As the sun dropped behind Orlando’s skyline to the west, a breeze kicked up at Lake Eola Park and scattered remnants of the day’s massive Come Out With Pride celebration. On the north side of the lake, tired volunteers smiled as they gathered trash and stacked tents and tables onto flatbeds. In the distance they could hear the still-huge crowd cheer Martha Wash as she finished her set with the iconic “It’s Raining Men.”
By sunset, downtown joggers and dog-walkers were reclaiming the park. According to police estimates, as many as 70,000 had filled the sidewalks and lawns throughout the day. Surveying the scene, and perhaps relaxing for the first time in weeks, COWP executive director Dr. David Baker-Hargrove couldn’t stifle an exhausted smile.
“Our theme this year was ‘A Pride of Olympian Proportions’ and I feel like we delivered just that,” he said.
Then, perhaps reflecting on all that went right that day—and all that can go wrong with an event of this kind—he added a simple statement: “God loves Pride.”
I
n fact, COWP 2010 broke attendance records, placing it in direct competition with St. Petersburg and Ft. Lauderdale for bragging rights as the state’s largest Pride event. A sunny, temperate day certainly boosted attendance. So did the presence of Wash and Olympic Gold Medal winner Greg Louganis. But six years into this successful incarnation of Pride in Orlando, COWP clearly has a mojo all its own.
“Oh my god, I can’t believe this,” said Lydia Mayoral, 19, of Melbourne, as she watched the heavily-made-up Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence pose for pictures near the Walt Disney Amphitheater. A colorful moving tableau—gay, straight, transgender, families, kids, people in wheelchairs, people on stilts, drag (good and bad), leather (good and bad), and lots and lots of dogs—streamed by. “We don’t have anything like this in Brevard County. We’ll never have anything like this in Brevard County.”
The camaraderie and joy engendered by Pride events seemed at risk just a few days prior, when an Orlando city attorney informed COWP that certain extremist religious groups planned to protest the event. According to Baker-Hargrove, concern over recent court cases involving the litigious Westboro Baptist Church made city attorneys squeamish about keeping protestors outside the perimeter of the event.
“I went ballistic,” Baker-Hargrove said. “I told them, ‘This is not happening at my Pride event!’”
But with intervention by Commissioner Patty Sheehan and guidance from local activist attorneys and the American Civil Liberties Union, the city’s legal team reevaluated their position. Ultimately only two protestors showed up, and they were barely visible amongst the throngs lining the parade route on Central Avenue.
Opening Ceremonies for COWP were held on Thursday evening in the impressive courtyard fronting the Plaza Cinema Cafe. About 300 attended, including parade units and local LGBT sports organizations who marched in like nations at the Olympics. City Commissioners Bill Segal and Linda Stewart traded barbs with entertainers Miss Sammy and Carol Lee. Afterward, many laughed through Clash of the Titans, Watermark’s first “Movies Out Loud” presentation featuring commentary by Sammy and comedian Jeff Jones.
The morning of Pride, while vendors set up their booths, 903 Mills Market hosted a well-attended brunch at the northeast corner of Lake Eola Park. Diners watched the crowd grow more colorful by the minute, and by early afternoon the wide sidewalks were overflowing.
Many wore togas in keeping with the Olympian theme. Others played with traditional rainbow colors. And some demanded notice in a crowd of striking diversity.
“This is what I always wear,” shrugged a young man in patent leather Catwoman attire.
By 2 p.m., tens of thousands had positioned themselves along the parade route circling the lake. A beaming Mayor Buddy Dyer welcomed the crowd to Orlando before the first of some 90 parade units made its way down Rosalind Avenue. They included elected officials, advocacy groups, churches and businesses like Disney, Universal, Macy’s, Darden, Wells Fargo and Chase.
Segal, who is running for Orange County mayor, was cheered; his opponent, former Orange County Commissioner Teresa Jacobs, was conspicuously absent. Also drawing warm applause were a large and enthusiastic group from Rollins College, a float from the GaYBOR district of neighboring Tampa, and of course PFLAG—the Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays.
Local bars and restaurants had the most colorful and musical units. The Parliament House, Revolution, Hamburger Mary’s and Funky Monkey/Banana’s were among many who populated ambitious floats with toga-clad Olympian beauties. Mister Sisters, scheduled to open in coming weeks, made a big splash in sexy purple-and-black.
By the time the parade was over, COWP had reached critical mass with thick thirty-deep crowds milling slowly but happily around the lake. Most were making their way to the amphitheater for a well-paced show featuring local and national talent.
Chicago musician Katie Todd performed. Sunshine Mathews was named winner of the Pridol 2010 talent contest. Danielle Hunter coaxed a four-year-old to say “tranny.” Darcel Stevens modeled a bathing suit and a muscle boy. Gainesville’s openly gay mayor, Craig Lowe, provided encouragement. And emcee Sheila Ward fended off a tenacious trio of drunks.
Backed by dancers from Hardrive Productions, Malikah Harris offered up a fierce set of dance music before Louganis took the stage. He immediately rambled off a list of adjectives that describe him: man, athlete, Olympian, gay, HIV-positive, alcoholic, bullying victim, depressive.
“But more than anything, I’m a human being,” he said. “And we all deserve to be treated with respect and equality.”
Louganis noted the recent suicide of a Rutgers University student and shared that he, too, had attempted suicide in the past. He also shared a letter from a gay high school student who had turned from suicide after meeting Louganis at a book-signing.
“He told me I saved his life, and I wrote him back and told him he had saved mine,” Louganis said. “I urge everyone to be visible. Create hope by example, with your own life.”
The stage was once again turned over to music, as singer/songwriter Brian Kent and then Wash pumped up the crowd with dance music. Beaming and barefoot, Wash paced the front of the stage as she sang familiar hits “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now),” “Everybody Everybody,” “Strike It Up,” and “It’s Raining Men.”
“You are the people who’ve always supported me,” Wash told adoring fans. “I love you, and I’m proud to be here for you.”
The next day, Baker-Hargrove shared that any problems with the event were minor: some pacing issues with the parade; a broken water pipe in a vendor area. He also reported that revenues matched expectations, and that COWP is well-positioned for next year.
“After all this work I wish we had more to give back to the community, but paying for Pride is always a challenge,” he said.
And Baker-Hargrove was especially pleased that so many young people had connected with Louganis, Wash and the rest of the event.
“When it comes right down to it, Pride is for the young people,” he said. “I think it means more to them.”
Mayoral, the 19-year-old from Melbourne, would agree.
“I’ve never been so happy that I’m gay,” she said during COWP. “Looking around at all these people, I wouldn’t want to be anything else.”
