Brilliant Bry *：歡樂吧！生命

On my return flight from Manchester to Amsterdam, I fell asleep before the plane took off. I didn’t wake up until the pilot announced ’20 minutes to landing.’ It was my first time to be so tired on an aircraft, thanks to the power of clubbing until 5 am in the morning.

‘What a Pride!’ I thought, on my way back to Dan’s flat.

It is not my first time to be in this kind of event. My first pride was 5 years ago, in Manchester, year 2000. Then I’ve been to London’s Mardi Gras, and another Manchester pride in 2001. In 2003, I’ve been to the Canal Pride in Amsterdam. In 2004, I made it to the famous Mardi Gras in Sydney, and the CSD event in Cologne. This year, 2005, I’ve done Canal Pride in Amsterdam and this Big Pride Weekend in Manchester.

Indeed, I’ve got some experiences, seen some parades, and enjoyed myself. But this weekend was really extraordinary. I’ve been in the audience for a parade for all these years, except that one in London, 2001. But in the London Mardi Gras 2001, my friends and I were still more the audience than the participants in the parade. We sort of followed the parade all along the way, but were hardly recognised or noticed. The majority of the attention was of course on those fancy-dressed people. But this time, by chance, my friends and I were invited to join the parade to send out some flyers for a clinic for gay and bisexual men. We actually changed into the blue T-shirt that everyone else in this group wore (a kind of uniform, you can say). We were in the parade, watched by thousands of people, and had that attention even just for a few seconds. People were cheering for us, clapping their hands, shouting out their supports, and they were just happy to see everyone including us. That feeling is overwhelming but very enjoyable.

We walked a long way from the beginning point to the disassembling point. On the way, when we were handing out the flyers, we saw all kinds of people, and all kinds of reaction. Some people were curious, some were surprised, and some were simply shocked (as if why the hell on earth would we distribute a clinic flyer to him)! Every time I saw their reaction, it amused me.

During this weekend, Manchester closed the ‘village’. If one wanted to go in the village for anything (clubbing, pubbing, or just feeling the atmosphere), he or she needed to pay 10 pounds for the entry. He or she would get a wristband for identification. The funny thing was that there were so many people in the city centre of Manchester wearing that shinny, gayish wristband for the whole weekend. The whole city seemed to be packed with clubbers.

I couldn’t help but think that it was actually a very good idea to let everyone experience stigmas so that we may disstigma the prejudice. Everyone knows that gays throw the best party. Therefore, the pride week is always a highlight of gay culture and absolutely amazing party time. Most of the time, the clubs also allow heterosexual people to enter, even though it might say that only gay people are allowed (but how can you tell, anyway? Except those which advertise ‘men only’.). Of course, straight people also would not miss this big time for clubbing. So, as they came into the village, they spent 10 pounds and got the wristband for the whole weekend. They could, then, experience other people without wristband to recognise them as gay village clubbers (probably gay, anyway!). Therefore, they could have learnt, somehow, the feeling of being labeled. So, they would not want to do that kind of labeling in the future. It takes a long time for education, but at least, it can be a good start. So, I enjoyed this idea, and appreciated it.

Another interesting thing in the pride is the population of angels. I would never see so many angels on the same place at one time. But the pride can always make that happen. There are all sorts of people coming to the pride: those who want to show off, those who want to promote ideas, those who want to relax and have some fun, and those who simply enjoy the crowds and want to watch people. So, there are needs, there are supplies. Angels and Devils are often in shortage in this kind of event. Because this is an extraordinary event, normal angels want to be bad, and sinful devils want to go for more. We saw all kinds of angels down the streets: those with wings and great bodies (often in their shorts), those with smiles but probably with also a high concentration of alcohol, and those with their jaws wildly opened and eyes telling you ‘WOW’. We also saw all kinds of devils: those horny ones, those over-dressed ones, those with soft, shinny, red forks, those with shinny, electric horns on their heads, and those tried so hard to pull. But everything can work in harmony in this pride event. Everyone is putting their rules and regulations aside, and just having the fun for its own sake.

It would be much better if everyone can still remember what it feels like when in the pride event even after it ends. I have always liked the end of the movie, The Birdcage. Everyone sings, ‘we are family…’ But before that dream come true, we need to at least try our best to alter the curse as Brian stated in the American Queer as Folks: ‘I’ll be glad when Pride’s over so we can all go back to being ashamed.’ I couldn’t argue that description is still quite sophisticatedly true. But ‘come together, be proud, be loud’ is not waiting for something good and fair to eventually fall on earth and happen itself. There is effort that needs to be made. At least, you are responsible for your own.

When angels are walking across the city, at least, be an angel too. And remember that you are an angel even when all the other angels disappear.

(to see pride pictures: http://uk.photos.yahoo.com/lavieennl)