Alan's Big Fluffy Pride Parade

Well, once again I missed the Pride Parade. It used to be that I never missed it. I saw my first Gay Pride Parade in 1973 as a participant. I drove the lead vehicle with the parade organizers sitting on the truck I borrowed from my boss. I hadn't told Hy Sachs that his truck was going to be in the Gay  Pride Parade, so I was a little worried that a television crew was taking video of us. I needn't have worried. The television stations gave all of twenty seconds coverage and only spotlighted the most bizarre entries. I was in a few other gay pride parades back then because it was part parade, part civil rights march. By 1981 it was almost all parade and once again I was a participant, as a cheer leader. It was a lot of fun. 

Over the years I have attended the San Francisco, Pride Parade (Not sure when they dropped the 'gay' part), the New York City, Pride Parade, and the Wilton Manors, Florida, Pride Parade. All very enjoyable and inspiring. So why haven't I attended the Pride Parade here in Chicago for the last three years? Fucked up feet is why. I know that it requires a lot of walking to see one of these parades, and once you get there you will end up standing for hours. I just can't do it anymore. I have serious foot problems. But I did come up with a plan for next year while talking to my sister Lisa. I will try to get a float entered into the parade. I can load it up with all my gay relatives (I have quite a few.), put a big fluffy chair right in the center of the float for me to sit in, and then hire hot young dancers to jiggle around on the float while I enjoy the parade.