NYC Pride 2012: Cyndi Lauper, Christopher Street & Manila's Own!

New York City dragged itself up in aid for a fabulous cause. Shining with the six bright colours of the freedom flag, the beautiful people came out to play. This month keeps on giving, I've only been back from Las Vegas three weeks! I certainly wasn't prepared for what I was about to see! We lived our truth, enjoying 2012s NYC Pride March to the fullest! My very first Pride in NYC! 

NYC was ready for the Pride March 2012, I made my way back to Greenwich Village! All lined up in our thousands the Gay, Lesbian, Bi-sexual and Transgendered folk of NYC waited for this year's Pride March to begin. Flying the rainbow flag for the community, everyone waited out in the beautiful sunshine on New York's Christopher Street, that glorious Sunday. I had never been to a Pride March before, it was a great opportunity for my first to be in no other place like NYC! Waiting in our perfect spot along Christopher Street, I had managed to trade a shift from work to make it to the march, I have the best colleagues! The pavements were beginning to get increasingly busy, filling up with more excited pride goers. The other guys who were rocking their skimpy tank tops and cut up tees, I served my own flex because we are who we are! Another reason I was living a dream, it was a reality in living motion! OK!

Like Christmas this event only happens once per year so the reason behind people's way of thinking must have been to categorise this celebration as our LGBT Christmas. I'm certain that this event will be the first of many for me, its just to good to miss! Work has been crazy but I'm really enjoying myself, I'm not going to lie that it's been difficult to adjust from the craziness of Las Vegas so the hype of the parade really helped balance that out. I have been lucky making new friends from outside work, well from my co-worker Anthony. Me and Dean made our way from New Jersey to Greenwich Village for the Pride March. I'm new to this Pride lark so I just had a great day, I embraced the energy that could be felt along Christopher Street, after meeting Dean's friend we found a spot to wait for the March to make its way down to our side of town. I felt at peace, I had no worries nor did I need to look out for any hateful people! Pride was on and NYC had us safe with its embrace!

Cyndi Lauper made her appearance early on in the march as it made its way. The Pop Icon didn't look a day older than 40, something somewhere tells me that she's had a bit of help in that department? Well, I suppose girls just want to have fun? Another appearance was made by Drag Superstar Manila Luzon and her drag new Drag Daughter. Manila looked stunning in her outfit, she out-dragged the other queens at the March that I saw, and I tell you there was a lot of competition. Other famous faces did appear throughout the March but they weren't really as fabulous as Cyndi or Manila? Advertising is big business at Pride events for the Gays have a bigger capacity of disposable income compared to our straight counterparts. Money makes the world go around! Many sponsors used their logos during the march, showing their alliance with maximum exposure. We know our brands, we support them as much they do us, B!

Delta flown through with their band of enthusiastic staff, some of which were quite easy on the eye. The dancing cowboys from bar "Flaming Saddles Bar" made their entrance onto Christopher St with much gusto. If nothing else made you gasp about this Pride March then I would have to say the talent was exceptional! You had to appreciate the real meaning of this March, It was really good to see the couples that had been through Gay Liberation and the Stonewall Riots. Honestly to have to imagine of living in a world where you're committing a crime for loving the person you are meant to be with. Aside from seeing the Eye Candy it was great to see the golden oldies that make Pride so significant. As we get a step closer to having Marriage Equality, we already live with so much freedom to be with the person that one is meant to fall in love with. Representing the pioneers such as; Marsha P. Johnson I'm with you, let's celebrate those greats! All of us need to fight whilst striking a pose! We do, yes!

We had been standing for ages but the momentum of the March was really quick so it was easy to forget that time was racing past. I was loving the fit bods and the dangerous amount of disco pant wearing! I want some disco pants now! Drag Queens worked it past our spot, some of them were flawless but others needed to sashay away! Even though I missed Birmingham Pride I know that I'll make it sometime soon! From the muscle bound bodies dancing on the outrageous floats, to the Transgendered Divas there wasn't a second where I thought this March was nothing less than amazing. There were parts I do admit that weren't too great but I will not go into details! Please don't make me! I would have to say that one community in-particular knew how to strut their stuff! This group had to be the Puerto Rican's. Now the dancers that I saw were absolutely amazing! Puerto Rico does it better! ¡Hazlo bien, perra!

Sure, my first Pride experience was amazing, something truly great that I will not forget for a long time. From all the campery and fabulousness I'm still thankful that I got the day off work to enjoy the Pride event, after seeing Cyndi Lauper as the Grand Pride Marshal made my day. Like I mentioned I haven't made it to Birmingham Pride yet but its going to happen eventually, I'm going to get the most out of this year. Talking of the Puerto Rican's, I'm going to look at United for some flights from Newark Liberty because I want some sunshine within a holiday environment. Will I hit the town for a night out in NYC? I honestly don't know but I've fallen in love with this maniac city so I know full well I'll make my return when the time feels right. Pride was great, making our exit at the right time was the one, those bars were mad busy and I wasn't going to queue for that one drink! I know that NYC 2012 will the first of my Pride experiences, trust and believe! Giving it all to you NYC, strike that pose! Now!

Flying The Flag!

Joseph Harrison