Tuesday 29 June 2010

the smell of the greasepaint, the roar of the crowd - New York Pride










The day started grey and overcast, but it didn´t stay that way for long. Spectators were already parked in anticipation and in their deck chairs on 5th Avenue by 10.30 am and the parade wasn't due to start until 12 midday. by that time there was no traffic traveling on 5th Avenue, apart from the cross-town streets being allowed to travel across on police instruction. It's quite a sight to see the major avenue empty, people pinned back to the pavements by barriers, and traffic limited to the odd dribble across it.

I was down at the cross-section of 13th and 5th, and it took about half an hour for the front of the parade to reach us, although we could hear it well before then, given that the Sirens motorcycle group were leading the parade. From then on there was pretty much a constant flow of various organisations and groups in colourful and outrageous costume, but to be fair some of the spectators would have been just as well suited to the stage.

As the parade progressed the temperature rose, so did a few tempers surrounding me, and with the crowd eight or so deep with people vying for positions almost constantly, I decided after an 2 hours to vacate the area and seek some shade and the pridefest celebrations down on Hudson St.

I found some shade on the walk down 14th St, and the festival area whilst busy and colourful was in essence commercially OTT for me. The icing on the cake came about 20 mins into my visit, when turning round, to be confronted by a man with a 10ft Python, asking if I wanted my picture taken with it. Anyone who knows me knows I have a serious snake phobia, and my exit from pridefest would have challenged Usain Bolt on a good day. Feeling somewhat ragged after that experience I sought refuge in a quiet bar and consoled and calmed myself with some iced tea, before making my way back home on a crosstown bus. The journey was slow, due to the parade still going (2.5 hours later, and as I looked up 5th as we crossed it, probably a good while longer to come.

I apologise for the late posting, but I know Ive been feeling under the weather due to too much sun, and I also think that PTSD (Post Traumatic Snake Disorder) forced me to have a rather quiet day yesterday.

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