Street Party Time - Gay Pride

Last evening / night I spend time with friends on two different street parties. First I had to drop off some posters and flyers at COC, Yes, that’s cock without a ‘k’. COC has been advocating the rights of lesbian women, gay men, bisexual and transgender from 1946 on. To get there I drove along Prinsengracht and the tower of the Westerkerk showed its true colors.

The tower is owned by the city, and they are one of the big sponsors of We Are Proud / Gay Pride Amsterdam

Later on I joined friends on Zeedijk in front of Café ‘t Mandje, the oldest Gay bar in town, they opened their doors 85 years ago! The interior hasn’t changed that much in the last 60 years, a copy of it can even be seen in the Amsterdam Museum.

That’s good friend and neighbor Corrie in the plaid shirt, kicking a small soccer ball to four contestants for the First Gay-Soccer-Player-Who-Is-Out Award. [this has to do with what a trainer, a former international, said about Gay sport] In the end it was won by a guy from Russia. Little did he know that the award was a real Gay medal, a leftover from the Gay Games of 1998. Yes, we do recycle!

In front of me stood this guy wearing his kilt, you can see it hasn’t been sunny here in the Low Countries, those white legs under the skirt…

Friend Martin and I moved to another street party leaving Corrie behind with her friend Minous. The Gay bars on Amstel had their own stage together and when we arrived a lip-singing contest was going on. I heard some songs I still have to find the lyrics on the internet, just to be sure I heard the text right. Next to me Martin gave me a private performance, he’s a  great singer and dancer, but wont go on stage to sing for a large audience unless he’s in drag.  For that I have to wait a fortnight to see that happen, because Gay Pride’s late after party is during Hartjesdag [Day of Hearts].

Right in front of me stood a nice black guy, dressed in black, black pearls around his neck…

and a pair of Louboutin’s on his feet

I’m still wondering how he could walk and dance on those heels.

We even made a short stop at the party on Rembrandtsplein, but there was not enough energy from the bystanders to keep that going. Not everyone likes monotone boom-boom-boom music, or was it more a rhythm?

On the way back to Zeedijk we passed a policeman who said nothing, even when I was driving by on my scooter with a glass of beer in my hand. On Zeedijk it was madness to get through from one end to the next. I said my good-bye and turned around to get out at the least bizzy part of the street.

Of what I heard it was even worse on the other side near Oudezijds Kolk, patrons of De Engel van Amsterdam [Angel of Amsterdam] and Barderij, but also The Queens Head blocked that part of the street.

Now it’s off to bed, there’s another party to go to later today. I hope to join 400,000 others while we cheer our floats which will float down the Prinsengracht canal.