Pride Parade
Jun. 27th, 2005 12:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stonebenderFor several years I worked as a safety monitor for the parade. About six years ago, I stopped after a stint as team leader. I probably shouldn't have pushed to become a team leader, but everyone I knew who had done safety as long as I had was asked to become team leader. Dave Nee didn't ask me and I couldn't help but take it as a slight. Anyway, I was team leader and had a radio to contact upper staff. I think if I had been asked to be team leader a couple of years earlier it would've been doable. Unfortunately I was a lot weaker then. I was still driving my chair with my right arm, but it was a dicey proposition. If my right hand fell off the joystick, I couldn't get it back on. Later that year I would move to driving my chair with my chin.
Fortunately, much of my team was made up of people from the American Magic Umbanda House (which I was affiliated with at the time). They covered for me. Andrew helped me work the radio. My team did most of the running around and yet I was still exhausted by the end of the day. After a long hard shift, I headed home. Most of my team either lived in San Francisco or opted to stick around for the celebration. I could barely move. In fact, I had to stop every few minutes to rest.
On entering the BART elevator, my hand fell off the joystick and the elevator door closed on my hand. And closed on my hand. And closed on my hand. It closed three or four more times until a passerby rescued me. It turned the most remarkable colors in the ensuing weeks. Anyway, I managed to get home eventually. I then decided to find another, more reliable, way to drive my wheelchair and resolved not to volunteer for safety in the parade anymore.
So I haven't had much to do with the parade since. Oh, I ask Dave what's going on when pride parade season comes around. I watch the parade on television. Crowds are not really my thing. I worked the parade mainly because Dave asked me. Lots of friends worked the parade and I liked the idea of supporting a community that I wasn't particularly affiliated with. I missed working the parade, but was resigned to the fact that it was another activity in a long list that I could no longer do.
Then, I dropped by the The Other Change of Hobbit (a science-fiction fantasy bookstore in Berkeley that Dave co-owns). Dave said he had a job for me and thus pulled me back into the safety monitor fold. Basically, I ended up working in safety headquarters making sure people signed in and out for their shifts.
I had a good time. After my shift I wandered around the celebration area. Much eye candy for all persuasions.
A few observations that stay in my head:
A couple of women in wheelchairs one caressing the others right arm stump as they rolled through the crowd.
Two very tall drag queens in pink "That Girl" wigs and silver miniskirts.
Many goth-ish fairies.
A woman with brown hair and blue jeans who gave me a whole other appreciation of the hula hoop.
That's about it for now.
Fortunately, much of my team was made up of people from the American Magic Umbanda House (which I was affiliated with at the time). They covered for me. Andrew helped me work the radio. My team did most of the running around and yet I was still exhausted by the end of the day. After a long hard shift, I headed home. Most of my team either lived in San Francisco or opted to stick around for the celebration. I could barely move. In fact, I had to stop every few minutes to rest.
On entering the BART elevator, my hand fell off the joystick and the elevator door closed on my hand. And closed on my hand. And closed on my hand. It closed three or four more times until a passerby rescued me. It turned the most remarkable colors in the ensuing weeks. Anyway, I managed to get home eventually. I then decided to find another, more reliable, way to drive my wheelchair and resolved not to volunteer for safety in the parade anymore.
So I haven't had much to do with the parade since. Oh, I ask Dave what's going on when pride parade season comes around. I watch the parade on television. Crowds are not really my thing. I worked the parade mainly because Dave asked me. Lots of friends worked the parade and I liked the idea of supporting a community that I wasn't particularly affiliated with. I missed working the parade, but was resigned to the fact that it was another activity in a long list that I could no longer do.
Then, I dropped by the The Other Change of Hobbit (a science-fiction fantasy bookstore in Berkeley that Dave co-owns). Dave said he had a job for me and thus pulled me back into the safety monitor fold. Basically, I ended up working in safety headquarters making sure people signed in and out for their shifts.
I had a good time. After my shift I wandered around the celebration area. Much eye candy for all persuasions.
A few observations that stay in my head:
A couple of women in wheelchairs one caressing the others right arm stump as they rolled through the crowd.
Two very tall drag queens in pink "That Girl" wigs and silver miniskirts.
Many goth-ish fairies.
A woman with brown hair and blue jeans who gave me a whole other appreciation of the hula hoop.
That's about it for now.
