No, it’s not because Austin is super prideful or because Texan gay blood runs rainbow. It’s because one group of gays doesn’t like the idea of a businessman profiting off of the city’s official pride parade, which he’s been placed in charge of facilitating.
For last year’s pride, the Austin Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce took over production of the festivities and formed the Austin Gay and Lesbian Pride Foundation, which put on what many are referring to as a “successful” event; it even made a $10,000 profit. But that didn’t keep AGLPF from ousting president Jimmy Flannigan (who knows why?) after 2009’s pride weekend and replacing him with a one Chad Peevy. Now Peevy is the chairman of AGLPF and happens to run Peevy Media, which is being paid to promote Austin’s pride festival. ZOMG!
Enter QueerBomb, the “flash Force assembly of LGBTQIA individuals,” which is planning its own alternative pride that will go up against the Chamber of Commerce’s “non-inclusive, capitalist, heteronormative, safe and unchallenging.” Okay!
The Austin Chronicle has more details on the stupid back-and-forth drama between the two groups (Austin’s official pride canceled local singer Nakia because he agreed to perform at what turned out to be a QueerBomb-affiliated event).
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Which means this weekend Texas’ gays will have to choose between the official pride and the alternative pride. Where is Constance McMillen when you need that sort of advice?
[Austin Chronicle; photo via]
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Way to go Austin!!! Instead of celebrating a totaly inclusive pride event highlighting the fact that you now have an openly Gay Mayor you are going to go all bitter queeney and create all kinds of drama……………….
Austinite
Uhm, that is Houston.
Matt
We have two Prides in Atlanta. A Black Gay Pride and everyone else.
dubwise
@ PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS : We(lives in Austin) have an openly gay mayor?
http://www.mayorleffingwell.com/citycouncil.asp
From the site: Lee is married to Julie Byers, a registered nurse at Seton Northwest hospital. Lee and Julie are the parents of three, and the grand-parents of six.
you have no idea what you are talking about.
i think queer bomb is an excellent idea…maybe do some research…
QueerBomb is a flash Force assembly of LGBTQIA
individuals within the community who have found
the current strategy and structure of Austin Pride to be non-inclusive, capitalist, heteronormative, safe and unchallenging.
QueerBomb has been assembled with boisterous urgency in organizing a counter ‘Pride’ procession that carries a strong Queer message to the streets of Downtown Austin reclaiming the radical, carnal and transgressive lineage of our ever changing community, while celebrating every facet and form of our people as a unique and vibrant whole.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
@dubwise: @Austinite:
Oh!……..My Bad!
Qjersey
I guess the AGLPF’s by-laws don’t include a conflict of interest clause…which is really really stupid. Even more stupid for the AGLPF to hire a board members business regardless.
Rob Moore
@Matt: We do have two, indeed. Neither of them is anything more than a party, in a state that is particularly homophobic in its governance. I think Pride events need to get back to their roots of protest and become challenging to an establishment that is too loyal to religion. March on and into some of the mega-churches during Sunday’s magic seances to let them know there are consequences for their actions. Maybe show them pictures of their false prophets and big wigs getting busy with whores, mistresses, rentboys, crackheads and meth-heads.
Jon (the boring one)
Sounds like the never-ending battle in Seattle. Every damned year is a competition for “pride”. . .Parades, Festivals, Events. . .infighting over location and routes, which group is “official” and who raises enough cash to pay for it (none ever do, it always comes down to a donor who bails them out).
Andy
I live in Austin too. I plan to do both events. Tonight I’ll do the queerbomb events and tomorrow night the pride events. 2 parades means 2x the fun!
Steve
We have had two pride parades (and whole weeks of events) in Fort Lauderdale, for about ten years.
June is just too hot, literally. Temperatures in the 90’s with humidity to match. And the snowbirds have already gone north for the summer.
So, a group decided to do the events in March, while the temperature and humidity are comfortable. It caught on.
But, a group of traditionalists continue to do it in June.
Two committees. Two parades. Two sets of parties.
They’re both fun.
WTF?
LGBTQIA exemplifies in one 7-letter acronym what the problem is. About half that list needs its own parade. And several of those letters don’t even make sense. Are you a dog? Join the ever-growing alphabet soup! Did you change planes in Atlanta? Well, come on over! Hey, you, walking past! Yeah, you! Come on over and add another letter to the mix. It’s the clearance bin of society, dig on in!
Tessie Tura
@Matt: And after the Black Gay Pride is over, they all go to the Heretic and trip all over each other trying to grope the white mens.
Jon Bon Jovi
LOL@Tesse; now that was funny. Are you telling the truth? Many black gay men don’t like us white boys, but some are called snow queens.
MickW
Tessie Tura get over yourself, not all black gay men run around trying to get a white man.
austinite
@PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS:
Austin doesn’t have an openly gay mayor. Get your facts right. That’s Houston.
Tessie Tura
@MickW: You’ve never been to Atlanta, have you?