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Here are some pictures of yesterday's Marcha del Orgullo or Gay Pride March, which began in Plaza de Mayo and ended at Plaza del Congreso. According to an article in Clarin, this was the 17th gay pride march and was attending by approximately 25,000 people.
I attended the march in 1999 and it's grown a great deal since then, still, 25,000 people for a city of 12 million is an embarrassment. Mexico City and Bogota both have much larger gay pride celebrations, not to mention Sao Paulo which this year attracted over 3 million to their pride march, the world's largest. How is it that a city 50% larger than Buenos Aires is able to attract over one hundred times as many people to its gay pride celebration? Heck, Fresno, California has a bigger gay pride event than Buenos Aires. (more pics on flickr)
Deliberately or not, Buenos Aires has done a deft job marketing itself as a gay friendly destination with the New York Times declaring the city a beacon for gay tourists and the city topping Out Traveler's reader poll as the world top destination for gay tourists. On paper Buenos Aires IS a gay friendly city with widespread acceptance for gays and lesbians and a civil union law. So why don't people show up to the pride celebration? Very few of my Argentine gay friends showed up yesterday. Typical excuses I heard were that there were too many transvestites and/or that it was too overtly political. I say, so what?
Despite 2+ years living I don't feel I can speak with confidence on what's going on inside people's heads. Still, pasa algo.
7 comments:
WOWZA these pics capture a remarkable increase in participation from that rainy, sad day back in 1999! Was there christian opposition like back then?
Still, you're right. It's too bad about the apathy and/or shame felt by "mainstream" gays toward these type of events. Same here in NYC, as you know...how many chelsea queens run out to Fire Island to avoid "gay shame". Irony, sweet irony.
Well, we all spoke about this after the march. Don´t really know, maybe it´s because they are all "cagones" and cover their main reason of being chicken shit, with theoretical phrases... at the end none of the white-good job-gay porteños are willing to risk their status nor income for being there, as they are afraid of someone checking on them and fire them...
Anyway, I did find my closest gay friends at the march this year, maybe I have been selecting them in the past year and all of us feel to go, and have fun and dance and hang out there.
This year was awesome, lot´s of lesbians, and young kids! it was really charming seeing this 16 year old couples hanging hands. And also some babies and straight couples in the middle dancing/marching. I loved it. The feria was great also.
German
Great Pics Thomas! Thanks for your comment on my blog, and nice to "meet you". Are you going to watch the election returns at either Sugar Bar or Sacramento Bar in Palermo? I think I might barhop them both.
Maybe people are going to BA as a place to escape the politics of being Gay and just want a place to relax without the spotlight and the worries of the greater good? Perhaps they show their pride by just being happy.
Gay Pride events are a marvelous way to bring everyone together and it's empowering. The focus always seems to come off the Tom and Vagners of the world and on to the most outrageously dressed. Being outrageous is an important part of being yourself, but so is a simple day. What I'm hoping is that there is a more optimistic reason than apathy or shame.
Your photos are gorgeous as always and capture moments that tell a story. Your words are thought provoking and honestly put. Perhaps there is a newspaper/magazine job for you there?
neverwriteitdown,
The outrageous queens went first, they've always gone first, paving the way for thomas/vagners of the world.
Was there any opposition this year in the march this year?
Jesse - thankfully the evangelicals were elsewhere this year. The police were even grudgingly cooperative and the city hung these tiny little rainbow flags along Avenida De Mayo--a first according to my friend German. You'd think with all the money gay tourists spend in Baires they could put a little more into it.
Just clearing out the evangelicals seems a remarkable achievement to me!
BTW--the gays are having a field day over here after prop 8 passing. Exciting times. Truly.
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