Thousands of people turned out for the Pride parade and festival in West Hollywood last weekend, which included performances by headliners Wilson Phillips, Tinashe, Ke$ha, Ty Herndon, and Fifth Harmony. DJ Asha and club personality Billy Francesca were the festival’s hosts, and pioneering gay preacher and human rights campaigner Troy Perry, whose activism paved the way for the legalization of same-sex marriage, served as the parade’s grand marshal.
Scroll down for a sampling of pictures from the weekend, and see the full gallery over at GayCities…
Photos: Larry Geller
jason smeds
Is this what Pride has come to? What are they proud of? Corporate advertising and skid marks?
Sluggo2007
@jason smeds: There you have it folks! Another brilliant comment from Queerty’s resident Rhodes Scholar!
DarkZephyr
@jason smeds: What do you have pride in?
Uncv1
Jason smeds: I don’t see any skid marks in any of these pictures, so I’m wondering where you got that, personal experience? I’m guessing you don’t see yourself as part of the gay community when you use “they” in a very separatist manner.
We booked a quick beach trip to LA not knowing it was Pride Weekend when we booked it. I told my partner that out of the thousands of people who were there, the ones that make the news via a picture, will be the most outrageous and over the top. These pics are fairly mild. There was so much more than guys in speedos ( oh but they did look good! Not complaining mind you). Support for the T community, groups supporting racial equality in addition to “our” protection and equality, individual support of straight family members, and yes!, absolutely a celebration of corporate America who is embracing the gay community by depicting gays and gay families as a normal part of the fabric of this nation. Don’t tell me all they want is our money- that’s what they want from everyone, gay or straight. Growing up and seeing myself reflected on TV would have made it a lot easier coming out and I may not have waited until I was in my 40’s to come out. All that being said, did I mention how hot the guys were!
Denver Pride this weekend!!! And a HAPPY FATHER’S DAY to all the dads out there!
Rodney Church
These bearded duded made me scream with delight 🙂
Ummmm Yeah
Jason is right. That’s all pride is now and it’s nothing to be proud of. I’m not a prude but it’s turn off when someone shows up with no pants on every single time you see them. Grow up a little.
Giancarlo85
Oh I guess we need to live like smeds and become priests. We can’t reveal any skin or else that would be horrible. I think some of the self haters here have a lot of growing up to do.
stranded
@Uncv1: Then i think it’s the responsibility of blogs like queerty to show more than just perfect bodied models frolicking in their undies. Year after year, location after location, event after event, its the same pictures, and for some one coming out, yearning for community but only seeing models represented in LGBTQ events you can’t help but to feel you’re not good enough. It’s a shame because, i personally felt a lot of anxiety when going to my first pride, then i saw all kinds of people: young, old, all body sizes, all ethnicities, etc. I still didn’t have a great time, as i tend to be an introvert, but it’s a lot more than what is represented.
onthemark
@DarkZephyr: You asked jason smeds: “What do you have pride in?”
Jason takes pride in his skill at seducing “straight-identifying” men at truck stops!
neko1114
@stranded: I agree. The problem with this kind of “Pride parade” is that it promotes insecurity in younger gay people, who doesn’t possess six-pack abs, and gives a false mental image of how gay should be. when I look at those pictures all I see is a bunch of guys showing off their hard-work of gym spending and possibly steroid users.
Bauhaus
DC Pride was awesome. Took the whole family, as did many of the area residents, LGBTQ and straight. There were kids everywhere. For kids with gay parents, it was an opportunity for them to take pride in their families, to shine. There was even a “family area” for the little ones.
Pride has something for everyone. If you want the “family friendly” version, fine, if you want fine men, there’s that, too. Well, there’s that anyway.
Many of the participants wanted to be a part of this years Pride in hopes that the USSC will do the right thing. They wanted to be a part of history.
onthemark
@neko1114: Your complaint is with Queerty, not the Pride parades. There are always plenty of fat and/or out of shape guys without shirts there. The only difference is, media like Queerty tend not to run photos of those participants. (To which most readers will say, thank you Queerty!)
Anyway, what’s your solution – the parades should have quotas? After reading your comment I’m not sure you’ve ever even been to one.
sfcarlos65
I’ve not been to a Pride Parade in many years (SF Pride has become too overwhelming), but I love to look at these pics.
mujerado
@Ummmm Yeah: – Your taste is in the minority, and your post reads like the prude you say you’re not. Pride represents all of us, prudes and sluts, progressives and conservatives, religious and non-religious. Too bad you’re so narrow-minded. Maybe Pride just isn’t for you.
wpewen
My first pride parade was 1978, Harvey Milk was in it, he had just won his seat. I did not even know it was that weekend in SF, just happened to be there.
Went a couple other times. Between 78 and next one in San Francisco, 82, there was a palpable change. The somber things of AIDS were yet to be featured but what WAS featured was unbridled sexual hedonism. It was a turn off to me as a young man, I went to one other parade (96 San Diego) and that was it.
Even leaving aside the lascivious issue, what I see now from afar was never interesting to me. It’d fine if big g
wpewen
@wpewen: (finishing comment) guys want to wear tiny bikini speedos, but it’s still embarrassing. And it’s not self-hatred of me to say it. No straight guys I’ve ever known were comfortable with that side of the gay community, and most of them were actually cool about the issue of two guys getting it on…tr
Carry on everybody, just don’t think “in yo face” translates into we dig you.
Avery Alvarez
@wpewen: Pride isn’t for the sake of “straight people”, and trying to get them to “dig us”.
