The 2006 Bangkok Pride Festival Is Here

[Ijustwannateach]

We usually get a thread about this time every year on the subject, so I figured this year I'd start it.

A few years back, there was a wonderful Pride Festival & Parade- I'm not sure exactly which year, but it was the Good One. If you were there, you know what I mean. The streets were closed on Silom, there were thousands of onlookers both Thai and foreign, and several dozen floats with attached marchers, dancers, visitors, etc. Many queens were clearly in town from abroad solely for this occasion. People were carrying pride flags, fans, and balloons- a Chinese guy scolded me for not having anything rainbow on display! They went all the way down Silom, around Rama IV, and back up Suriwong.

So, obviously, it can be done.

The question is, why isn't it, anymore?

The last few years have been a potpourri of little commercial booths mainly representing the downtown gay tourist venues and (to be fair) one or two gay activist groups. The parade, when it has occurred, has consisted of one or two floats mainly composed of Soi 4 bartenders- ditto the disturbing swimsuit contest in Lumphini, in which I am not completely convinced all the contestants (99% bartenders and barboys) are really entirely there by choice.

"Normal" Bangkok gays have learned to avoid it like the plague, as to be there as a Thai associates one with, um, not a very normal crowd. It doesn't help that the foreign barowner MCs who run a lot of the events slaver over their employee participants as if they were so many dishes in a buffet.

The last year or two, I have asked these questions on threads started by members claiming to be representing the festival, but received few answers. Now I'm angry. Why CAN'T we have a festival like the one a few years ago?

A friend of mine familiar with the scene here somewhat longer than me offers this analysis:

The festival is a political football shuttled back and forth between two gay groups in Bangkok. One of these gay groups is more politically "correct," Westernised, and not interested in the bar scene. This is the one that held the really great gay festival a few years back.

The other one is, well, the guys who're running the show today.

Well, guys, you've been doing a TERRIBLE job. I will probably be accused of being "part of the problem" for speaking up and not supporting you, but that *other* group (whoever they are) clearly did a much, much better job- and such a job can obviously be done, because it was.

I've seen your recent promotional posters- it's nice that you have a picture of some nice, normal Bangkokians on them- 'cause there ain't gonna be none of them at your events, unless you've got some major changes planned for this year. And from what I see of your list of sponsors at the bottom of the page and your "event" calendar, it's the same old same old.

Shame on you.

"Steven"

[jdinasia]

Apparently many people are unaware that neither of the above groups are involved that much<other than some bars are still sponsoring events>

This year there is a new board of director, and the event is mostly in Thai hands.

For the last 2 years the only events that we have gone to have been at the park. Fun!

<This is, IMHO, one of those things that are kinda like voting <where you are eligible> --- if you make the choice not to be involved ....>

Edited October 2, 2006 by jdinasia

[siamaloha]

Last year's was the first parade for me here, so I really didn't know what to expect. I was seriously disappointed, but then oh well, TIT. My bf preferred the comfort of a window chair at Starbucks rather than oogle on the street with me. (Shouldn't that have told me something?) The little plastic Bangkok Pride flag given me by a smiling (brave) parader still adorns our "mantle."

[jdinasia]

Here's the website!

http://www.pridefestival.org/2006/

[boybrat]

being the semi retired partyboy that i am, ive seen lots of gay parades and honestly, the bkk one is well...quite sad.

its like a gogoboy's outing, filled with poorly made floats and it seems to be an excuse for some of the boys to wear hideous drag outfits.

i know i digress, but thai drag queens are the worst performers. true , some are pretty but most are NOT talented. they cant even lip sync properly. and many dont even try.... the music and their lips dont sync....so they just LIP, (no sync),

ooohh gawd, the rainbow thingy has been done to death. i dont have a single rainbow thingy. it think they're quite tacky...

avoid avoid avoid. none of my thai friends support the parade. they think its appalling.and i second their opinion.

Edited October 2, 2006 by boybrat

[LaoPo]

The gay/pride parade in Amsterdam is always huge success, although they couldn't, for many reasons, organize it in 2006.100's of thousands of -average- people came to see it and was much publizised and most people enjoyed it. (some 350.000 to 400.000 people!)

Have a look:

http://www.canalparade.nl/ in english and dutch

and here:

http://images.google.nl/images?q=gay+parad...eldingen+zoeken

edit: I just found out that there was a gay/pride parade in august 2006; sorry ...but I was in the Far East at that time;

see link:

http://www.ericverberne.nl/nl/gay_pride_parade_2006.htm

LaoPo

Edited October 2, 2006 by LaoPo

[Ijustwannateach]

If the people running it this year are different from the last two years, that's the best news for the festival I've heard in a long time. The event list still looks the same, though. And if things have improved, it will probably take a couple of years for "regular" Thais to get the word that it's no longer just one long party for Soi 4 bartenders.

"Steven"

[ed. note have corrected date in the thread title]

[jdinasia]

Well .... since some pre-pride events have been held in places that are traditionally "Thai only"<in practical terms those are places with very little English spoken> gay places .... some will get the message I guess

Edited October 2, 2006 by jdinasia

[Trouble]

I too was at the festival the year that Silom was closed off. The closing off of Silom was not done specifically for the gay pride event. That closing off of Silom occurred most Sundays and was like a street fair with vendors and stage shows being fun for the general populace. That year the gay pride event was able to take advantage of this.

