Few examples could better illustrate this than what has become of the Heritage of Pride Foundation in New York City.

I mean, I will give them props for this summer finally barring armed, uniformed New York City police and corrections officers from the annual Pride parade they sponsor.

But they had to be pretty much beaten about the head and shoulders (metaphorically of course) by real activists loudly voicing what oppressed queer people in New York City had been shouting for years.

Back in the 1990s, Heritage of Pride (and the organization that preceded it) was about real activism, fighting for real change in society. But gradually, the perceived need for more and more corporate money to run bigger, flashier, more celebrity-driven events turned HOP into an anemic, almost message-free fundraising machine reluctant to offend corporate sponsors.

While real queer activists were boycotting Budweiser for sinking money into anti-LGBTQ events and organizations internationally, HOP was busy taking huge money from them; and naturally they uttered not one word of criticism of Budweiser’s abhorrent behavior.

HOP’s obeisance to the corporate dollar is just one reason why Reclaim Pride now sponsors alternative events in New York City in June.

The increasing popularity of the alternative events is probably why Heritage of Pride finally knuckled under to activist demands to keep representatives of the brutal, racist NYPD out of our events.

Can you see anything real like that happening on a game show?

I can’t.