Pride marches in the media

[Graeme]

Melbourne had it's Pride March yesterday. Today, I looked on the local newspaper websites and found exactly one article on the subject (a generally good article), and that was more on the fact that the retiring police commissioner, Christine Nixon, was in the march.

 

I'm still trying to work out whether this lack of media attention was good, because it means that the mainstream media doesn't consider a Pride March to be newsworthy, or bad, because they didn't feel the need to include something like this to counter all the bad news that's around at the moment (bushfires, power supply problems, deaths due to the heatwave, etc).

 

I'm leaning towards it being good, because it is showing that being gay isn't such a big deal, but I would have liked to have seen more coverage to encourage those who are still in the closet, or who feel that they are alone.

[corvus]

Hmm, I don't know. I ideally consider pride marches on the same plane as non-threatening demonstrations of any kind, like anniversary or new years or mardi gras parades... But this doesn't really work, because those aren't strict equivalents; I don't think pride marches have a strict equivalent. You don't see, for example, ethnic groups bunching up to march quite the same way -- unless it's to break a few windows on the way to the governor's building. Since prides aren't exactly the impression I'd like, say, my impressionable youngest brother to get of gay people, I'd say it's an overall good thing for the media not to cover prides.

Edited February 3, 2009 by corvus

[Graeme]

Since prides aren't exactly the impression I'd like, say, my impressionable youngest brother to get of gay people, I'd say it's an overall thing for the media not to cover prides.

The Melbourne Pride March tends to be lower key than what I get the impression happens in the USA. As the article I linked pointed out, the Police Commissioner (the state's highest police officer) marched in it!

 

Then again, the Sydney G&L Mardi Gras parade can get quite raunchy, from what I've been told....

[Krista]

It depends on the circumstances really. I wouldn't want anything like a "gay mardigras" type of gay pride march televised - as people do get extreme. That's with any kind of march or anything though. When they do it.. they 'go big' or not at all, yes?

 

But a protest march, something more low-key and has a purpose (like politically). I would be ok with it being televised. But I'm from Ky and I've never seen a Gay Pride march.. I would like to attend one though, one of these days.

[Mark Arbour]

Hmm, I don't know. I ideally consider pride marches on the same plane as non-threatening demonstrations of any kind, like anniversary or new years or mardi gras parades... But this doesn't really work, because those aren't strict equivalents; I don't think pride marches have a strict equivalent. You don't see, for example, ethnic groups bunching up to march quite the same way -- unless it's to break a few windows on the way to the governor's building. Since prides aren't exactly the impression I'd like, say, my impressionable youngest brother to get of gay people, I'd say it's an overall good thing for the media not to cover prides.

 

You raise a good point, and it's why I voted "depends on the circumstances."

 

I grew up in the Bay Area, and the SF parade gets raunchy. It is a blast for those involved. It is scary for those that don't. I lived in the suburbs. The reaction of the people around me to the parade was universally negative, and these were people who were by and large disposed to be friendly to the gay community. But the outrageousness, the antics, turned them off. From what I saw, it had a very negative impact.

[JamesSavik]

The media is looking for a freak-fest; anything to sensationalize. They will look for the one freakiest guy there and take hours of footage of him.

 

They've done it over and over. CBS still has stock footage of a gay pride march where Sister Boom-Boom and the sisters of Perpetual Indulgence were doing their thing and I don't think they've been around for years now.

[Rabble_Rouser]

I voted "Depends" mostly on the parade and what the report is going to cover. The Toronto Pride Parade gets really positive coverage. I have a couple of friends who are cops and they both love getting assigned to that duty as they say they have a good time and even though they average about 1 million people lining the parade route (Greater Toronto is about 4 million people) they have very few problems. Normally the papers show some photographs, list which celebrities & politicians marched and the size of the crowd. It's a very mainstream event and the police service uses it as a major recruiting event. I looked up the parade award winners for the last 2 years and here's some examples of how mainstream an event it is:

 

Pride 2008

 

MARCHING CONTINGENT

Best Art Direction: SKULE (Engineering Society, University of Toronto)

Best Choreography: ROTC - Toronto

Best Embodiment of the LGBTTIQQ2S Community: DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENCE\CANADIAN FORCES

 

Pride 2007

 

Special Judges

[Sir Galahad]

Been on a few Pride marches in my time, but really can't be assed now. I just don't feel the need to parade myself on the streets of London in a thong & chaps!

Those days are far behind me. lol

Still go for the concert though, so my support isn't totally lacking, but would much rather do a bit of shopping first.

[writeincode]

I didn't even know melbourne had one to be honest! Maybe it wasn't covered because the Sydney one in a week is the better one (although I'll be missing it coz i'll be sick )

Edited March 1, 2009 by writeincode