Sadly I too have been at subsequent events and they were most disappointing. Until the planners of the event can get sponsorship from businesses not associated with host or go go bars it will be most difficult to get the average Thai gay man to associated himself with or attend the event. I think the key is to stop the go go bars from parading their merchandise in the parade. I have no problem with guys from bars participating in the event but parading the flesh as associated with a go go bar is probably a turn off for the more conservative gay in Thailand. How to get that sponsorship is probably a very difficult task. DJ Station, and other similar bars should sponsor floats and/or trucks with average gay guys dancing or waving flags or something as they are not peddling flesh. Obviously there is a cost associated with sponsoring such things but even 2 or 3 places sponsoring one truck could work to this advantage. I really don't think the average Thai gay wants to associate him self with the flesh trade but might be willing to ride on a truck that is a gay dance club or bars like Balcony Pub or Telephone Bar. Also there are many venues outside the Silom area which are gay and attract "Thai only" crowds for the most part. Those venues need to be encouraged to participate.

Quite honestly I was so disappointed in the parade two years ago that last year I went with my friend to his home town. Two years ago the police would not even stop the flow of traffic on Silom and restricted the parade to one lane while traffic used the other lane. Even the Pattaya gay festival two years ago was terrible and I understand last year it did not occur at all. I have not been to Phuket's parade but from the pictures it looks like it is a lot more fun although they too have the go go bars participating. But Phuket is a big tourist destination and the parade is fun for the tourists too.

I honestly hope the planners can do better. I know it is an uphill battle for them. I do respect the fact that they get involved, something the majority do not do and then complain about. Let's wish them luck and hope for an improvement each year.

[Ijustwannateach]

Trouble, thanks- you've captured the problem very nicely- and I do regret not being involved myself, but I'm very busy at work. *Something* happened a few years back that worked, and I hope the organisers can figure out how to repeat it.

Maybe I should ask at some of the non-farang venues, and see if they've heard anything about the whole shebang- or if there's any interest.

"Steven"

[Barney_the_Dinosaur]

We usually get a thread about this time every year on the subject, so I figured this year I'd start it.

A few years back, there was a wonderful Pride Festival & Parade- I'm not sure exactly which year, but it was the Good One. If you were there, you know what I mean. The streets were closed on Silom, there were thousands of onlookers both Thai and foreign, and several dozen floats with attached marchers, dancers, visitors, etc. Many queens were clearly in town from abroad solely for this occasion. People were carrying pride flags, fans, and balloons- a Chinese guy scolded me for not having anything rainbow on display! They went all the way down Silom, around Rama IV, and back up Suriwong.

So, obviously, it can be done.

The question is, why isn't it, anymore?

The last few years have been a potpourri of little commercial booths mainly representing the downtown gay tourist venues and (to be fair) one or two gay activist groups. The parade, when it has occurred, has consisted of one or two floats mainly composed of Soi 4 bartenders- ditto the disturbing swimsuit contest in Lumphini, in which I am not completely convinced all the contestants (99% bartenders and barboys) are really entirely there by choice.

"Normal" Bangkok gays have learned to avoid it like the plague, as to be there as a Thai associates one with, um, not a very normal crowd. It doesn't help that the foreign barowner MCs who run a lot of the events slaver over their employee participants as if they were so many dishes in a buffet.

The last year or two, I have asked these questions on threads started by members claiming to be representing the festival, but received few answers. Now I'm angry. Why CAN'T we have a festival like the one a few years ago?

A friend of mine familiar with the scene here somewhat longer than me offers this analysis:

The festival is a political football shuttled back and forth between two gay groups in Bangkok. One of these gay groups is more politically "correct," Westernised, and not interested in the bar scene. This is the one that held the really great gay festival a few years back.

The other one is, well, the guys who're running the show today.

Well, guys, you've been doing a TERRIBLE job. I will probably be accused of being "part of the problem" for speaking up and not supporting you, but that *other* group (whoever they are) clearly did a much, much better job- and such a job can obviously be done, because it was.

I've seen your recent promotional posters- it's nice that you have a picture of some nice, normal Bangkokians on them- 'cause there ain't gonna be none of them at your events, unless you've got some major changes planned for this year. And from what I see of your list of sponsors at the bottom of the page and your "event" calendar, it's the same old same old.

Shame on you.

"Steven"

mardi gras !

Street events and processions can be great, but they can also suffer from lack of participation.

The Lord Mayors show in London is a model, you don't just have community groups and businesses (like the procession you seem to be describing), but you have local civic dignitaries and council men waving from carriages and limmoes, also there are military brigades of riflemen, and bands, from Army, Air Force and Navy.

i.e having a super-diverse range of participants makes for a great show, not just hald a dozen people ambling past carrying a placard, followed by some guy dressed as a baby being pushed around in a pram

[jdinasia]

I don't think the parades will EVER be a big event! Average Thai folks just won't participate. The events at the parks and the bowling etc seem to do OK ...

There is absolutely no reason that "Pride" in BKK needs to follow the same format that works in the west! Events at the bars that cater to their particular clientele and some community events like the day in the park etc would be great. I think, instead of a parade, a large day gathering and a dance event at some place like QSNCC would have some real potential. Keep the entry free during the day and low cost for the dance event and things would do OK I think.

[Ijustwannateach]

Part of my opening point was that the year they closed Silom road, the parade was a really big, big event- crowd numbering in the thousands- lots of people from out of town and out of the country participating- and a lot of non-bar-worker locals. "Trouble" can back me up on this. It happened once, it could happen again; but not with the style of things the last couple of years.

I like JD's dance idea, too. Low entry cost and widespread advertising would be key points.