I wanted to drive along the Pacific coastline, but Tom and Darcy (who rode in the front seat as navigator due to a penance for car sickness) thought the eight hours of driving that was too much. Instead we took the highway. It was boring. We got to our destination, a hotel by the SF airport, in a little over six hours, ate dinner, and went to bed. The next morning we were up and packing the car, only thirty minutes over our planned exit, and that was truly due to the scrumptious, free breakfast the Hampton Inn offered. Huge kudos to them for their clean inn and lovely breakfast.
We were told the drive into the city would be horrific and long, but we drove right in with no problem and no traffic. It was eerily easy. We found our Wyndham with no problem and they parked our car and stored our luggage for us so that we could hike to Market Street for the parade. We set off from the hotel with our GPS and followed the crowd. As we were crossing the street before the BART station, we ran into my aunt and her friend who were walking in the opposite direction having just gotten off the BART from Berkeley. We hugged in the street and acted crazy, but really, what were the chances of that? We gave them directions to the Wyndham and agreed to keep in touch via telephone, and we each went our separate ways in different directions.
We snagged a spot along the parade route on Market Street, but the weather was ten degrees cooler than in LA, and so Darcy made us move from our nice shady spot into the sun. She did not bring along jeans on the trip, and claimed I did not tell her to do so.
Darcy: "It's summer. I'm not wearing jeans in the summer."
She and Madison had on their shirts that they made in Florida and they dotted their eyes with the Pride flag colors. Darcy added rainbow items she purchased along the walk into Market Street. The parade started exactly on time. It was a fantastic parade with lots of colors, lots of people, lots of happiness, lots of businesses marching, lots of free giveaways, and lots of high fives. We shouted and yelled and screamed, "Happy Pride" until we had no voices. We waved our Pride flags. We reached out and clasped marchers hands. We slapped hands with children of gay parents, with parents of gay children, with everyone and anyone who we felt needed our support. It was the happiest parade I've ever been to, and one of the most poignant.
The parade started with motorcyclists and bicyclists, but the first marchers were in remembrance of Orlando and when they came marching the crowd silenced their shrieks and cheers and instead stood somber and then clapped as the marchers walked by, each one wearing a t'shirt with a face of one who was slaughtered, each one carrying a poster with a name of one who was merciless shot, each one carrying a poster with a face of one who was killed. My entire family cried as did others around us. It was very emotional, and in the end, for us, healing.
After that the parade kicked into gear, but Orlando was everywhere. So many businesses marched; Google, Facebook, Banks, FBI, local businesses, San Francisco law enforcement, Uber, Yahoo, Apple, city departments, etc. They marched holding hands, walking down the middle of the street, proud to show their love for one another. We cheered in solidarity. Love. Love is all that matters.
Auntie Marilyn and her friend Denise, part of the Spirit Rock Buddhists, marched past, although those two were riding a cable car. They waved and shouted and danced. We screamed to get their attention, and they saw us, and we jumped up and down and waved. Our Aunt. Marching for something important, making a statement, taking a stand. It made us so proud.
We stood for three hours and still the people kept coming down Market Street. Madison and I left at the three hour mark to check us into the hotel. Darcy and Tom stood another hour at the parade, and then spent several more hours at the civic center for the parties, the food, and the vendors.
When everyone finally collapsed in the living room of the hotel we were spent, emotionally, physically, mentally. Darcy and Tom were hot and sweaty. We were all sunburned. Yet, we all felt so good. So happy. So together. So close. It was a wonderful experience, a healing experience, and a chance for us to take a more public stand for something we all believe in deeply.
No matter a person's race, sexual orientation, or religion, everyone should have the freedom and the right to go about his/her life in the way he/she chooses without fear of repercussions, violence, hatred, from others who are different, who believe differently. It is just human nature. It is what this country was built on. We believe that and that day we shouted it to the world. Happy Pride!
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