Dana Miller (Photo courtesy Frontiers)
My friend Dana Miller wrote another doozy of a column for Frontiers again challenging the Christopher Street West Pride “packagers” and frankly, the rest of the LGBT community to make the Pride Parade count for something more than symbolic “pride.”
But this time Dana didn’t just rant about the usual “nonsense” (a word he likes a lot but didn’t use so I will) of the same old opposing sides spouting epithets and solipsistic soliloquies – he offered a solution based on his and AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s experience producing the Elizabeth Taylor tribute in the Rose Parade this year.
Here’s an excerpt:
So here’s the deal: In the spirit of ramping up quality and doing the right thing, and being good citizens, AIDS Healthcare Foundation offers up this challenge to all community-based nonprofits: If 10 organizations will pledge to commit to designing, producing and entering a quality float to spread the word of their mission in the 2012 Pride parade, AHF’s Out of the Closet thrift stores and pharmacies will pledge $2,500 to each organization to assist in bringing quality to Pride.
The galoot [at the West Hollywood City Council meeting about Pride] made reference to the difficulty of fundraising today and for that he may be correct. But Scott spoke of volunteers who are dedicated to this event and I watched firsthand as folks from the Girl Scouts, staffers from AHF and APLA and just caring souls came by to decorate the Elizabeth Taylor float for Jan. 2.
Let’s start with Pride production values in 2012 and pursue the myriad of other issue around the event in the future. There is likely not a gay soul who disagrees with the chappie on the wonderful meaning of Pride. But don’t lecture—deliver. And don’t fight against improvement under the guise of unity. It is both disingenuous and an outright lie.
If you are a community not-for-profit organization and want to take up the AHF offer, email me: malibudana@aol.com
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