Kevin Marshall's America
There’s a bit of a theme to this week’s posts: tolerance. It came about somewhat unintentionally, in that although one post did spark and inspire others it was not due to an effort to dedicate a full week to the theme of tolerance. As such, I won’t call it “Tolerance Week” or anything goofy like that.
My friends and I, as well as some random stranger (the kid covering his face). Photo courtesy Kari Vanalstine.
Yesterday I marched in the CapitalPride Parade as part of the Gillibrand camp. I’m not part of the campaign and never have, and in fact I’m not very active politically. I do have friends who do work with her, though, and I wanted to show my support for her stance (and co-sponsorship) on the bill to repeat the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy.
I should also put out there for the sake of full disclosure that I’m an ardent supporter of gay marriage.
Various other local folks of note came out to express their pride or show their support, including but not limited to Jack McEneny, Neil Breslin, and the Times Union blogs’ very own Libby Post.
The Grand Marshalls for the parade were Hudson High School seniors Charles Ferrusi and Timmy Howard, two gay best friends (not romantic partners) who were elected King and Queen at their Prom by their own peers.
The turnout was VERY good considering the really crappy weather we had that day and all weekend. I know some people were bummed that there weren’t more, but the fact that the turn out was so great considering the circumstances speaks volumes of the level of support in this area for equal rights.
I’m a heterosexual male, but some of the greatest people in my life and those who have shown me the greatest kindness personally, professionally and otherwise are gay men and women. I owe it to them not to hide my support behind vague statements and half-hearted support.
More pictures after the jump.
Draft for the first sign I made. I gave it to Katie to carry, and it was a big hit with everyone except for one protestor who informed her that she was going to "burn in Hell."
The finished product. I'm no artist, so I kept it simple with big words and bold colors.
Kari works on her sign.
Maeve shows off her work. Also, QUACK
The second sign I made: "EQUAL RIGHTS FOR THOSE WHO FIGHT." I included a picture of Shipwreck from GI Joe, because it made us laugh.
A white kitty named Boo. He approves of my sign!
Me and my friend Katie, getting ready for the parade. Photo courtesy Kari Vanalstine.
The Grand Marshalls meet The Grandest Marshall. And I look really goofy for some reason. Photo courtesy Kari Vanalstine.
The Grand Marshall Car. Photo courtesy Kari Vanalstine.
Gettin' started...
FREEDOM WAGON~!
The crowd lined Lark Street and braved fairly miserable weather to show their support.
The fellas following us. Good chaps.
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15 Responses to Showing Capital Pride
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Sorry Kevin, but I just hate the term ‘tolerance’ when it is used in this way. I think that instead of just ‘tolerating’ other people, we really should respect them for who they are. So maybe it should be a week about respecting your fellow human beings, which I am sure is closer to what you mean. Yesterday was all about nothing more than supporting the people we love, and hoping that someday soon our country will respect them enough to give them the rights they deserve.
Oh, and thanks for making that sign! The cheers it got from the rest of the crowd as we passed the protesters were just fantastic!
Kevin: I’ll send you some more photos. Maybe you’ll find some good one’s to fit your theme! Even though it was muggy and icky outside, it was still fun! The first time I ever marched and took a stance for something. Made me proud of myself and my friends that I saw along the way. Thanks to you guys who informed me about it & inviting me to help out!
So glad to see that you were out there this weekend. It is quite obvious that your heart is in the right place but I think your language needs to be updated a bit. “Heterosexual” and “homosexual” are very outdated terms and somewhat shunned by the LGBT world in general. Best to use straight and LGBT when discussing these topics with the general public. And of course everyone is different, so when dealing with individuals, just ask how they prefer to be identified.
The Daughter & I marched with the Presbyterians.
Hey, maty I steal that picture of Bigotry is a Lifestyle Choice for my (non-TU) blog? Please? Pretty please? I’ll credit you.
Absolutely! :)
this is a great event, and i commend you for coming out to support it. however, i have to take issue with the word ‘tolerance’… i feel as though tolerate implies one has suffer through something, endure something, or put up with something. and none of those definitions of tolerate would fit in line with the goals of the lgbt community. they don’t simply want to be tolerated, they want to be accepted for who they are. their lifestyles are not something that others have any right to agree or disagree with, or learn to simply tolerate. it’s something others need to butt the hell out of. :-D
That’s you: http://www.flickr.com/photos/altuwa/4698662582/in/set-72157624145265433/
On homosexual/heterosexual (in reply to Ms. Y): I modified it for the point of it being the LGBT community, and it’s an interesting take. I do have to say, though, that I don’t personally know any gay or lesbian folk who have ever taken offense to the word homosexual, and I certainly don’t take offense to calling myself heterosexual.
On tolerance (in reply to Katie Bucks and kriskaten): that was more in reference to the week’s worth of posts than this particular post. I think you’ll have a better idea of what I mean when you read tomorrow’s. And, also, I agree with you folks to an extent, but the manner in which it’s used and applied in the vernacular doesn’t quite match our feelings on the matter. I sometimes (though not often) find myself in the trap of writing for the thousand plus readers I get a day rather than the handful of us that take umbrage with a certain word’s usage. I’m glad you brought it up, though, because that’s a blog post for Thursday.
To -S: THAT’S ME! Thanks for sharing.
Instead of being tolerated, I’d rather that my life (not lifestyle, mind you) be embraced by society–that’s more like having a good understanding and accepatance and love for our fellow human beings.
Kevin: Next year, remind me about this, and if you end up marching again, I’ll loan whatever group a gay pride flag I have collecting dust.
Libby: I know what you mean. Tolerance is a good thing when we’re talking about fighting the kind of fight we do, but just being viewed as “normal” and being judged on actions instead of sexuality is the ideal.
I was there yesterday and just had a fantastic time. A whole bunch of us walked with Luke Martland, who is running to become the only second openly gay NY state senator in history. The response was simply amazing – people were SO excited and fired up about the possibility of electing an openly gay candidate right here in Albany county. We literally handed out thousands of flyers and stickers and signed up hundreds of folks to our email list. If you’re interested, you can check out Luke’s facebook page (It’s “Martland for Senate”) and… … spread the word!
Did you also go to the soap box derby on Saturday? I saw you near that area as I was driving around. I was all like, “Hey, that’s Kevin Marshall!”
I did not! It just happened to be going down right next to my friend Matt’s ordination as a Catholic Priest at the Cathedral (see tomorrow’s blog post).
Really enjoyed the article you wrote…what made me even happier was the comment concerning the Capital Area Pride Bowlers. “Good Chaps,” that is what all of them are. What you see in that picture is not even half of that league. Jonathan Sweat and Myself ( Wayne Lundgren )started that league. It was used to get the gay community out of the clubs and to prove to them that there is not only fun at a club. It is more of a social type bowling league with many great people. The league is a sanctioned league, however for the Summer Season, it is being used as a practice until the next season starts up. Jonathan and myself reside in Orlando Florida now and we still keep up on the Capital Area Pride Bowlers. We are very proud of what we have accomplished and created and we are very proud of every individual on that league. Maybe we will start up another Gay Bowling League in Florida…ya never know