First off, I want to thank the North Country Bears for having me read yesterday at their booth at the Twin Cities' Pride Celebration. The crowd and the club was very supportive through the heat and the screaming huckster across the way. NCB Board Member Kevin Vales predicted that I would have dreams of a woman repeatedly screaming "three balls for a dollar!" Not yet, Kev!
I was nervous at first, but loosened up towards the end of the short set. One of the problems I encountered was that I am unable to project my voice. For someone who was known to having a loud voice, yes, this is unusual. Perhaps this is why I don't do well in the theatre. Maybe next time, we'll have to get a microphone and a small PA set.
Yesterday's reading was concluded by this special poem celebrating Pride and Gen-X Bears' 10th Anniversary. Take a gander...and Happy Pride everyone!
What does Pride mean to you?
What does Pride mean to me?
It’s more than a day in the park
More than the usual entertainers
More than the token celebrity
It’s seeing old friends you haven’t talked to in months
Seeing new faces
The recently out
The out-of-towners
It’s kissing someone you always wanted to kiss
It’s the only time you felt like dancing
The HRC stickers
The gay friendly politicians
The anti-gay protesters
It’s defending who you are
Standing up and being counted
It’s being Christian
Catholic
Jewish
Muslim
Pagan
It’s remembering Stonewall
Remembering Harvey Milk
Remembering Mathew Shepard
It’s Ellen, Rosie and Melissa
Ru Paul and Harvey Fierstein
Miss Richfield 1981
Cyndi Lauper and Martha Wash
It’s waving the Rainbow Flag
The Leather Flag
The Bear Flag
Woofing at all the hot bears
Including the ones you only see online
It’s remembering those of us
Who died from AIDS
Wishing they were here today
To teach our youth
Through awareness
Opening the closet door
And become out and proud
It’s about 10 years of Gen-X Bears DAMNIT!
It’s the memories
The fun times
The sad times
This is what pride means to me
What does pride mean to you?
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