13. Go to Gay Pride march

Saturday 29th June 2013

How this all came about was that I decided I wanted to experience the Gay Pride march (I've never even watched from the sidelines) so I asked my cousin, Steven, if he was going this year and he said I could tag along - I always wanted to be someone's "fag hag".  It was definitely a fun-packed day.  However, I must remind my cousin that if he gives me a meeting time, I'm usually on time and there's no need to tell me to arrive half an hour before I had to!

Anyway, the journey started at Northwick Park station and we met up with Steven's group near Baker Street station (saxophone solo in my head right now).  It was a good meeting place even if the cafe owner wasn't impressed that they'd put a banner up against his window so other Jewish gay people could find us.

We headed down to the meeting point for the start of the march and I got roped into giving out stickers and, further down the route, holding a banner.  I met two very lovely guys, Yonatan and Jon who kept me company throughout the march while Steven was off doing his "secretary duties" and doing very good PR by sticking stickers onto members of the crowd (any excuse to touch the men - ha!).  It was very cool to see a completely different side to him; very comfortable with the people around him - calling everyone "dahling".

This is the usual photo expression we get from Steven
T-Shirt says "Hey baby, I think I want to marry Jew" (think Bruno Mars)

On the way to the meeting point, we came across some fabulous support and other people preparing for the march.  In the background you could hear the Gay Men's Chorus singing "Go West", getting people into the marching spirit.  

Makes sense considering the film shown

Nice one, NatWest

Google being clever

Nandos - bloomin' genius!

Here comes the bride...

In all the hype and excitement before the march actually started, I had to take my phone out of my pocket to respond to a text message and subsequently dropped it on the road, face down.  I picked it up and to my horror (though probably not surprising) it was completely cracked.  I actually got a little shard of glass in my thumb that I had to pull out (sad face).  I was not happy and, even though the march was totally amazing, I was still thinking about the cost implications of fixing my phone. 

Just before marching time - with Jon and Yonatan - this is the banner I got roped into holding later on

Steven was interviewed by a lovely American lady called Michele Young.  There will be a video on her site - click here.  As I write, the video isn't on there yet but, for now, I have photographic evidence.

Steven being a celeb

1pm - and we're off.  It was a slow start but as soon as we turned off of Portman Square onto Oxford Street, the atmosphere completely changed.  There were barriers up at the sides of the street and hundreds of people watching and cheering with support.  I started giving out Stonewall stickers to the crowd - you may have seen the adverts on the sides of buses - "Some people are gay - get over it".  We had the Israeli translation.

Some people are gay - so what? (get over it)

The march from Oxford Street took us onto Regent Street, by this time I'd taken the banner from Jon so he could give out stickers.  

Not the only queens celebrating!

From Regent Street we marched and cheered our way down to Piccadilly Circus (probably the first time I'd walked on the circus without nearly getting killed by a bus or taxi).  I was thinking to myself at this point how lucky we were with the weather.  It could have been a complete disaster if the weather had been bad and I'm sure the atmosphere would have been completely different.  There were also one or two protesters but the majority of the people there were taking stickers and chatting and cheering their support all the way along the route.

Piccadilly Circus

We walked down towards Whitehall and finished just after 3pm near Embankment station.  The police and the gay pride stewards were fantastic.  I had a fabulous experience but, at that point, it was time for me to leave as I was conscious I needed to find somewhere to get my phone fixed and would only have got caught up in the "after-party" at Trafalgar Square - I wouldn't have got away.

Needless to say, I found a great shop in Borehamwood that fixes phone screens for £45 within the hour (next door the Post Office)!!!

The day must have been so good that I didn't realise I'd got a little sunburnt - at least I had some good exercise!

If you've never been along to watch the march, I recommend that you do.  I'm sure that everybody knows someone who is gay so, show them your support, otherwise...get over it!