Rooms with a View

It's really the perfect morning: a gorgeous clear blue sky, a cool breeze blowing in the window smelling like early summer, the trees over the Mies van der Rohe townhouses finally their full leafy green, Blondie's Parallel Lines on the turntable and a cup of coffee. It never gets old.

The New York Times had a Real Estate feature on their website over the weekend with these two gay guys who bought an apartment in Lincoln Center. Their place was really, really unexceptional, although I highly approve of their sofas (although not the fabric choice) since I have the same one. They kept talking about how the view is just completely the focus of the place and I was like, I totally relate. I did want them to put in some fresh flowers or something before the Times photographer came in, though. Anything, an orchid, whatever.

My morning view.

The weather was just as great yesterday at Motor City Pride in Ferndale. I headed up there around 4:30 so I could help judge the Canine to Five Doggie Drag Show, which was a VERY fun event.

Motor City Pride is so different from what you get in other cities, and it takes you a little while to adjust to the small-town feel of it. Once you do, though, it's really really great. The people watching is fantastic, and everyone is in such a happy mood.

I was happy to see the black gay community present in relatively large numbers, and who knew there were so many black lesbians? Oh my God, it was nuts. And actually, the lesbians were out in big numbers in general. I guess they're not always invisible.

The entertainment, while maybe not name-brand, was quite good. Yes it skewed a little folky (while I was there) but you know, it's live music at a Pride festival. The Madonna impersonator was fun but oh my God, I have a better voice than she does. Credit to her for getting the outfits and choreography and a live band and everything, but my goodness, a voice coach couldn't hurt. Of course it being a set of Madonna songs you shortly forget about the specifics and just get into the groove. (It had to be said.)

I stopped into the new Affirmations community center, since I hadn't checked it out yet, and it made me happy. I don't know what goes on there all the time, but the space is really great, and they have a really nice library of GLBT literature and film. I was amazed and astounded by it. I fully plan on going back to check the place out on an "off" day.

Also making me extremely happy was the large gay youth presence. I'd guess there were kids there as young as 16 running around with their friends, holding hands with boyfriends/girlfriends, dancing on the always-packed dancefloor and just generally having fun.

There was a bit of a divide between the 9 Mile section, with the stages for live performances, which skewed more lesbian and the next street over, Troy (which had the dancefloor as well as the back yard of the bar "9"), which skewed more gay male. I guess not too surprising.

I only really missed seeing two contingents that one usually expects to see at a Pride day - the upwardly mobile gay crowd (and lesbian too, to a lesser extent) and drag queens. I guess the guppie crowd kind of saves their Pride for bigger events in Toronto and Chicago. And I guess we perhaps have a dearth of drag queens in the area.

As I wrapped things up for the day I spent a little time watching the dancefloor and just had to smile at the variety of people dancing - some serious, some seriously out there. I don't always feel connected to the gay community, perhaps just from being out of the thick of it for so long, but it does give me a lot of joy to see the community come together.

I was at a bit of a loss as to what to do post-Pride until I got a call from a friend who said come on over and hang on the roof of his building downtown. Another awesome view, and hanging with a friend discussing your individual gay problems, gripes and good times while watching the day come to a close was the perfect denouement for a really lovely gay pride day.

Not a bad way to end a gay pride Sunday.