazil's most populous city, approved plans for a Straight Pride, or "Orgulho Hetero" celebration earlier this month, causing a mix of emotions. The event is scheduled for December, in response to the city's annual gay pride festival, which is considered the world's largest. The man behind "Straight Pride" is Carlos Apolinário, who had previously tried to get the gay pride annual parade shifted off of the popular Paulista Avenue, according to the Washington Post. The Post went on to say that Brazil's gay community says he "is just another example of the ongoing homophobia problem in the country." The community suffered anti-gay attacks on Paulista last year and conservative representative Jair Bolsonaro said in April that if he had a gay son, he would beat him or slap him until he "started to behave like man."

Many are outraged, comparing the idea of "Straight Pride" to "White Pride," which also comes with a historical context of prejudice involved. But it's not the first time people have fought for such an event. Here in the U.S., the City Council of Ferndale, Mich. voted to approve a parade in which participants celebrated their heterosexuality in 2002. Ferndale, which is part of the Detroit metropolitan area is known for its LGBT community. The event in Michigan was in response to several calls made to the controversial radio show Kramer and Twitch in the weeks leading up to that year's Motor City Pride Festival, which is the largest such event in the state. Following the decision, some were outraged but many pointed out that the idea of "Straight" or "Heterosexual Pride" actually furthered the cause of "Gay Pride" events. Openly gay Oakland County Commissioner Craig Covey said in a public statement that "we're talking about pride and being proud of who you are."

Motor City Pride Festival has since moved into downtown Detroit, but Ferndale continues to have its own gay pride event which compliments MCP, boasting that it's not only about LGBT pride, but about pride in the city of Ferndale. The organizing group hosts events for gay and straight people. Covey told the area's Daily Tribune, "That's one thing people like about Ferndale (pride events). We attract a lot of families and straight people and the theme incorporates the non-gay people - the allies as we call them."

So will so-called "Straight Pride" events be sweeping across the country anytime soon? I don't think the events in Brazil are done with good or positive intentions, while Ferndale seems to have the ideal response - where a gay pride event actually accomplished changing minds and attitudes in the community and developed into an event that is celebrated by the gay and straight communities alike. As South Carolina Pride approaches on Sept. 3, maybe we should try to invite some straight friends this year - who knows, it may just help us develop our own new sense of pride?

OUT & ABOUT

Friday, Sept. 2 - The First Friday Happy Hour group will meet from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Sept. 2 at California Dreaming, 2657 Beaver Run Blvd. in Myrtle Beach. First Friday is a gay professionals' after work happy hour where everyone is welcome. For more information email FirstFriday@GambleLivingston.com.

Have a thought, comment or Out & About event? Send Chris Rudisill an e-mail to SouthernGayWriter@gmail.com. You can also follow along on Facebook.com @SouthernGayWriter for more news and events.