Alaskan Expatriate

This is very late in terms of blogging about it, but I’ll share nonetheless. Going to Gay Pride in Anchorage did not prepare me in any way for Pride in Seattle. The weather was in the 90s, so I opted to avoid the parade — I figured standing on pavement in the heat for 3 hours wasn’t going to be my idea of a fun Sunday. The parade is followed by a festival at Seattle Center (down by the Space Needle). The booths were anticlimactic and pretty standard — PFLAG, health clinics, out and proud clothing, groups, sports teams, services, etc. What I wasn’t prepared for was the people. 400,000 according to news reports.

That’s more people than Anchorage! It was intense. Everywhere you walked was crowded. There was something for everyone, which is something hidden in Anchorage. Anchorage’s Pride is subdued, sure there’s a handful of boys sporting body glitter and short shorts, but it’s NOTHING compared to Seattle. There was nudity of all sorts, people dressed in bondage, leather gear, gays, lesbians, poly folks, trannies, drag queens, and more and more and more. I will admit that I was a little overwhelmed, but definitely not disappointed. The music was really good, the crowds were tolerable, the nudity only occasionally offensive. It’s no wonder the event draws 400,000.