One of the most organized times of simultaneous protest and celebration I believe I saw was in Chicago’s Boystown on the eve of Pridefest. A few other students and I ventured over there after having dinner our second evening in Chicago in an attempt to be there and celebrate a bit. The event itself was not an organized protest in the common way you would think of it, though there was a parade going on the next day. Instead, there was really a celebration for everyone around as a form of protest to a country that will not give him or her equal rights. While riding on the L train and walking down a few streets, I picked up random conversations with people as I went, hearing pieces of different biographies, many of whom drove six hours or more to get to Chicago that night.
We all know of the hot topic in America that is the prospect of gay marriage, which has a multitude of different reactions from people, often depending on what area you are in or who you are really talking to. This topic often causes people to pick sides and, thus, causes dissent. I feel like the best thing for communities to do when under fire from mainstream culture is to, well, celebrate with one another. There is work to be done and much is being done to further the cause of LGBT rights. The celebration going on is simultaneously a means for the group to enjoy themselves and a means of protest. It was an incredible experience to go to a few house parties in the Boystown area and to further understand that we all are one in furthering the fight for human rights.
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