Network: 
Gay planets collided this morning when I opened photographer Dan Kaplan's email containing his photos from San Diego Pride: dozens of gym-perfect, nearly naked men prancing and strutting. "Go Pride!" proclaimed the email.
But the email arrived just as I was reading a very nasty little tidbit from Rockton, Illinois: The local school board held a meeting this past week to hear parents' perspectives on providing a Gay Straight Alliance that "would give gay and lesbian students a place where they feel comfortable and wouldn't be subject to harassment."
One parent showed up at the hearing to support the Gay Straight Alliance. Fifteen parents showed up to denounce it.
So much for Pride, Pride as ridiculously defined by partying muscle-bound boys in the streets of San Diego vs Pride in the real world.
Over a period of two hours, Rockford, Illinois Pride consisted of loving, compassionate American parents consigning gay boys and girls to some level of Hell.
The 15 adults who took the time and trouble to attend the meeting made arguments ranging from the group being part of a wider radical homosexual agenda and promoting a dangerous lifestyle to it being not necessary and possibly illegal.
The teacher who advocates the safe haven for Rockford's gay and lesbian kids pointed out that the hearing "shows why we need (the alliance) in the first place."
The school board will continue to deliberate because the passion of 15 superstition-blinded bigots is more important than the safety and education of the children under their charge.
If you haven't already, go read Part 5 of Suffer The Little Children
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Saturday 28 July
By Patrick
too important a message for a saturday....
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Saturday 28 July
By chandler in hollywood
Bubbie,
You are confusing apples and oranges in the false dichotomy of what you are labeling as "Pride". On the True Blue coasts (including the Great Lakes) Pride has turned into Gay Fest! In the Bloody Red states it is still a basic civil rights act of visibility. You cannot fault the engine for entering the station before the caboose. (Lord how I loves me the metaphor.)
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Thursday 23 August
By courtney
chandler-
I don't understand how you perceive this as a "false dichotomy." Everything is connected. Everything is inseperable. The point is that the party, or as you put it "Gay Fest!," that liberal-coast Pride has turned into, is the image that red state, homophobic conservatives point to time and again as an example for why they won't allow a gay-straight alliance in their schools.
Blaming the engine won't help. But the engine and caboose should both put in some effort to meet in the middle, or neither is going to make it.
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Sunday 29 July
By Robert E Kelly
Pride was once about dignity, not braggadaccio. I attribute much of this brouhaha to the death of decorum in the public arena. We must be aware of the public eye, the omnipresent media. A picture worth 1000 words can doom the most reasoned arguments. The urban community forgets that what plays in their hood is not the way the rest of the world rolls, and many times revels in it to the detriment of the global movement. If I remember correctly, San Diego is a Navy town. While the gymfectas prance, many steamed sailor parents are making similar judgements of the "gay agenda" as their sympaticos in Rockton. We do not live in a vacuum. Dignity engenders respect; confrontation invites conflagration.
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Sunday 29 July
By Susan Norfleet
Perhaps we could have two parades? One called "gay pride" and one called "naked gays on floats parade" or "I'm proud of my ass day". So what if gay teens have a hard time? It's pretty obvious that a lot of L's and G's have been working out and want everyone to see the fruits of their labor. Could it be that we're ready for an open discussion on this topic? BTW - my girlfriend totally disagrees with me on this one. I say, "why give them the bullets for the gun?" and she says, "they'll get the bullets regardless of what we do". She is probably right, however I do believe it's time for us all to have the big talk.
PS - Richard, I saw the Sandler movie and want GLAAD to refund my money and my time.
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Sunday 29 July
By Richard
Susan: It's interesting to read how GLAAD has defended itself. Their commentary on this shines a bright light on just how far removed they can be from reality. They need to shed their suits, turn off their air conditioners and get back in the streets where stereotypes are killing our children.
http://www.glaad.org/eye/ChuckAndLarry.php
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Sunday 29 July
By Susan Norfleet
Richard - I'd love you to see my review, just posted. You were nicer than I was.
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Saturday 18 August
By Dave
Quite simply this is a sad story and it will be made even worse if it turns out that one or more of the children of those 15 parents turnes out to be gay, and just afriad of telling their parents for the obvious reason. I wonder how many of these parents would change their stand if they did find out their child was gay. I know when I came out it changed the opinions of some of my family from bashers to supporters. I only hope that is the case for any similar families across this country. I know it is hardly a universal truth, but my comming out brought new supporters from the straight community, maybe, and i do mean maybe cause i really don't know, if more closeted people came out to friends and family there would be that much more support for us. In any case I was lucky enough that that was my experiance.
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