HERE'S THE THING ABOUT PRIDE...
These little petty annoyances are just that, petty. I worry that my criticism borders on cynicism but there’s a part of me that wants to balance out the performative joy I tend to see on social media.
I love a good party. Every summer, Pride is one of those events that can elevate and punctuate the season. For many queer people it is our favourite holiday, and for the straight-identifying population, especially in Amsterdam, it’s an opportunity to hop on a boat with several cases of beer and some big speakers with friends, and dabble in some glitter as a kind of hallowe’en for heteros if the theme were camp-meets-disco.
I’ve lived long enough to witness and participate in several Prides in different cities and countries. So much so that this year I ended up working instead of out on the streets celebrating. Last year, when I knew that Amsterdam Pride was also representing World Pride I had tried to get my two friends from Canada to consider coming for the occasion but to no avail. With no one to party with, the idea of Pride sort of lost a bit of its lustre. As it turned out I got a nasty flu and was also still recovering which made things doubly depressing.
It’s an embarrassment of riches to live in Amsterdam, the first place in the world to legalize same-sex marriage, but over the years you start to feel like once you’ve seen one canal boat parade you’ve seen them all.
In truth, it is an amazing sight, if you can actually see it. Finding a spot along the canal means showing up hours earlier and for a short immigrant like me, attempting see anything above the towering shoulders of very tall Dutch people takes its toll eventually.
These little petty annoyances are just that, petty.
I often worry that my criticism borders on cynicism but there’s a part of me that wants to balance out the performative joy I tend to see on social media. Everyone is everywhere, having a good time and doing the most. (I really need to take a break from Instagram and touch grass).
