Q-Seattle Events: Tacky Tourist Clubs

Seattlest asks, "What the hell is going on with Pride?" (except that they like book-title capitalization for their posts). Presumably while walking through the Broadway or Pike/Pine sub-neighborhoods of un-SOAPed Capitol Hill, poster Kim Ruhl says that "we noticed a bunch of signs all over everywhere announcing a parade, a party, and a Queerfest." Yeah. A bunch of stuff, as we've been noting for the past month.

And we're even ready to join Seattlest in throwing in the towel and accepting SOAP's still-silly decision to parade through the construction sites on Fourth Avenue. But we can't quite go as far as it (or however one is supposed to refer to the "Seattlest" collective poster) in advising,

Just go to the damn Web site and do your civic duty to save the gay-rade for those of us who feel the need to put on our thongs and leather and dance in a shower of glitter this summer. We've earned it. Besides, let's face it, we'll just throw a party on your neighbor's lawn if you don't let us have one in the middle of town.

Give them money? Come on now. SOAP lost over a hundred-thou through the group's own incompetence. Despite that, they're sticking around to host a parade -- something they've done a dreadful job at producing in two prior attempts. We suspect, though, that they might finally get it right and figure out that it involves more than just sending entrants on their way, gaps be damned.

So they'll be marching for the tourists again on Fourth Avenue, feeling somehow more pride because they've finally managed to abandon a neighborhood that once welcomed us all. OK, fine. They've managed to hold out longer than they had any reason to hold out.

So join them. Build a kick-ass float for their parade to get a chance to win some of The Stranger's money. Watch the thing. March in the thing. Volunteer to help them actually (and finally and for the first time after two attempts) do a parade right. Fine. But give this group money? That, to us, is a hell of a stretch.

There's every sign that we'll have a great Pride weekend again this year. But -- again this year -- it will happen in spite of SOAP and not because of the group. If you've got extra money in your cards that you're trying to get rid of, give it to one of the many groups that has actually managed to earn your trust. SOAP isn't one of those groups. Hell, you could even buy a ticket to a OneDegree event if you feed you must support downtown Pride activities. That's a group, after all, that appears to be wisely doing what SOAP tried and failed to do -- building a Pride beyond the despised-by-some 'gayborhood.' And they're doing it without asking for donations.

Let The Stranger pay for its parade. They have plenty of money for that. Show your pride in your community by giving to a group -- any group other than SOAP -- that has earned respect.

Labels: gay organization, Gay Seattle, Seattle, Seattle Pride