2017 D.C. Pride Parade

My initial thoughts is that this is a LARGE event.  Perhaps too large for full costumes.  I did have a good time and I'm glad I got the opportunity to do this, and the crowds LOVED us.  Fantom Comics let us use their upstairs store to change in and out of costume.  That was very kind of them.  They were on the main route of the parade, too, so very convenient location!

I also found out that X Wing ejection harness and my personal lack of thigh gap at the crotch does not make for good walking!!  LOL!!  My entire kit kept being pulled down in front as I walked.  I was constantly correcting the placement of my flak vest and chest box, and eventually just gave up!  I need to create my thigh gap! HAHAHA!

There were multiple staging areas to get everyone on to the main parade route.  They wanted us lined by by 4:30PM.  We had about a 3 or 4 block walk from Fantom Comics to our staging area.  In full costume.  We did not even start moving until about 5:30 or so, and that was just to get us moving toward the main parade route.  I would say we did not even hit the main route until 6:30 or so.  So yes.  This is a LARGE event.  Perhaps one of the largest in the nation.

There were some disorganized areas, lacking barricades, which allowed the crowd to come in to the street surrounding the parade participants.  This made it a bit uncomfortable to have anyone at any time able to come up to you from any direction.  I felt as if the entire route should have been behind the metal barricades.  We had to pay a fee to participate, and we were told it was due to security and preparations (of which I would have thought metal barricades to be both security and preparation).  But there were 2 areas without barricades along the main route.  Because of the heat and the wait to get moving, after we had one member who had to ride in the car due to the heat.  Due to the lack of barricades, we also had an incident with a female participant and a crowd person.

Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES is it OK to walk up to ANYONE and touch or grope them without permission.  IDGAF who you are or who you think you are.  Keep away and keep your fucking hands off of people.  Thankfully, she had help and someone kicked the guy away from her.  But now she has to live and deal with this shit.  It's NOT OK to do this to people!  (no, it was not me).

Then the protesters.  What can we say about the protesters.  They were a group of queer folks who were upset at the amount of corporate involvement in the Pride Parade.  So we get that.  We do.  But you also won't have the large parades and the support they give without the corporations.  The protesters stopped the parade less than half a football field in front of us.  We were almost on the home stretch.  During their stoppage of the parade, another of our group succumbed to the heat, and he did require medical attention.  Another of our own was also injured as she tried to catch the gent on his way down.  We had a police officer help open a barricade to let us off of the main route.  They let our chase car through as well.  Those who could walk returned to the comic book store to change and go home.

I absolutely loved seeing everyone lined up to watch the parade.  So many happy and smiling faces.  Plenty of queer and non queer just out having a very good time.  It made me smile to see them smile.  I am honored to have been able to sign up and participate in the parade and in the lives of my friends.   But will I do the D.C. Pride Parade again?  Sadly, no.  It was just overwhelming to me. The heat and 3 incidents with our own folks is a bit much for a troop. I would come back as a viewer on the other side of the barricade.  I just don't want to walk in this one again.  I think we are going to do the Baltimore Pride Parade next year.