I once wrote an essay about the Detroit Pride fest, dismayed that the only beers available inside the festival, which cost money to attend, were Budweiser products. The festival operators had signed an agreement with Budweiser not to sell any other beer!

I was disgusted by the crass commercialism of it. Budweiser used the festival to sell more of their product, and the festival operators went right along with it.

Also, all the food being sold was available from trucks operated mostly by cisgender straight people who make their living selling food at all sorts of outdoor activities. There wasn't a queer vendor anywhere, as far as I could see.

The Detroit Pride operators had completely lost sight of the meaning of Pride, of the idea of protest, and the importance of queer community.

The festival was just a clone of so many outdoor fests in the Detroit area, the only difference being rainbow flags waving around.

So, I hear you. I don't enjoy attending that kind of nonsense either.

Of course, that was a decade ago or a bit less, and things have changed. Regardless of what Pride operators do, or how they might misstep, the great anti-LGBTQ backlash has created a need for visibility, protest and Pride like never before.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences!