Today's MOSTLY TRUE SHORT STORY: City Pride!

Words and photo by F LoBuono

It was a warm, dry night so I decided to take a walk for my dinner break at work. It was about 10 pm. I figured I'd walk up 10th Avenue to the little bodega about a block away and pick up the Dove dark chocolate bars that I enjoy for an after-work snack. Besides, they're only a buck each!

When I hit 57th Street, I noticed an unusually large number of men walking east, away from the river and towards midtown. There were very few women among them. Upon further observation, I realized that there was something unusual about many of them - they were in various states of dress, and UNDRESS. I saw short shorts, gowns, tiaras, wings, bare chests, tutus, jeans, straps, suspenders, and leather. Apparently, they were all (or, certainly mostly) GAY MEN - unabashedly so. And, they were having a blast!

I mean, there must have been hundreds of gay men shamelessly celebrating with great fanfare and joy. Some were singing. Others were laughing. Still more were dancing. A few even hugged and kissed. They did not bother anyone and, certainly not me!

In fact, I loved it!!

It was the quintessential New York experience. There are few places on the planet that can match us for our diversity and freedom. New Yorkers, in a good way, simply don't give a shit how others live. ANYONE who can survive, and even THRIVE here, is good to go. So, it is with New York's LGBT community. We are Ground Zero for the Gay Rights Movement, and rightly so. The Stonewall Riot and the Sea Change it created assured us of that honor. And, we are damned PROUD of it, too.

And, these boys were out to prove it!!

It was simply exhilarating to be around so much positive energy. There was no violence. There was no anger. There was no judgment - only joy in the liberation of celebrating who you are in all your glory.

I got my 2 chocolate bars at the bodega and made my way back to work. When I got to my station on the fourth floor, I mentioned what I had observed to one of my co-workers and asked, "did a new gay bar open nearby, because there is an army of gay men on 57th Street!" My friend chuckled and answered, "no, no new bar. It's Gay Pride Week in New York and they just held a concert at the pier on the river. I saw them going in and you caught them coming out."

Both of us then agreed that it was a privilege to live in a City that not only accepts differences, but embraces them. That's why I will never understand ANY animosity towards another human being for being different - as long as they're positive. It's all good. LIVE and LET LIVE is liberating, indeed.

So, HAPPY PRIDE folks, we've all got a lot to be proud of.