Pride Weekend

This past weekend was Gay Pride here in San Francisco. The parade is always one of the highlights of the weekend. Unfortunately for me, I was too tired to go this year (I volunteered all day/night at a benefit on Saturday) so I missed out. The part that I most wanted to see was the hundreds of the 4,000 gay couples who had been married at City Hall this year. My friends Pete & Richard and Andrew & Barry marched in this contingent. I'm so sorry that I missed the parade, although I realize that I was even more fortunate to actually be a witness for Pete & Richard when they got married back in February.

Pride weekend is one of three times that it's extremely difficult to find a parking spot in our neighborhood - that would be "The Castro". The other two times would be the weekend of The Castro Street Fair, as well as Halloween. Dick and I parked our cars in front of our house Friday morning, and left them there through the weekend.

While I'm thinking about it, here's one of my favorite stories about living in The Castro:

A few years back, I was walking outside my house and met my new neighbors from the apartment building next door. One was backing out their car from the garage, and I think the other was closing the door. Anyhow, the woman in the car introduced herself as "Nancy", then introduced her partner, "Nancy". (grin). They were very nice, and we discussed how they liked living on the block so far. As we were talking, Nancy #1 asked me, "So, are you part of the community?" I tried really hard not to laugh when she asked this. What I really wanted to say was, "Oh sure. Didn't I just tell you that I just live upstairs in this building?" (giggle). Of course, I didn't say that, and I was much more polite in saying something like "Oh, no, I'm not gay. But, I do have a lot of gay friends, and certainly support the community".

I just thought it was such a strange and funny way of someone to ask me whether or not I was gay. This, mind you, coming from a lesbian, and her partner, as we live in The Castro in San Francisco!

"The Nancys" only lived next door to me for less than a year, so I never really got to see them any other time. But I do have such a fond memory of our first meeting!

Still makes me chuckle when I think about it :)