Amsterdam Gay Pride 2007

To be very honest, I'm not at all into the whole gay scene... and even less into pride events.
I guess it maybe just me, being very shy and quiet by nature, which is the complete opposite of what a gay pride is all about.

What is it all about? Being out, loud, and proud! Dancing, jiggling, screaming from the roof tops that "We're queer, we're here, and we're here to stay!"

There's nothing wrong with that, and I would never want to undermine the need to make ourselves known in a world built and dominated by heteros. There is still a lot of discrimination, misunderstanding and bigotry, even in this country, which is supposed to be the most liberal and open-minded in the whole world. But why does it all have to be so 'in-your-face' and create such a stir?

I was at the famous annual Amsterdam (A'dam) Gay Pride yesterday, where I walked around and took a lot of pictures. Every year, on the first Saturday in August, hundreds of thousands flock to A'dam to catch a glimpse of the unique pride which takes place on one of the many canals. Instead of traditional floats, here it's with boats, but no less exotic and extravagant.

It was really busy and crowded everywhere. I walked literally all around town, following the procession as it slowly circled the city. It's supposed to be the biggest event since it started in the late 70s, with over 70 boats taking part. Some were sponsored by clubs, others by companies which wanted to show that they take pride in the pride of their workers. A few boats belonged to gay-interest associations and organisations, and had a political message to them. For the first time, there was a boat with minors on it, and also one with straight people who wanted to show their solidarity with the gays. There was also one with elder people, the over 65s, but they too were enjoying the music and the wonderful weather as the crowd on either side cheered them on. Everywhere, pink sashes, rainbow flags, and colourful confetti flying all over the place.

Then... of course, and as expected at a gay pride, there were the drags in exotic Brazilian carnival-style colourful customes, alongside Moulin-Rouge-style drags in high fishnets and oversized feathered headgear. There were also hairy 'Bears' dressed in leather hot-pants, equipped with whips, their greased-up skin shimmering in the summer sun. And how could you miss the construction workers, dancing around almost completely naked in thongs, flagrantly dangling their 'tools' for everyone to see. Exotic. Erotic. Shocking. Anything goes...

I guess seeing those things were what made it a bit of a turn-off... No problem with people dressing up (or down) as they want, but why perpetuate the 'gay stereotypes' of sex, sex, sex, and screaming fags and drags? Can pride be shown in more subtle ways, instead of being so provocative and outrageously aggressive?

I mean, what makes gays different from other people is NOT the fact that we love pink and worship the rainbow flag, and love to go topless and put on make-up or weather feminine clothes.

What makes us different is that there is no difference at all! We just like and love people of the same-sex, what is 'different' about that? People are just people, with feelings and fears, emotions and desires. Man, woman, woman, man... what does it matter? Love is just love, and is blind towards who you portray it to, who you receive it from, or who you make it with. Why place so much emphasis on sex and gender, when what it all comes down to is just people engaged in the most human and basic instincts?

I don't like telling people "I'm gay". It's not because I don't want them to know, or I'm ashamed. If people ask, I answer honestly. There's nothing to hide, I've not done anything wrong. It's just that if there's one thing I dislike, it's labels. Why do I have to be 'gay', or 'Asian', 'a boy' or 'allochtone' (coloured foreigner), or anything at all? It simply makes people associate with certain ideas and stereotypes, and makes them ignorant and short-sighted by preventing them from seeing beyond the label. Why do I have to tell people I'm gay, when other people don't need to say "I'm straight"? The craziness of it all, and how confused this world is by placing so much emphasis on labels and identity, but forgetting and missing the individual and everyone's uniqueness as a human being.

Anyways, after walking around for a good few hours I felt a bit sick and wanted to get away from it all, to get away from the loud noise and excitement. Only when I managed to find a place to sit down quietly did I realise how exhausted I was from it all.


For more pictures of the gay pride, see here.