THIS ENTRY WAS POSTED ON June 18, 2018 BY Pleasure Chest Ness.
Pride and Protest
We all know when Pride is here, sometimes even a month before it starts. Days get longer, shorts get shorter, and everything starts shitting glitter, including Corporate America. As a 20 something queer coming out in the late 90's who had to make all their own pride gear, I'm still not sure how I feel about the mainstreaming of Pride, but I guess that's just a sign of greater acceptance. I mean, Target did have some cute stuff that would go over the huge chips on my Gen X shoulders. But that's a whole 'nother topic.
Corporations during Pride. Rainbows = $$$
Whereas gay green seemed to be cause enough to bend against your beliefs, money was never a hidden motive for your everyday homophobe to not practice hate. Well into the 2000's being out and gay in LA still meant dodging enough eggs to make an omelette if you stepped outside for a smoke in front of your local gay bar. Luckily I managed to escape being nailed by a flying ovo, but that was enough to make me remember being gay even in a mostly liberal-minded metropolitan city IN THE YEAR 2000 still meant you were taking a risk.
You throw eggs, we throw bricks. Stonewall Riots.
All yolking aside, even with the commodification of queer culture, I'm grateful to live in a time and a town where I feel safe to be out and proud (and can easily buy a rainbow t-shirt to prove it). I'm grateful that I have a gay bar to go to, a chosen family and community to come home to, and as a queer event organizer, can create space to celebrate this more than just once a year. I know this is in no small part due to those who were visible before us, fought for us and whom had to endure many more struggles in the greater picture of Pride. I'm sure many of us already know this story, but especially at this time of year, it's important to remember the events that led from protest to Pride.
Interior: Gay Bar. New York's Stonewall Inn was one of the few places
homosexuals could enjoy themselves (reportedly under the sketchy
protection of various Mafia connections) untouched by local authorities,
save for the occasional police raid. An early morning uprising against
one of these raids on June 28, 1969 would forever change herstory. The
gays had had it and finally fought back. Whereas history has
written the story of the Stonewall Riots and the beginning of our gay
rights movement from a mostly white male perspective, it was indeed a
trans woman of color who 'threw the first brick.'
Sandwich Board outside Pleasure Chest West Village. Designed by Harley Lovegood
"...it was drag queens, Black drag queens, who fought the police at the famous Stonewall Inn rebellion in 1969. Years later, a group of nouveau-respectable gays tried to construct a memorial to Stonewall in the park across from the old bar. The piece consisted of two white clone-like thin gay men and two white, young lesbians with perfect noses. They were made of a plaster-like substance, pasty and white as the people who paid for it." - Novelist and Playwright Sarah Schulman via NPR.
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You throw eggs, we throw shade. Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera at Gay Pride Parade NYC June 1973. Photo: Leonard Fink.
Stonewall Spotlight: Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, two transgender women of color who fought and resisted during the Stonewall Riots and went on to co-found S.T.A.R. the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries, a group that worked with homeless drag queens and transgender women of color in New York City. This was just a touchstone of the work they would both do together and independently fighting for gay and trans rights. What's important to note here is that alongside Johnson and Rivera, trans women of color were among the 'first and fiercest resisters'.
From Protest to Pride
As we turn the corner into a new decade, members of the community along with The Gay Liberation Front and other gay allied forces came together to propose and eventually conceive the first Gay Pride march which was to be held the last Saturday of June in commemoration of the Stonewall Riots. June 28, 1970 marked the first LGBT Pride march in the U.S. with an assembly on Christopher Street that spanned 51 blocks, passing by the Stonewall Inn and culminating at New York's Central Park.
The first 'Pride Parade' NYC 1970.
As a local queer event organizer, I realize the importance of both
creating and preserving queer spaces. Every year I help organize an
annual Pride party in LA in which we tie in different organizations and
queer businesses whose ideals and message we align with. Last year felt
like we needed to fight back and honor the past so we highlighted
'Lesbians to Watch Out For,' a 90's Queer Activism Exhibit curated
by Lynn H. Ballen and Judy Ornelas Sisneros. This year felt lighter and a
little more liberated, so having the Pleasure Chest Outreach Team on
board felt like a perfect fit. I had no idea Dildo Limbo was even a
thing, and yes, I have video.
