Ten years ago, my gay friends and I found the perfect spot for watching New York’s gay pride parade. It was near the entrance of a building near Fifth Avenue and 10th Street, with an awning to keep out the sun and a doorman who laughed along with our catcalls to bouncy go-go boys.
But a decade of rapid developments have pushed what was once a courageous celebration of gay rights solidly into the mainstream, so now our favorite way to express pride isn’t with Pride. It’s not that we don’t love the pageantry of the parades or admire (what’s left of) their activist drive. It’s just that the huge crowds, child-friendly floats and corporate sponsors make celebrating gay life seem as authentic as a Twinkie. It leaves you hankering for yellow cake and a cream filling made from scratch.
We’ve found that spirit of authenticity in places beyond Christopher Street. We celebrate our shared interests as gay people by being with other gay people, as did our pre-Grindr forbears, by traveling to gay meccas (Philadelphia) and gay bars in surprising places (Triangles, on Route 7 in Danbury, Conn.). We geek out at gay film and theater festivals. We take weekend road trips to gay-friendly towns with gay restaurants that serve gay food. (Gay men love tater tots. Trust me.) It’s refreshingly retrograde.
Below is a look at annual gatherings, special events and under-the-radar happenings this summer that showcase how gay people will celebrate Pride across the country. Parades, of course, included. Straight people welcome.
SPORTS
Gay Games
Thanks to Michael Sam, Jason Collins and Brittney Griner coming out of the closet, it has been a taboo-breaking year for gay athletes. Out athletes, though, are nothing new, as evinced by the Gay Games, inaugurated 32 years ago in San Francisco. This year the Ohio cities of Cleveland and Akron will host this quadrennial competition (Aug. 9 to 16), which brings together thousands of athletes — gay and straight — from around the world for popular sports like swimming and track and field, as well as bowling and darts. Politics may not be part of the organizers’ agenda, but with some 9,000 participants and 20,000 spectators expected to attend, there’s going to be a political edge to having the games in Ohio, where same-sex marriage is prohibited and sexual orientation is not included in statewide anti-discrimination laws.
Athletes from 44 North American leagues meet in Dallas for the Gay Softball World Series (Sept. 22 to 27), one of the country’s largest gay sporting events.
CULTURE
Film Festival
Williams Festival
Sure, tea dances and gay beaches are a draw, but culture is what actually attracts many vacationers to Provincetown, Mass., on the tip of Cape Cod. This year’s Provincetown Film Festival (June 18 to 22) will feature awards for the actresses Patricia Clarkson and Debra Winger as well as a special drive-in screening of a newly restored copy of the Beatles’ “A Hard Day’s Night.” From June 28 to Aug. 31, the Art House Theater will present performances by Tony Award winners and Broadway notables, including Kristin Chenoweth, Cheyenne Jackson, Alice Ripley, Megan Hilty, Andrea Martin and Adam Pascal. In September, broken dreams wash ashore during the Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival (Sept 25 to 28).
Also, one of the country’s most prominent L.G.B.T. film festivals, Outfest in Los Angeles, will return for its 32nd edition from July 10 to 20; the closing night film is the ‘70s-inspired comedy “Space Station 76,” starring Matt Bomer, Patrick Wilson, Liv Tyler and Jerry O’Connell.
CAMPING
Campit Resort
Camp Camp
For gay urbanites looking to escape to nature without resurrecting memories of summer camp panty raids, there’s Campit Outdoor Resort. Situated on a private 23-acre property in Saugatuck, Mich., about 40 miles southwest of Grand Rapids, the facility offers a variety of events with L.G.B.T. themes throughout the summer. This year there are special weekend packages for tradespeople and artisans (May 30 to June 1); foodies (July 18 to 20); and gay men who identify as bears (big and hairy) and otters (thin and hairy). Amenities include a swimming pool and nature trails.
Also, Camp Camp, which is between two lakes in southwestern Maine, offers L.G.B.T. adults a traditional summer camp experience, with shared rustic cabins and outdoor activities (mountain biking, sailing) as well as artistic (Broadway dance, pottery).
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