Halifax Pride Parade: July 24, 2010

If the Dykes vs. Divas softball game can be considered the kick-off to the Halifax Pride Week, the Pride Parade would represent the beginning of the close to the Week. Unlike the softball match though, or some of the more famous versions in San Francisco, Toronto or Vancouver, etc., the Halifax Pride Parade truly can be considered "family friendly." Well, at least as "family friendly" as you can get while attempting to celebrate/recognize a group of people who are more or less unable or unwilling to form a traditional nuclear family...

The irony of the Halifax Pride Parade, is that the vast majority of the floats/entries had nothing to do with the theme of the parade, and were more or less just used as advertising opportunities for local banks, businesses, etc. However, as I overheard one local citizen proclaim after the last float had past, "biggest (Pride Parade) I've seen in Halifax ever."

(I didn't know Darth Vader was gay.)

(This little Cadet handing out fliers for the upcoming Air Show was just too cute not to get included in the blog.)

(I'm not sure what this is though...)

(Or why there was an "elephant" there.)

(I also don't remember there being a fire fighter in the Village People.)

(These annoying French girls were just plain annoying, even before they ran out and held up the whole parade. I was really annoyed. Did I mention they were annoying?)

(These pole dancers though, were just downright impressive.)

("Here come the Divas!")

(No matter what your opinion of gay pride parades, I'm pretty sure we're all in agreement that this picture of this "guy" was something nobody wanted to see.)

7th Annual Dykes vs. Divas Softball "Game": July 18, 2010

The Halifax Pride Week, from July 18-25, the third-largest gay pride event in Canada, can't officially be considered "under way", until the annual softball match between the Dykes and the Divas has been played. The Dykes team consists of, well... dykes, while the Divas team is an eclectic group of cross-dressing males.

(Yes, that is correct, the short stop for the Divas is sitting in a lawn chair at the second base "make-up station".)

The game drew a large crowd this year to the Halifax Commons - surprisingly large, with people lined up three or four deep around the entire fence, all the way to the outfield - and the play by play announcers were downright hilarious, if not a bit crude.

(Divas in the Outfield. Some of them even brought gloves this year - "a new look" according to the announcer.)

(Dykes score two to take an early first-inning lead.)

To be honest, I couldn't be bothered to watch even one full inning of this painful display of bad softball. The point of the match though, was to gain attention and raise money for charity. In that regard it was a huge success, although I wasn't the only person there who questioned its being labeled a "family event".