Michelle LaBelle taking one for the team with Sabine Maxine at Lez Croix LA Pride. Photo: Amina Cruz.
Sexual liberation was a huge part of the gay rights movement and I'm proud to say I work for a company that promotes sex positivity, queer culture, and an inclusive approach to sexual growth and exploration. I'm proud to collaborate, incorporate and grow and build community with queer owned and queer-allied businesses, (especially those that carry all the things I need for my own sexual liberation!) As Pleasure Chest was founded during the Gay Liberation movement a few blocks from the Stonewall Inn, it seemed like a perfect fit to include an aspect of sexual revolution into our party and the greater picture of protest and Pride.
I'm also proud to report there have been less eggs to dodge in the past few years, but that doesn't mean we still don't have work to do, especially with the loss of so many gay bars over the past few decades and considering our current oppressive political climate. I've still got that chip on my shoulder which makes me even more thankful for the work of those who risked their lives so that they and we can feel free. Striking a balance between living in the present but remembering the past seems to be the key to forging a brighter future.
Pride on.
Our Street Team at Chicago Pride last year.
Love will always WIN. NYC Pride 2017.
Feelin' Proud of my Top Picks
I'm also feelin' pretty proud of my top toy Pride picks. Now that it's Pride season, I wanted to share a pack of good to go classics perfect for any situation or orientation. I love rainbows, but for toys and play, as you can see I'm a pretty basic butch. Enjoy!
For those who like to give AND receive. I love this double doer not only because it is large and in charge, but because it's perfect for both solo and partner play. Check our Queering Your Sex blog for the best way to use a shared vibe solo. Not a size queen? Don't worry, the Feeldoe comes in a few different sizes to suit your needs. You may like to add the mind-blowing bullet vibe, but I prefer a slow, natural build.
Easy to wear, easy to clean and easy to please. Don't know what the day has in store? RodeoH harnesses are perfect for when you don't have time to mess around with straps. Not feeling lucky? That's totally ok, cuz they're also just really cool boxer shorts. I'd toss a toy in your bag of tricks just in case.
Maybe it's my inner goth, but there's something just really sexy about buckles. And smart! Use them to adjust to your liking on this Bijoux Maze Cross Body Harness to look Xtra hot or just feel what it's like to be held by soft leather. Perfect for any play party or just a fashion function.
Twisted Monk Hemp Rope Starter Kit
Like to travel light? This soft Twisted Hemp Rope holds knots extremely well and is perfect for everything from foreplay to powerplay. I mean I love me some leather, but it's also great to know you can make a harness out of rope in a pinch. The starter kit also comes with safety shears in case you need a quick release or getaway.
Sliquid Satin Water-based Lube
I love love love this lube. Sliquid Satin water-based lube is glycerin-free, paraben-free and 100% vegan. Other water-based lubes like Sutil are also great and require less reapplication, but I prefer the non-sticky, smooth feel of Sliquid Satin. Sometimes I buy a little pump for it if I'm feeling sassy. Mmmkay?
Find Us At Pride!
NY Pride 06.24 Catch us along the NY Pride parade route, then meet us at Christopher Park Pridefest where our street team will be handing out paddles, pins, fans, and spankings all day. Don't forget to drop by our West Village location for toy giveaways and treats!
Chicago Pride 06.24 We'll be floating with the Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce and handing out sexy swag along the parade route. Cruise into our Broadway location for an all day Pride celebration with gogo dancers and Mardi Gras beads or drop by our store on Lincoln for some snacks and smacks.
Welp, there you have it. So much to take in. I guess there's no shortage of puns here! Happy Pride from all of us here at the Pleasure Chest NY/ CHI/ LA!!
Check out our Instagram Pride highlight for a recap of our amazing LA Pride weekend!
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| Love | From | LA |