Continuing our weekly (roughly) comment threads on various parenting topics, let’s go with a seasonal one:
Are you taking your kids to a Pride parade this year (or have you in the past)? Why or why not?
My own answer: We didn’t go to the Boston one this year, but for rather practical reasons. It was a rainy day, and Helen was out of town. I didn’t feel like dealing with both child and rain gear by myself. (We’re a little outside of Boston, so it would have been a bit of a schlep to get in there, anyway.) Boston Pride tends to bring out the school, youth, and church groups in droves, though, and there’s a “family zone” at the festival afterwards, so it’s definitely kid friendly—maybe we’ll try next year.
We did go to SF Pride a couple of years back when we were visiting relatives. They also have a wonderful Family Garden around a playground and lots of activities for the kids.
I will observe, however, that if parents are worried about kids seeing some of the costumes on certain parade participants (whatever those may be, according to your tolerances), it seems the best solution is to be a participant yourselves. March with your local LGBT parenting group or school GSA—organizers usually put them all together in a parade segment far away from anything remotely risqué.
What have your experiences been? Your concerns?
(Photo ©2009 Dana B. Rudolph LLC)
We also skipped Boston Pride because of the weather this year, but we went last year. It is one of the more family-friendly pride parades I think in the country, and there isn’t that much to be concerned about in terms of costumers, etc.
Contrast with Chicago Pride, which we went to a few times before we had Brennan, which is not quite as family friendly. First off, in general, there’s much fewer families involved in the parade — Chicago Pride is a lot closer to the crazy party atmosphere you see depicted on TV. On top of that, the Chicago parade lasts seemingly forever, whereas the Boston parade is reasonably short — you can stick around and see the whole thing, and the festival at the end is great.
Absolutely! My partner and I will be marching with our 3 year old son in the Chicago Pride Parade this year, as we did last year. We all had a great time.
Chicago Pride has become more family friendly in recent years. Many families watch from the sidelines and a local elementary school invited LGBTQ families to join them in the parade last year and this year. Last year, the group was around benign participants – and there was a closed off play area for a picnic at the end.
We took our 4 month old to her first Pride parade this past weekend. It was great – she is fascinated with big hair (probably ’cause mommy barely has any), so the drag queens were a big hit. We’ll always take her to Pride because it’s so important for her to see that our community is diverse and unique and faces challenges but is not ashamed of who they are. This is an essential lesson for a kid in a same-sex family. This coming weekend is our city’s first Pride family picnic and we’re really happy to take her to that too so that we can expand our circle of gay family friends. Again, essential for our child (and for us).
We’re moving to a much bigger, gay-friendly city in 2012 so that she won’t be the only kid in her school with gay parents (or have to face just being different every day on the street). So I don’t know whether Pride will be as essential for social survival then, or will just be more for fun and celebration. Either way, we’ll always go.
We go to Pride in Northampton, Mass every year (in early May, alas) with our kids — wouldn’t miss it. Of course, it’s probably the most family-friendly of all Prides, and at times even feels like it’s not gay enough. A huge number of straight folks come out to march/watch/support. This is what either equality or assimilation (or both) looks like.
Every year about this time, we think of hauling the fam down to NYC for Pride, but the fact that the rally is split off by a week from the parade is kind of a turn-off.
My son went to Pride a few times as a very little kid and enjoyed all the excitement. Then there were several years we didn’t go. Then over the last 4 years, twice he’s come with us and twice he’s been away doing other stuff that weekend so my partner and I have just gone as a couple. (Yes, the two of us were at Boston in the rain this year. And yes, we got soaked. But it was still fun.)
As a preteen, my son finds Pride a pretty mixed bag — he likes the free candy and likes seeing the politicians, but he feels very embarrassed and awkward seeing the occasional scantily-clad people. It’s got nothing to do with gay/straight/trans/homophobia/diversity issues; it’s just that he is at that age when any overt reminder that adults can be sexual beings is more than his hormonally-overloaded brain can handle. That whole, “Now I’m thinking about sex, but I’m standing right next to my moms, I’m going to turn beet red” problem.
I don’t think the advice to march rather than watch would actually help us, since then he’d miss 90% of the candy and politicians, and my partner and I wouldn’t get to see the whole wide array of people, which is why we enjoy going. Plus, we don’t belong to any group that usually marches. (Well, our church denomination usually has a few folks, but nobody from our actual church who we’d know.) So right now, my partner and I just count ourselves fortunate that his Scout troop tends to schedule their last camping trip of the year for the same weekend as Pride. Two years ago, I took advantage of that situation to propose to my partner after we finished watching the parade — which makes going to Pride as just-a-couple perhaps even a little more special for us.
Yes, the candy! My son thinks Pride is all about people throwing candy and necklaces to kids. I exaggerate a bit — at almost 9, he does understand it at a much deeper level, of course. But the excitement is all about the candy.
we went to pride this year – yes, the rain-soaked Boston parade! My 2 and a half year old was thrilled about the confetti and shiny necklaces. I told her the parade was like a party for families with 2 moms or 2 dads, and that seeked to sink in. We met with a few other gay families with babies/ toddlers, but most stayed home because of rain, sick kids, etc.
One *very* funny “Oops Moment” happened to me at pride. A young man in a pink leotard and fairy wings was skipping along the parade route throwing glitter. To my 2 year old, wings+pink+glitter = fairy. As in fairy princess. Of course! Gender has nothing to do with it. So I tell her – “look, sweetie! A fairy!”
At this moment, 2 guys (25-ish, looked like a couple) standing near us shot me a dirty look.
Ohhh… RIGHT! To people who are not parents of a 2 – 3 year old girl, they might hear “Look! A Fairy!” at a gay pride event and think… oh, dear. (Of course, perhaps the guys looked at me and didn’t see me as gay, especially with a toddler in my arms.)
I told her that the drag queens were ladies and we should wave to them. That was good enough for her.
Glad I had someplace to share my anecdote. :)
We didn’t go to Chicago Pride because it’s horribly family unfriendly. We’re not interested in having our daughter view scores of almost naked men, gyrating and squirting questionable liquids off top of Budweiser floats. It would be nice if there was an alternative Chicago family pride picnic or festival. Chicago Pride sucks.