You’re
standing downtown at the corner of East and Scio and a fire truck is inching
by. There’s a man to your right wearing short shorts and dancing the pony with
a huge rainbow flag. An eight-foot bottle of hair product rolls past, escorted
by a man (see the moustache?) with an impeccable blond bob, sporting
sequin-covered roller blades and a dazzling blue gown. Don’t be alarmed: You
are not in a John Waters movie. This is the annual Rochester Pride Parade, and
it is fabulous.
For
sheer exuberance, you can’t beat the Pride Parade. “It started in the ’70s as a
march,” says Chairperson David Kosel, “but over the years it’s become a celebration
of the diverse, supportive gay community in Rochester. Religious organizations,
gay-owned and gay-friendly businesses all participate, to make the point that
we all belong.”
Forty-eight
organizations had entries this year, including Bullwinkle’s Café, whose
proprietor Betty Meyer received this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award. The
crowd, which topped 5,000 by official police estimate, cheered each
“Fashion”-themed float. Even through what one parader called the “holy
gauntlet” — the stretch of road near the expressway that was lined with
scripture-shouting protestors — marchers kept their heads and spirits high.
Charles
Varin plays tuba with the Bassically Treblemakers, a 20- to 25-piece community
band that marched in the Pride Parade.
Is
this your first Pride Parade?
No,
I’ve participated in the Parade for five years total. This year, we also
marched in the Pride Parades in Washington, DC, Toronto, Syracuse, and Buffalo.
What
were some of the songs you played this year?
“These
Boots Are Made for Walking,” but “Walking” is crossed out, and “Marching” is
written in — it’s a marching band joke; “The Gay Way March,” which
surprisingly has nothing to do with being gay; and “Chapel of Love,” which was
mostly for the benefit of the fundamentalist protestors.
We
also ended up playing it for a wedding party who came out onto Strathallen
while we were lining up before the parade.
—
Meg Devine
This article appears in Jul 28 – Aug 3, 2004.
