Rain On Our Parade
10/08/2010 15:43 by AmsterdamizeLast week Amsterdam celebrated its 15th Gay Pride, the theme being...'Celebrate'. Not at all redundant, when you consider the recent acts of violence on gays in the city. Yes, even in Amsterdam. The week's events were more numerous and diverse than ever and they draped the city in pink, easily eclipsing the Giro d'Italia :). Parties, workshops, contests, art, you name it, it was there. It's what this city desperately needs, in a time of Disneyfication and bourgeoisie, imho. We woke up to a very wet and thus dreary Saturday, the day of the...THE Canal Parade. You'd think that would spoil the fun. Not so much. Sure, 380.000 onlookers instead of the usual half a million, that's easy to understand, but as a party...ahum, Celebration, the scenes could easily have transpired in Rio-like conditions.
The other parade, the parade of people on bikes in Amsterdam, meanwhile, moved on, steadily. As it does on a daily basis.
If only there was no need for a Gay Pride, just like there's no need for Critical Mass in Amsterdam, where everyone on two wheels (and more) is regarded equal, that we would just be the people we want to be. Rain or shine.