[Bring_Back_Shantz]

Originally Posted by Superflyer

I think that I get what you are saying, it is the media that only shows the outlandish parts of the parade and that is what joe public sees and takes from it. A couple weeks ago I was watching the news and they were doing their token coverage of the pride parade in TO and all they showed were the people in leather and drag. There was one older man, 50 or so, that they showed for about a second. He was wearing a t shirt that said gay pride or something on it and then they cut away right away, almost as to say Oh crap we can't show the average looking person in this parade get back to the weird looking ones.

See I don't think it's just the media coverage that makes this impression.
I think a lot of people if they went to see these parades would be a lot more inclined to remember the creppy dudes in leather than the regular folks with their rainbow t-shirts.

I think in contrast you don't see lowriders, fried chicken and gangbangers in Black History Month parades. Why? Not becasue these elements of the community don't exist, but because they represent stereotypes that the community as a whole doesn't want to perpetuate as it takes away from their message of normalcy and equality. The message in that instance is properly, and effectively portrayed that aside from the colour of their skin there is no difference between them and me. On the other hand, there are elements of the gay pride parade that intentionally try to detract from what I assume to be the intended message of the parade, that asside from what those people find attractive, there is no difference between them and me.