So, today we went to a pride parade. I believe we’ve gone to them before. We’ve definitely done gay events before (we went to a Rainbow Reading at the library a couple weeks ago. It was fun). But, if we had gone to a pride parade before, I somehow didn’t notice, or had since forgotten, the absolute absurdity of the industries and institutions who involve themselves in the parade. These institutions are not part of the community, and have historically been opposed to the LGBTQ community.
These groups are:
The police.
Corporations
Churches.
None of these groups have historically been on the side of gay and trans people. They’ve been opposed to them. And here they are now, conveniently present when the majority of Americans now accept LGBTQ people as actual humans. It feels very cheap, and a result of capitalism doing what capitalism does. Which is searching out every last dollar to insure quarterly growth. To me, that is clearly the “why” for the bottom two groups on the list. Corporations are looking for more dollars via sold products or services, and churches are looking for more dollars via new members. It’s really as simple as that.
Walmart had a van in the parade with the word “PRIDE” taped to the side of it. T-Mobile was also “there” as well as Cox Communications and Hawker Beachcraft. At one point there was a banner carried out in the middle of the parade that said “PRIDE IS SPONSORED BY” and then listed their corporate sponsors.
It’s just so…bizarre.
I get it. If I were a member of the LGTBQ community who was organizing the parade, I’d take that corporate money too. I’m sure it makes it all easier, and you can basically mock them while you put on your parade. One guy with a punk rock spike haircut held a sign with cool punk-rock-like text that read: “THEY WON’T BE HAPPY UNTIL WE’RE ALL FUCKING DEAD.” Hell yeah, brother.
The “they” who won’t be happy “until we’re all fucking dead” are the groups and institutions who are there looking for new rubes or dollars. The groups of power. Churches are on a down swing (which is why they’re seeking membership from groups they used to condemn), but they’re still more powerful than a lone individual. Corporations rule the world. And police enforce their will. Surprise, surprise, when you treat people like shit for generations, they’re conclusion is you hate them and want them dead.
And, with that thought, I leave you with the King of England reminding America he’ll kill our friends and family to remind us of his love: