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PRIDE 2025
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Jacksonvile, FL!
Happy pride! I’ve just been celebrating on social media. I’m not really a parade person.
Happy pride everyone - great thread Kaje! I'll try to find some pics, but I'm awful at posting them, lol, mine always end up scaled wrong.
Trio wrote: "Happy pride everyone - great thread Kaje! I'll try to find some pics, but I'm awful at posting them, lol, mine always end up scaled wrong."I'm not great with photos either - I usually end up cropping them after the fact.
I wrote a story for Pride that I thought I'd post here - just for fun. What Happens At Pride
Connor rose from his seat, his cramped legs protesting the long bus ride. Reaching up easily, given his height, he lifted his bag from the overhead rack. By the time he'd shuffled his way down the aisle, his muscles had quit complaining. He slung the backpack strap over his shoulder and vaulted down the three steps to the pavement.
Most of the passengers gathered around the luggage compartment, waiting for their bags, but Connor turned the other way. Everything he'd brought was in his pack. Enough stuff for a supposed overnight with his buddy, Brandon, who thought Connor was sneaking in a night with his girlfriend, Sarah. And in between lying to Brandon, his mom, and his friends, he'd carved out a moment of freedom.
The bus station was on the fringes of downtown, backed by a freeway. A few taxis stood waiting along the curb, but Connor didn't have that kind of cash. Luckily, his destination was less than half an hour's walk and he was in great shape from baseball. He strode out, looking around.
Most of the buildings along his route were residential, six- to ten-story apartment blocks, with a few taller glass and steel skyscrapers among them. The first rainbow banner he saw hit him like the snap of a wet towel in a teammate's hands, stinging heat that opened his eyes wide. Then another, and another, lining the road that his careful study told him wasn't even the parade route. Just there. In the open.
He halted for a moment, taking a breath. His chin came up, and his shoulders went back.
All right then.
This was why he was here. For a moment in time his little town would never give him.
He strode on, faster, till he was almost jogging. The sounds of a crowd ahead grew louder, as more trees arched over the sides of the road, and parked cars lined the curbs bumper to bumper. Some had bumper stickers, and he paused for a second to read one, and then another, in pink and white and blue, in defiant rainbow. Then, up ahead, a mass of greenery had to be the park.
The edges of the crowd spilled out along the sidewalk, people standing in clumps, talking, eating, waving fans against the heat. Connor became aware that his shirt was damp under his arms. Well, he'd picked black for a reason, besides the fact it looked good against his tanned skin and blond hair. Nothing showed on black. His forehead was damp too, and he ran a hand up under his hair, pushing it off his face.
Slow down. Be cool. Be cool.
He moved forward at a more measured pace. Everywhere he looked were… people. Solos and couples and groups. Parents with kids, some in rainbow-decorated strollers, and the sight made his chest ache. Dogs, even, in tie-dyed bandannas, and in the case of one little white Spitz, brightly dyed fur. Men, and women, and folks he didn't assign any gender, but it was the men who caught and held his attention. Guys in tight jeans and guys in booty shorts and guys in dresses. Guys dressed as boring as Connor himself, but side by side with their hands in each other's back pockets. Guys in leather with studded harnesses over bare chests. Even two guys with leather dog masks, collars, and leashes held in the hands of barrel-chested men Connor would call Daddy without hesitation.
He looked away fast, taking a breath, and forced himself to think, Those masks must be hot in the sunshine. And not anything else.
When he looked back, the pups and masters had vanished into the bright crowd, but the image lingered on the edge of his vision. Not now. Not yet.
He moved forward along the path, keeping to the edge so he had open space to his right. His head spun, as dizzy as the first moment off a tilt-a-whirl. He wasn't sure if it was the press of the crowd, probably bigger than his whole home town, or the battling scents of fries and cotton candy, like a fair back home and yet… not. Really not.
At the first booth he came to, he stopped and bought a pin. Just a little thing, a megaphone with a rainbow background and the words, "SAY GAY." His hands shook enough that it took him three tries to get it fastened straight on the front of his black T-shirt. For a moment, he imagined everyone was looking at him, reading the words, but of course they weren't. In this riot of colors and styles, his tiny coming out was invisible. Unnoticed.
Say gay.
Connor found himself on a small wooden bridge over a pond, a momentary oasis where a breeze sneaked in to lift the hair off the back of his neck and cool him. At either end of the bridge, booths stretched out in double lines, banners fluttering. Behind him, as he clung to the wooden rail, people passed, chatting, laughing, complaining about the heat and the corporate sellout and the price of the fries.
He gripped the painted board, feeling the rough texture of the wood under his palms, and closed his eyes.
I'm here. Now what?
He had no plan, no goal, a little money. He could wander around, buy another souvenir he'd have to hide back home, get on the midnight bus with his ticket back to small town normalcy― he kicked himself for that thought. There is no such thing as normal. And yet…
Heat beat down on him and he swayed. The weight of his backpack slipping off his shoulder swung him halfway round.
"Hey, there." A strong hand gripped his arm. "You okay?"
He blinked his eyes open. The man holding him was half a foot shorter than Connor's six-three, but twice as wide. Maybe twice as old too, no gray in his close-cropped beard, but a few lines beside his eyes and mouth to give him character. He wore tight leather pants and boots, a denim vest hanging open, and the hand that clutched Connor's biceps was strong and work-worn.
"You gonna pass out?" the man asked.
Connor realized he'd been staring, open-mouthed. "Uh, no, sir." Then, as the world did another spin, he said, "I don't think so."
"Come on." The man tugged him forward. "There's a bench under the trees there. Better sit. You look pale as a ghost."
"Just my Minnesota skin," Connor tried to joke, although he had a good start on a summer's tan.
"Uh-huh." The man guided him down the far side of the bridge, turned them to the side off the path, and to a seat under the shade of a big oak. "Sit."
Connor did as he was told, his knees giving way obediently. His ass landed with a thump that he could hear but couldn't feel. A few black spots danced in front of his eyes.
"Where's your water?" the man asked.
Connor waved an empty hand to indicate he didn't have any. "Shade is good." He'd be fine in a moment.
"Stay put." The man leveled a thick finger at him. "Don't move."
"Yes, sir." The words echoed in Connor's head, so he repeated them. "Yes, sir!"
The man eyed him for a second, then strode away.
Don't go! He managed not to say anything so inane. Instead, he tipped his head back, closed his eyes, and listened to the snatches of conversation around him. People were happy and angry and wild and defiant, bits of conversations washing over him. The first Pride was a riot. He caught echoes of that, amid the determined cheer, and the real joy. "Fuck him…" "Fuck them…" "Love you…" "You're ridiculous…" "…one more time…" "…all six of them…"
"Here."
The touch of cold plastic to his cheek made him sit up and flail, his eyes flying open. He realized he'd almost smacked the man with a flying backhand and recoiled on the bench. "Sorry, sir, I'm sorry."
"My fault. I startled you. Here. Drink some water." The man held it out. "Note that the cap is sealed."
"Huh?" Connor cracked the top off and drank, gulping down life-giving cool wetness. "Whoo." He pressed the bottle to his forehead, fighting off a bit of head-rush.
The man sat beside him.
Connor shivered at the nearness of a stocky leather-clad thigh to his own. He scooted over and turned. "Thank you, sir."
"You keep calling me sir. Why?"
"Is that not okay?" Connor scrambled for an answer. "I don't know your name."
"You can call me Deke. And you are?"
"Connor." He didn't add sir, though he wanted to.
"How old are you, Connor?"
"I'm eighteen," he lied. Deke's steady gray eyes and raised eyebrow forced him to admit, "Seventeen. Almost. In a few weeks."
"Sixteen."
"Yes, sir. I mean, yes, Deke."
Deke pinched the bridge of his nose. "I am too old for this."
"You're not old, you're…" Perfect? Connor could tell he was flushing now.
"Listen, son," Deke said. "I'm gonna lay some words of wisdom on you, rainbow elder to baby gay."
"I'm not a baby." Connor glowered.
"I didn't say that. But you're sixteen and I'm thirty-five and I've been around the block a few times. And you're precious, kiddo, sweet as cotton candy and twice as tasty."
"Um."
"Are you here with anyone? Friends?"
"No. Just me."
"Where's home?"
"Outstate. You wouldn't have heard of it."
Deke gave him a slow steady look, then asked, "First time at Pride?"
"How can you tell?"
"The combo of eager and shell-shocked." Deke patted Connor's leg above his knee, heavy hand warm through the denim.
Connor shivered.
"Yeah, and that." Deke took his touch away. "Listen, I want you to enjoy Pride. Walk around the grounds, eat food, visit the booths, watch the drag queens dance in heels ordinary mortals like you and me would break an ankle in."
"Okay."
"Look close, all you like, at the folks who are dressed to be looked at. There are some fine men walking around this park this afternoon."
Or sitting on the bench here. Connor nodded.
"But remember, Pride happens every year. Yeah, we're all scared this year and desperate to savor everything, now, while we're still free to do so. But I've been here and queer in good times and in bad. They're not getting rid of us. This isn't your last chance to dance and eat the rainbow. Or be eaten."
Heat rose in Connor's cheeks again.
"Don't take candy, or open drinks, from strangers. Don't let anyone convince you that you really need to find out what being queer means, right now, today, with a dick in your mouth or any other way."
"But…" Connor would've sworn he hadn't come here to get laid, hadn't expected to manage that, between the early bus and the late one, but something in him protested that edict, so maybe he'd been lying to himself.
Deke snorted. "Thought so. And I'm being a bit of a hypocrite, given what I did at my first Pride. But I was twenty, not sixteen, and I'm giving you the benefit of my considerable experience. You listening, boy?"
"Yes, sir!" Connor bit his lip.
"At least use a damned condom. You have some?"
"Uh."
"Sit. Don't move." Deke stood again.
This time, Connor watched him go, weaving his way through the colorful crowd. Those black leather pants were something Connor would commit to memory. He turned his attention to the other guys walking past. One of the teens in a laughing, gesturing group had cheekbones a model would kill for, but the moment Deke reappeared, Connor lost interest.
Deke sat down and held out two foil packets. "Here."
"You just… went off and found condoms?"
"It's Pride, kiddo. There's open bowls of them on more than one table." When Connor had stowed them in the pocket of his backpack, Deke leaned his elbows on his knees, eyeing the folks passing by. "Drink your water."
Connor took a tiny sip, trying to make it last.
After a couple of silent minutes, Deke shook his head and seemed to come back to himself. "So, lots of water under my bridge. But you're just at the beginning. Tell me, would you rather walk around Pride alone, or have some company―" He raised his hand at Connor's eager smile. "No, I didn't mean me. Some guys more your age."
Swallowing disappointment, Connor said, "I guess company would be all right."
Deke pulled out his phone. "Hey, Topher, is that boy of yours at Pride in the Park, like he said he would be?… Right… Ask if he'd meet me at the north end of the bridge."As Deke tapped out of the call, Connor said, "I don't need a baby sitter."
Deke snorted a laugh. "Good thing, because these guys are far from Mary Poppins. I just want you to have a good first Pride, a safe one. So when you go home to outstate Whereverthefuck, you'll remember when it was great to be queer. You'll carry Pride with you. And you'll plan to come back, maybe, when you're eighteen."
"Do you think you'll be here, next year?"
"Ah, kid." Deke sighed. "Probably. I stopped for a bunch of years, but now, I need to get out here in the middle of my tribe and remember how many of us there are. So probably."
"And I might meet you here, by the end of this bridge? When I'm eighteen?"
"That's two years out." Deke returned to watching the crowd, but eventually he said, "Maybe. Hm. Tell you what. Those two condoms? When you get back to Whereverthefuck, if you can text me a picture of them still in the wrappers and tell me you didn't need them, didn't push your luck, no lies?" He turned to stare fiercely into Connor's eyes.
"No lies, sir."
"Then maybe."
Greatly daring, Connor said, "I'd need your number, sir."
"Deke."
"Deke, sir." He couldn't resist, and the little quirk of the corner of Deke's mouth was his reward.
"Brat. All right." Deke rattled off numbers.
Connor scrambled for his phone to enter them.
"Text me your name."
He did so, hearing a ping from Deke's pocket. Deke ignored it, just nodded. "Okay. No promises. But if I'm not here, I might know someone else you can trust who would be."
I don't want anyone else. "Thank you, sir."
Deke popped to his feet. "Ah, here they are."
A group of people a little older than Connor, including one man in a glitter catsuit and a tall drag queen, strode their way. The catsuit guy called, "Uncle Deke? You rang?"
"Got a friend here. You all can break his Pride cherry. And no other cherries, you hear me?"
The drag queen pouted. "But he's so pretty." She ran her finger up Connor's cheek. "What's your name, precious?"
Deke introduced them and they bantered for a while before Deke said, "Okay, I have places to go. Alex, take good care of Connor, send him home intact. Connor." He moved up close, staring into Connor's eyes. "Have fun. Get a little wild, dance like no one's watching, fuck the haters, but metaphorically and only the haters, stay safe, get home. Come back next year. You hear me?"
Connor bowed his head. "Yes, sir."
Deke laughed, whirled on his heel, and strode off into the crowd.
The drag queen sighed after him. "Alex, if I wasn't a top, I would soooo do your uncle."
"You wish." Alex turned to Connor. "We're heading for the sound stage. You coming? You don't have to do what Uncle Deke tells you."
Yes, I do. But even without the command, seeing Pride as part of a group like this, or on his own, a face pressed up against the bakery window? "Sure. Thanks."
The drag queen looped her arm through his. "You're a tall one. You sure you're only sixteen? What a shame. Come on, babycakes, let us show you a good time."
Connor let her tug him along, admiring her legs in those heels. He laughed and later he danced, wore a hat he could never bring home, drank a beer Alex made him swear not to tell Deke about, and heard filthy jokes he could never share with Brandon.
And then, long before he wanted to, he trudged those rainbow-bannered streets back to the bus station and home.
In his swaying seat, knees cramped in the limited space, he watched the dark roadside go by. When everyone around him seemed to be sleeping, he got out two foil packets, set them on his knee, and took a picture. Sent it to a number he'd only used once, with the words, ~Heading home. Thank you, sir.~
An hour went by, and he'd resigned himself to no reply when his phone pinged.
~Good boy. Maybe I'll see you next year.~
He wanted to text back, wanted to try to keep the conversation going. But he knew better. What happens at Pride is magic, and that's where it stays. At least, till I turn eighteen.
The next year, four weeks, and two days were going to be So. Damned. Long.
#### the end ####
Happy Pride! I have never been to a parade, even though I wish I could go. I hope everyone has a great (and safe) month. The pictures posted here are fantastic.❤️🧡💛💚💙💜
soulstar wrote: "Happy Pride! I have never been to a parade, even though I wish I could go. I hope everyone has a great (and safe) month. The pictures posted here are fantastic.❤️🧡💛💚💙💜"
I hope you get a chance sometime. It does the heart good to see so many folks celebrating the rainbow in one place.
I need to start reading again. I've been reading a few things but I also need to start posting more regularly to youtube again. I'm not sure what sort of content to post anymore though. I've picked up a few reads for pride month because I want to tackle my ever growing tbr list
Louis wrote: "I need to start reading again. I've been reading a few things but I also need to start posting more regularly to youtube again. I'm not sure what sort of content to post anymore though. I've picked..."You could post some queer books for pride on Youtube.
Hi sorry just seeing this. i could but my memory has been shocking. I think k most of the books I've posted have been pride. I should probably start posting more of them again though. I have read several lately that resonated with me. Even if the way I describe my l9ve for the books doesn't make sense it's not like my videos were getting many views. I also did a book haul lately
I hope everyone had an awesome pride.
Kaje wrote: "Deke pulled out his phone. ".Great story for gay genre readers.
Christine wrote: "I hope everyone had an awesome pride."Thank you I hope you also did
Anyone else celebrating disability pride month too? Epilepsy, Audhd, eupd, anxiety, depression- Disability pride month is seriously just a mixer for me at this point lmao.
Hoong wrote: "Kaje wrote: "Deke pulled out his phone. ".Great story for gay genre readers."
<3 Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Arimi wrote: "Anyone else celebrating disability pride month too? Epilepsy, Audhd, eupd, anxiety, depression- Disability pride month is seriously just a mixer for me at this point lmao."((Hugs)) - definitely worth a celebration of support here in July.
To post a picture - it has to be online somewhere -
<*img src="http:location" width="400"/>
Copy that code, paste the url between the quotes where it says "http:location" and TAKE OUT THE * at the beginning - which I had to put in for the code to not disappear.
Let's share the Pride and the fun.