The 2025 Pride Parade in Albany on Sunday, June 8, felt different to me from the beginning. For one thing, when I arrived at my church, which is located near the parade route, there were numerous garbage trucks at most intersections. They were there undoubtedly because of the New Year’s Eve/Day attack on people in New Orleans, plus several other vehicular assaults in Europe.
But it was also different because it felt like there was a lot more energy, as though the current regime’s attack on LGBTQ+ folks demanded a response.
After I helped set up communion, we had choir rehearsal, and then the service, which is always less well-attended because many folks, including one of the pastors, are decorating the “float” and then positioning the vehicle in Washington Park. By the end of the service, we can already hear the parade. After church, I need to clean up the communion stuff and put away my music.
By the time I got outside, I wasn’t feeling the energy to walk to the park where our First Pres contingent would have been starting. Walking the route seemed unwise, given that my Achilles was still untreated.
So I resigned myself to watching the festivities as the paraders passed by our church, as many of our congregants do every year. It’s always interesting to see which politicians attend; I saw three of the four mayoral candidates and two of the three people running for city auditor, but I might have missed the others because the event lasted for quite a while.
He’s so spontaneous!
As the First Pres group came by the church, they were on a flat-bed truck. I suddenly impulsively thought, “If I don’t have to walk this thing, maybe I will ride on this thing.” Several people got on. I had trouble maneuvering up the narrow stepladder, but I ultimately managed to get on and shuffle towards the front of the cab. This was cool! Actually, the temperature began to rise very quickly.
One of my favorite moments every year is being most of the way down Lark Street and turning around and seeing the throngs of people still marching. This time I was already facing the back, but it was nevertheless very moving. But I saw people I knew who didn’t see me because the balloons obscured me; oh, well.
Sun/Son
I was sitting next to the Jesus cardboard figure that was wearing a purple “God Is Genderfull” T-shirt. At some point the Jesus was starting to topple over. Since I was right next to it, I was holding it (Him?) up with my left arm, but I got tired quickly, so I used my cane, which was much easier.
Someone from the crowd yelled, “Christ is risen!” Indeed. At the end of the route, as we undecorated the truck, I decided to carry the Jesus through the park back to the church, which got all sorts of fascinating comments, almost all positive.
At some point on the truck, I realized I hadn’t even told my wife that I was going to the parade. I thought to call her and tell her I could take the bus home, so she wouldn’t have to wait. But then I remember that she had left her phone at the EMPAC the night before. It turned out she was at church, waiting for me, which was very nice.
