No Gay Pride Parade for Me, Thanks

Bre Degrant is a lesbian—but she refuses to go to a gay pride parade. Pride is a feeling derived from one’s achievements, she writes in Salon, and being born gay isn’t an achievement. “So why do my fellow gays gather each June to parade through the streets singing YMCA on floats filled with women dressed in chaps and men dressed as Cher, to celebrate being something they couldn’t help being?”

“I guess, for now, Gay Pride Month has to exist,” she allows, because gays and lesbians are still an oppressed minority. But society is growing more accepting every day. “As we evolve from a psychiatric case to just another person, do we still need to actively disassociate ourselves from mainstream society and our straight counterparts?” she asks. Besides, she adds, “too many half-naked Bears on Bikes could scar anyone hoping for a simple, family-friendly parade.” Click for the full column or a similar take by another columnist. (More gay pride stories.)