My Take on the new dress code for Dallas Pride

A new dress code has been put on the participants of Dallas Pride. As of now, you can't show up in your best jock-strap or engage in lewd conduct in public. Those that won't comply could be charged with felonies.

While some folks are fine with it, others have serious issues with this. Dallas Voice quotes gay activist, Daniel Cates, about the new rules. He said:

“The ‘queer’ is effectively being erased from our Pride celebration in favor of the most polished, heteronormative representation of our community as possible. It should be noted that the rioters at the Stonewall Inn fought to break OUT of the damn closet! Our movement was built of sex positivity and our desire to BE WHO WE ARE! I urge you ALL to openly DEFY the Tavern Guild!”

There are a few things wrong with this statement.

1. Not everyone in the LGBT community is comfortable with the use of queer. So, to assume that folks are outraged is a bit much.
2. 'Heteronormative representation of our community?' Oh, I didn't know it was normal for us to prance around in public in underwear and jock-straps, grinding all over each other to Gaga. Am I missing something at work?
3. Why is he using the Stonewall movement to justify his statement? Really? That's a mess. That's like Snoop Dogg using the Civil Rights movement to justify Freaknik or women in thongs twerking.
4. Our movement was built on other things than the sex positive notion. Our movement was about existing! The right to life and being open. 

I would like for Daniel, and others who feel the same way, to think about it for a minute. Times have changed. We don't need to flaunt our sex lives or the stereotypical image of us to justify our pride. What message does that really send? Oooh, look at me in my hot undies and bulge. That's my gay pride? Uh, no ma'am. Yes, I know gay pride is different to everyone, but how much longer do we need to use this format to describe it?

And now, we have families and a new younger generation coming out and moving forward. Are we sure we need to have half-naked boys on a float? Again, I ask, is that what pride's all about? And why are we fighting to keep an old stereotype alive? I'm not saying get rid of everything, but we can dress it up a lot better. This is a new time for us and I think we need to be open to an upgrade or standards.