Rainbow flag

There is one word that comes up with a vengeance any time I try to think about gay rights in Greece:

Self censorship

The 4th Athens Gay Pride shows that we have missed two decades of gay prides around the world, but at least we started at some point. The fact that each year the pride grows more and more proves that the people who ignited this were right, and proves that every year more and more people get used to the idea.

i was so glad to be there. it was a pity I couldn’t be there from the early morning to hlep with the while organization, but at 17.30 I was there for the fourth year. I was glad that a friend had called me the day before and asked me if she could join me. Her boyfriend had decided to volunteer and help. What a shame most gay people had found the lamest excuses not to be there, and straight people wanted to be there. This year I have to say that I marched, I danced, I chatted in the streets of Athens, surrounded by heterosexuals, not the bit worried about being there.

This year there was this big bandwagon, with a dancing trio, of glittery men. the music during the parade was the typical joyful disco that we love. The parade was finally big enough to actually make a statement. We were loud enough to irritate the fascists who tried to stop the parade. We were loud enough to attract finally some media attention. We were loud enough to keep on dancing till midnight. We were loud enough to make a declining local singer, to try to resurrect his career, enough people to hide the scared ones.

The Kalfthmonos square suddenly seemed so small for the venue, contrary to the previous years when it seemed quite ok. Still most of the people I knew were not there. They did’t have the time some of them. Others were afraid of the cameras. Others thought that they have nothing to do with this queer crowd. Most of us think that there is no reason to be out in the streets, no reason to interface with the gay crowd. Because we are different, we have nothing to do with the queenny sissy boys, we are straight looking we can merge with the heteronormative crowd of the world, so no reason to ask for your rights.

Of course we forget so many things. We forget that every time we go out we go to the bars and the clubs that the queenny and sissy boys are going. Every time we surfing the net we have no difference from these people we consider to be inferior. We fall in the trap that asks you to behave in a particular way. The worst thing is that for us to be able to go out, to surf, to meet and not being chased wasn’t a birth given right. Quite the contrary some people have fought for this. Like the right to get married, adopt children, the fact that sodomy is no longer a crime. People around the world are pressing on the hate crime issue, are trying to fight homophobia. But there are these people, who are gay and more homophobic than everyone else. the are passing their time afraid of all the others. They get into their closet and they juast make it comfortable enough, so that they can have the fake luxury of happiness.

There are more gay people in Gazi every night. There were more gay people in Kylie Minogue ‘s concert. Don’t let me start with the Eurovision Song Contest, or the Madonna fans. There were more gay people watching Euro. But there they are covered, or they think they are. They are not girly, they are not pointed out. Thy have their illusion of being just there, judging the others. i get sad every year, because the enemy is inside us. We don’t have the guts to admit it, we just make excuses and blame the world, or we decide that we are fine since we are only half hiding.

We want rights, we want to be proud, and we deserve it. But since we stay home, we just give the right to any conservative, fascist to treat us as inferior. Because when you hide behind your straight looking attitude, you are just judging you and you accept that you are a taint. Be proud of yourself.

Hope to see more next year, and before the night falls. Please just say you ll be there!

Because look what happens in the third world country called Brazil! Mr Comme Il Faut civilized guy, in front of your computer screen. Soemtime it has to be a fest and not a protest, but if you stay home you will just be claustrophobic for the rest of your life. Maybe one day you have a wife and kids, and still looking for what you haven’t found, your right to be yourself.