Gay Fresno

RJ - Kids are over rated

|2007-06-10 01:52:13

Being a proud member of SSCCATAGAPP I had to vote for "Completely adult
oriented. Children shouldn't attend". If I wanted to go to the Fresno Gay
Families and Children Festival and parade... well.. i wouldn't want to go to
that. I'm a gay adult, and when i am around my peers I'd like to be myself. I
fell that when children are present i am forced to conform to the same standards
that have been pushed on me most of my life. I think that a gay pride parade is
a time to let your hair down and just be yourself. Give us a break. Leave your
kids with the sitter, put on your hottest leathers and join us.

Dan Waterhouse

|2007-06-10 13:32:16

Here's a comment from Jeff Robinson, CEO of Community Link, which sponsors the
Parade and Festival:

We have made it very clear that no nudity will be
allowed at either the parade or festival.

Community Link is very proud of our
inclusion of children/family friendly activities. We work hard to provide fun
and safe activities for our community's children and those children from the
neighborhood who come unsupervised by a parent. That is one reason we provide
children with a goodie bag including a bottle of water, a juice box, snacks, and
a couple of fun toys, this year's were bubbles and a waterball. Second we also
pay for additional insurance so that the children can play in a bounce house. We
hire a face painter to paint anyone's face, but is mainly for children.

Our
concern about the children is evident in the fact that we provide a children's
coordinator(s) to over see the children and keep them safe. This year PFLAG...

Nico...=)

|2007-06-10 14:15:38

well I think the same...we should be our own pride....we have alot of gay
couples that have kids....so we should...be kid friendly....so they can enjoy
and learn about the gay cultare...just in case they grow up to be like us....or
even if the grow up str8...they will have a acceptance towards gay ppl...they
will know that we are more then just sex....and image...that is why I voted for
the pride to be kid friendly with an adult section....so we can still have our
kids there...and for the guys that want to see some hot guys....have a place to
go to without scaring the kids....I am proud to be gay...and I want our kids to
be proud also

Wilma Wonka - Kids are people, too.

|2007-06-10 14:48:22

Let's face it... you don't live in the No because it's just like San Francisco
or LA. You don't live here because of the stellar job ops. Not even for the
wonderful dinner theatre -- thank you Roger Rocka. You live here because of the
small-town values and (unfortunately sometimes) the small-minded thinking.

Sometimes stiflingly conservative, as it turns out, Fresno's a great place
to raise a family. Not to mention the relatively affordable property values
which is a BIG plus to the family-raising set.

So, if you crave that cutting
edge experience -- and I know you do -- head up to the Castro on Halloween. But
until October rolls around, join me in celebrating the unique wonderfulness that
is Fresno. Let's keep the Pride Parade family friendly...

timjazzy - I'm not sure?!

|2007-06-11 01:51:27

I enjoy going to the parade when I can. I even get into the festival area on
occassion. But, considering how conservative this area is, I would hate to see
something like this, myself. It seems we struggle enough to get the respect of
the community, without being over the top and exposing ourselves (if this did in
fact happen). Could you imagine the firestorm that would happen if the press or
religious folks got ahold of this with their own eyes and passed it on to the
Mayor? He hates us enough as it is! Let's keep this stuff in the bedrooms...

Chris Jarvis

|2007-06-11 13:19:01

America is just a wee bit obsessed right now with sanitizing every corner of
this country to make sure it’s safe for children, who apparently should have
access to everything. Not much thought seems to be given to the freedom of
adults, who like it or not, don’t always want to live in Disneyland. Call me
crazy, but when I was a kid it was clear who was in charge of what I was exposed
to, and those people were my parents.

That being said, there’s a simple
solution for Pride. Organize the festival so that the first half is okay for
kids and the second half becomes the choice of the parent. The Pride parade and
festival is the one day a year when our community, at least on appearance, is
legitimate. Until we’re granted our civil rights in America we should be able to
celebrate any way we want. I’m all for children and families at Pride, since
exposing kids to different cultures at an early age helps to fend off prejudice

Dan - Some (Unfair) Comments

|2007-06-11 14:52:44

Here's some random comments:

[*]This is a tempest in a teapot.
[*]The
festival is already kid-friendly. Nothing needs to be changed.
[*]If Tim Evans
thinks being prudish is going to earn the queer community love from the haters,
he is deluded.[*]I'm fed up with the attitude that we (the community) have to be
kissy-kissy with the moronic Bubba Autry and his supporters. Maybe the community
needs to develop a backbone!![/LIST]

Dus - Just Dus

|2007-06-11 20:41:00

I agree with RJ taht this festival is for us to let our hair down but it does
not mean that Kids can not attend. I thought we are discriminated by the
riligious group. If so, why do we do the same to kids. It is a shame. They are
our future. Let's be open and share this wonderful oppurtunies with kids. I was
proud that I had a chance to volunteer helping community link to set up kids'
goody bags..
People who exposed themselves to the public just opened more
oppurtunities for the relegious groups to do more damage to us not even to
mentioned how much we were looked down by them because we are being ourselves.
Fresno has gay bars for people who want to expode yourselves and that is where
they belong not on the street at the pride parade festival where a lot of
volunteer people put time and effort into it.

Leslie Lewis - And so on ...

|2007-06-12 14:30:36

Unfortunately this topic is more of a debate, and less of a discussion. For
those of us in the GLBTQ community that do have children and attend the parade
and fesitval with our children the set-up, as stated by Dan earlier was
appropriate. It may have not been obvious to the casual participant, but the way
in which the festival was arranged was very much family oriented and very much
appreciated.

As parents, we know what to anticipate when we take our 3
year-old to such an event. Although at the same time that does mean that we are
not going to walk over to see our friends over at the Knights of Malta, or Reel
Pride just because we may encounter someone who might be wearing less than
appropriate clothing? Of course not! We are teaching our daughter that everyone
is entitled to their own individual choices, and unless those choices are
hurting others, that person is able to do whatever it is that makes them happy.
Becaus...

Miguel Chapa - it was me

|2007-06-13 08:07:06

THATS RIGHT I DID I WAS THE ONE IN THE PIC WITH THE PORN STAR

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