St. Louis LGBT Pride Fest will be held in Downtown St. Louis next weekend, June 29th-30th. Normally, in any US city, this wouldn't cause people to bat an eye. However, the downtown area of St. Louis has historically been a "No Man's Land" outside of normal business hours or a sporting event. While the city government has worked to change that over the years, the night life of the are hasn't moved off of Washington Avenue.
I've expressed disapproval of Pride moving downtown, away from Tower Grove Park and the surrounding neighborhoods. Visibility to the "News Agencies" and being closer to City Hall have been cited as the reasons for this and giving Pride a chance to grow in a way that wasn't possible at Tower Grove. What Pride failed to mention was the lack of choice in restaurants and the like within close distance to the grounds where Pride will be. Union Station is a failure and mostly empty these days (another rant, I assure you). Washington is a few blocks off, but with construction and kids in tow, that can take a while. Add into the fact that the Festival will be in front of Soldiers Memorial, something that I don't think will go over well. Also, Tower Grove Park is a privately owned park open to public use. There was a sense of security that an open air LGBT event that I think will be lacking this year. Add into the fact that Pride is nothing more than a corporate leech to hawk items and services that truly do nothing or go towards Equality.
In The United States, LGBT Pride has become an excuse for buying *anything* rainbow themed, get your gutters cleaned or having a new bathroom installed. Very little to no booths seem dedicated to Equality measures (no, HRC does *NOT* count!) or promoting law changes. No classes offered on how to be a "proper" advocate, protester or activist. Just show up, party, dress skimpy and find a weekend Pride lover.
This is why, in theory, I support the local Tower Grove Pride being held June 29th. It is supported by local businesses on South Grand, the border between the Tower Grove Heights/Tower Grove South and Tower Grove East neighborhoods. I hope that it can grow into a local event, held and worked by locals to support local pride, inclusion and no corporate backing. The local coffeehouse is also hosting an anti-corporate dance party that night. This is my kind of Pride event!
We, as United States LGBT people, need these types of anti-Pride Pride events. No more Rainbow-bleaching from corporate interests who really don't care about us, just our money. One has to wonder how the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s would have fared if treated this way. We can still learn something from that movement. Change was made without corporate funding, as far as I'm aware. People have seem to forgotten the power they wield and that saddens me.
I'm not going to this Pride, I choose to sit back and watch how it's handled, both by The Pride Committee and The City of St. Louis. Not to mention the average citizen who'll be in the thick of this. I only hope for no attacks or bashings. However, I'm all for a Stonewall-like riot by local LGBT folk should anything unwarranted happen.
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