Today is Capital Gay Pride in DC.  The Parade takes place at 330pm.

The first Pride Parade in DC I attended was in 1997.  Over 20 years, from 1997 to 2016, I attended every single Parade, except for one year, when Mr. ParisPeking married Mrs. ParisPeking, and I was in wedding.  So of course, I couldn't go.  But I went every other year.

I went with as many as half dozen people at once.  One year, I went by myself.  I've gone with coworkers from my current job, coworkers from Borders, friends, straight people, gay people, even one cute little lesbian we met on the Metro once who was going by herself and she joined us for the rest of the day.

Following tRump's election in 2016 and the planned protests taking place during Pride in 2017, well, I just didn't want to deal with all that.  So I didn't go.  I didn't go last year, and I won't be going this year.  I'm too old.  The older I get the less I tolerate crowds, and if Pride is one thing, it's crowded.  Driving to DC gets more aggravating every time.  And while I always enjoy seeing scantily clad young men, drag queens, and of course PFLAG (LOVE THEM!), I'm just over Pride.

I'm glad it's there, especially now, when so many of our rights are under attack by tRump and his ilk, and I'm glad it was there for me in my 30s and 40s, but now I'm 51....

Anyway, I hope everyone who goes enjoys this year's Capital Pride celebration.  I'll be at work, and later, at a movie.  But I'll be thinking about Pride and the Parade throughout the day.

POLT