I missed DC Pride 2008, so perhaps my perspective is a bit skewed, but Pride Month across the country seems muted this year. Locally, we’ve had the street festivals, parades and other events, and there have been the requisite pictures of shirtless men in the local newspaper, but something’s different. There just doesn’t seem to be the excitement and engagement in Pride this year that I’ve felt in years past.
Has media coverage and attention to California’s legalization of same-sex marriage taken up all of the public’s attention (even ours)? Have photos of beaming couples exchanging their vows and endless stories about George Takei’s impending nuptials so occupied our attention that there’s nothing left for the multiple Pride celebrations taking place across the country?
I think the answer to these questions is yes, at least to a certain degree. There is generally only “space” in the media for one gay-focused story at a time, and the compelling storyline of thousands of gay and lesbian couples getting married is generally more interesting than “another” Pride parade.
As much as I love Pride (and agree with the points Laura made in her post yesterday), I don’t think this turn of events is a bad thing. The media coverage about the advent of same sex marriage in California has been largely positive and definitely helped demonstrate the power of equality and the worth of our lives. In many cases, Pride month is an “excuse” for media to focus on our lives and our impact on society (if only media did that year-round) and the timing of the California marriage decision played nicely into this annual interest in “gay” stories.
With Pride Month wrapping up next week, I think the meaning of Pride is as important as it ever was, even if it’s being communicated in a different way. The LGBT community is a powerful, vibrant part of society. Reminders that we are, in many ways, “just like everyone else” and deserving of the same rights and responsibilities as “everyone else” can only help advance our community’s broader goals.
My conclusion? Even with a “muted” Pride this year, the power of communications to affect change is alive and well. If a picture is worth a thousand words, the photos of happy couples celebrating a moment in their lives many thought might never come are communicating tens of thousands of positive messages about who we are and why our lives matter. And that is something to be proud of indeed.
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I think it is a great evolution of LGBT culture. Pride is about “We’re here, we’re Queer – get used to it!” Now we have “We’re here, we’re marrying – get used to it!” Pride is still relevant and the message is still very necessary in every other part of the country but marriage is a shot in the media arm to decreasing coverage of Pride events throughout the years.