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janicelee · Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 9:33 am Post subject: Pridefest

During the month of June throughout America, gays, lesbians, transgenders, our friends, family and enablers,

gather togeather to celebrate gay pride. Yesterday I attended a pride festival with a parade and party in a public park. Pridefest is and will always be an emotional experience for me. It is the day we all gather togeather and march and celebrate in the sunlight. Even if it is only one weekend a year, to be able to walk though a public park and hold hands with my partner Jen and not fear anything happening to us is a profoundly emotional experience. It is a beautiful event. I saw young gay and lesbian teens for who may be out for the first time in their lives, I saw senior citizens who probably never thought they would see a day when we could have a parade and get togeather openly in a city park. I also everyone in between, many perfectly normal looking and acting people who are just attracted to people of the same gender. What fascinates me most is the number of religous groups that join us in support for our fight for freedom and equality. The Unitarian Universalsts, the United Church or Christ,anong other local christain groups, a local Buddhist Temple, a Jewish Synagogue, and of course the pagan community. With so people of faith willing to welcome us with open arms into the family of believers I just simply don't understand how anyone who believes in freedom of religon can ever argue agains gay rights on a religious basis.
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DurhamDawg · Sliver STAR Joined: 08 May 2006 Posts: 225

Janicelee, are you able to hold hands with your partner at other times of the year in public? Do you feel comfortable doing so?

I'm bisexual, and while most of my relationships have been with men, I had a romance with a woman in Calif. that lasted several months some years back... we used to hold hands and get weird looks from people in public, even in our ultra-liberal town in Calif. We used to do it anyway in spite of the strange reactions from people. I wonder if that has changed at all and people are getting more comfortable with it. What do you think?
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"Faith is believing what you know ain't so." - Mark Twain

janicelee · Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 6:56 am Post subject:

basically in most places and in most situations the answer would be no. We do have what I like to think of as a gay ghetto here that it would be no problem, most other places I would say absolutely no. While physical violence is no longer a danger, at 48 I can remember when it was, the odds of someone coming up and getting in your face about it are still pretty high. To Jen and I it just isn't worth it. While it would be wonderful to be a little bit more affectionate in public, it would spoil the whole purpose of public displays of affection to have to deal with the jerks.
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ReasoningFilly · Bronze Star Joined: 03 Feb 2007 Posts: 178

Well, janicelee and DDawg....y'all know that I'm a married woman....I love my man.

That being said, iff'n you come see me....I'd let ya pinch my butt in public. I'd whoop anybody that tried to say something about it! How's that?

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Man is certainly stark mad: He cannot make a flea, yet he makes gods by the dozens. - Montaigne

DurhamDawg · Sliver STAR Joined: 08 May 2006 Posts: 225

Filly, I might make the drive to Texas just for that!
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"Faith is believing what you know ain't so." - Mark Twain

DurhamDawg · Sliver STAR Joined: 08 May 2006 Posts: 225