On Parades, Outrageousness and Drag Queens

The annual Portugese Festival is this weekend here in Provincetown, where there is a large Portugese community that goes way back to when this was mainly a fishing village (hence the Portugese fishermen on the "Welcome to Provincetown" signs, though I think they should have used a drag queen - wouldn't that be a hoot? Might scare tourists away, I suppose...)


There was a nice parade today that passed right by my door, as they all do, right down Commercial Street - Portugese dancers in native costume, a few floats, marching bands, and lots of fire trucks. There was even a Pilgrim (the Pilgrim Monument celebrates its 100th anniversary on Aug. 20, so they are promoting that event. Click his pic above to enlarge). There are basically three big parades in town, with today's being the first. The others are on the 4th of July, and Carnival, the largest and most raucous, the third week of August. It is parades like Carnival that the religious nuts always use images from to convince people how depraved gay people are - as if gay people act this outrageously every day (well ok, some do). They're letting loose, having fun, and being outrageous with no inhibitions - something we could all learn to do once in a while. I know I could. The more uptight someone is, the more judgmental they are likely to be of someone who is "free." I have struggled with this myself, but have come a long way. I remember the first time I was in the presence of a "flamboyant" gay person, I was freaking out because he was so different than me and I was afraid maybe I was like that inside (maybe I am!) In any event, people are who they are and they have no reflection on me - even if they are part of my so-called community. If someone wants to dress up like Cher or Lady Godiva or Rosie (well, maybe not Rosie...) and cavort down the street, good for them! I'm not going to judge them, but rather admire their bravery for feeling free to be outrageous now and then. There's a drag queen entertainer here named Miss Richfield who rides down the street every night on her little scooter, beeping her little horn, hamming it up with the tourists and soliciting an audience for her show. She's a hoot, and her nightly ride by my shop is one of the highlights of the evening, along with the many street performers playing music and creating a Parisian atmosphere.

Well, the parade crowd has left and it's slowed down quite a bit, being the dinner hour. I think I'll go get some sustenance myself. Until next time. Today's quote:

Resolve to be thyself; and know that he who finds himself, loses his misery.

~Matthew Arnold