Dublin Pride 2014

Just been to the Dublin Pride parade. I think this is the third year I've photographed the event, though I missed last year, for some reason. As usual, my wife reminded me (I've forgotten my own birthday on occasion). As on the first occasion, in 201o, there was a wonderful celebratory vibe, though I find there's always something heartbreaking in the fact that such parades, like Stonewall whose 45th anniversary it is, are remotely necessary (as of course they are).

I remember the first time I saw two men walking down the street holding hands. It was 1982, in Cole Street, San Francisco. I was living there with my girlfriend, for six months or so. I also remember how I felt when I saw this couple. In a word, safe. The fact that two people of the same sex could show their affection in public without fear of retribution meant that I was living in a relatively sane society, which meant that my own oddities (political, social, artistic, etc.) might also be tolerated. I wasn't naive enough to imagine that SF was some kind of ideal city. Like many American cities, it had big problems, racism etc. But in certain areas, such as Cole & Haight, one could feel that sanity reigned.

No point in preaching to the converted, but I find it hard to understand how anyone from my generation, or younger, can feel in the least bit threatened by the concept of gayness or any of the other orientations in that rather ungainly acronym, LGTB. I think most people have a bit of gayness in them, though they may well be orientated towards the opposite sex, as I am. I am not talking about bisexuality here, as that implies an equal attraction to both sexes. But can you appreciate the sensuality of a male and female body, while remaining heterosexual? And if not, why not? To me, it seems mainly a matter of empathy, or simply imagination. After all, we should begin by loving, or at least appreciating, our own bodies. In the end, what else do we truly possess?

More here, if anyone's interested.