No one cares what straight guys are comfortable with, or your subjective opinion of what they’re comfortable with. Once again, Pride isn’t about “straight guys”.
That’s probably why you don’t enjoy it.
You’re obsessed with pleasing straight people. There is certainly a time and place for that, for making our case, but Pride is for us, LGBT, allies, and friends, etc.. As many others have mentioned, there are so many events, including family friendly events, something for everyone. It’s a nice Summer celebration of many things, sexuality being one of them. I personally don’t agree with neutering Pride.
NoCagada
@Ummmm Yeah: I’ve been to PRIDE parades for years and this is no different. This didn’t start yesterday, son. Jeez…you and Jason (I’m NOT one of THOSE queers) Smegma need to go touch a penis.
NoCagada
@jason smeds: You know, son, you’re about as consistently ignorant as right-wing-let’s-murder-the-gays haters who always post “IT’S OBAMA’S FAULT” to anything including their hemorrhoids.
If you’re so miserable here (and with “being gay”) then
WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS HERE?!?
wpewen
@Avery Alvarez: I am 57. I have listened to your argument for 37 years. I am of mixed feeling. This is an example of two people taking away very different things from the event. What I see frankly is a lot of exhibitionism. “My subjective opinion….” Well, I live with straight guys for starters. And admittedly, I’ve never gone f..off much to them all my life in part because of work, also, unlike a lot of gay men, I like hanging with straight men. I have some of the same interests in superficial stuff like music, clothes, taste. And, sometimes similar world outlook So maybe I’m “straight acting” lol. No, I wouldn’t take it there. Don’t think I’m obsessed with pleasing them, in many ways (except in the sack) I’ve found as I’ve grown older how much like them I am.
VampDC
This is why I’m 22 and never go to pride. I don’t like what it stands for. I have no pride in this.
Giancarlo85
@VampDC: Awesome. I’m sure they aren’t crying about you not being there either.
martinbakman
In the face of such cuteness, all the rest of us can do is pick up the pieces and try to move on with our lives.
notevenwrong
@wpewen, @VampDC, It is not liberation to live in a state of constantly worrying about what Middle America will think of a few other gay guys showing a bit of skin. You are living in a prison of your own device.
But I do agree with the criticism that Queerty is marginalizing a large part of our diversity. All these pictures are very pretty, but are exclusively of one particular type of clone. Many of your readers’ main exposure to gay life is via internet sites like this one, and the original meaning of Pride is especially to be welcoming to isolated gay people. How welcome is the average such reader going to feel looking at these pictures.
wpewen
No, don’t think I’m living in a prison of any kind. I’ve had DECADES to hear the rap, sorry man, I enjoy my freedom. What’s jail is to be putting yourself out looking like, well, effeminate scantily dressed people on SM. When I see this I see vulnerability, which is OK also. But they are the people who are confined. To this event, this South Beach, this little St Helena. I am a real left leaning Democrat, and I sincerely wish these people could find a home anywhere, but that still does not make them “my people” They are just among the many, I wish them well. But also I choose to live my life, and won’t listen further about how fucked up I am.
onthemark
There has ALWAYS been a big difference between media depictions and a real life Pride event. See stranded’s comment above: @stranded:
But in the ’70s & ’80s, mainstream media depictions of Pride events were almost entirely negative. And if you wanted to see what a GAY publication said, you had to physically go to a gay venue in the first place to get it. No electronic magic yet to replace physically participating in gay life. Yet most of us introverted types somehow managed to get out the door and go to the Pride event anyway.
Is it really necessary to make LGBT media depictions more “inclusive,” just to encourage “insecure” young people to go to a Pride event? Although this seems a bit silly to me, some of you have made a good case!
wpewen
@onthemark: I think there are a couple problems. The first time I went was 1978. Then, in San Francisco, there was something for everybody to identify with. Big question marks were already up. The Folsom scene. Some lesbians had friction with what was the legendary wildness of late 70’s. Myself, I finally have reached the point that I embrace what was really my first impression at age 20 When you throw a parade YOU are making an impression. The self indulgence of 1978 seemed like a quick acid trip-revealing, maybe not that good for you in the long run.
What Pride asks of participants is the same comfort level from everyone involved. And, if as Alvarez suggests Pride is just about US count me out. That’s akin to seeing the drugged-out guys in late 70’s SF riding
wpewen
the floats oblivious to the world, No how, no way. Not pandering to my straight friends, I did not enjoy seeing my gay friends like that. As George Harrison sang, it’s all too much….
AtticusBennett
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMV1HyVk2wA
AtticusBennett
@wpewen: pride is the time when you should stop worrying about what your lame straight friends think.
wpewen
@AtticusBennett: Maybe so, if your straight friends are lame. Guess I’ve been lucky, mine have always been fine, particularly regarding gay male sex. But they are like me, don’t especially endorse it for a public setting
notevenwrong
@wpewen, you are only responsible for you. Other people have different ideas of what Pride should be for them, and no, their acting in ways that you frown upon is not a prison for them, rather a liberation. They are not hurting you. By all means stay away from it if you are uncomfortable with your friends seeing certain displays, but realize that your discomfort is your problem, not a problem with Pride, and if they are reasonably open-minded progressives your straight friends almost certainly don’t care, so you are wasting your embarrassment for nothing. Pride participants aren’t control-freaking about how you are conducting yourself, so maybe please be a gentleman and return the favor.
notevenwrong
Not to say that Pride doesn’t have serious problems. IMO the presence of certain corporations at Pride celebrations and associated pinkwashing are much more obscene than any state of undress I have seen there.
wpewen
@notevenwrong: Wow. I’d say the control freaking is being generated by you.