This fireman drove his truck right at me, then hopped out and posed.

I like her attitude

A parade entry from our neighborhood plumber

We were standing next to a woman who is on the parade (themed “going green” this year) committee as the antique cars came by choking us out with their exhaust.

Cutie-patootties

After a great deal of skepticism, we decided that this did look “enough” like a burrito to stop snickering.

Parading is hard work!

Atlas shrugged, then just dragged us along behind him.

Cincinnati Guerrilla Queer Bar at the parade.

CGQB organizer Ethan.

I think I’m officially stalking this kid who I see and photograph around the neighborhood all the time.

Congressman Driehaus is on the record for an inclusive ENDA or I would have tackled him as he walked down the street. I’m still not a fan of his stance on women’s choice.

Dancers

I have no idea.

Woof.

Northside Men’s Drill Team

Our drill team can kick your drill team’s ass.

Yeah, I have no idea.

Enrico! Beaker!

More cutie-patootties

Body glitter. I’m calling it. Official time of death: 2001.

Those with questions about the government’s honesty regarding the full story behind 9/11 (Jen won’t let me call them “conspiracy theorists”)

Belly dancers.

Do you think she might get out early with good behavior?

Northside Lawnchair Ladies Brigade works it out.

Oversized globe? Check. Old women wearing fish on their heads? Check. Douchebag with chin pubes playing a guitar? Check. It’s either an environmentalism group or a Unitarian Universalist dinner party. (I kid because I love the UUs!)

Like any reasonable public advocacy of vegetarianism, these parade participants were greeted with sarcasm, jeers and taunts. Shame on them for promoting an environmentally smart and healthy diet choice.

The parade ended with a dance dare. They encouraged participants to dance behind them to the festival.

I suppose I ought to get used to that feeling since I’m moving into a dorm primarily filled with undergraduate freshmen in 6 weeks.

Anyway, Jeffery D and I think there needs to be a CGQB 30+ event. It could be held at a grown-up hour (like before midnight) and the location doesn’t have to selected based on the likelihood of an event organizer scoring with a drunk, straight douchebag fratboy, like a martini bar or casual neighborhood bar.

C’est la vie. Photos..

From Impact Cincinnati:

Due to an unbelievable amount of ice at the statehouse location, the state will not permit a rally on the premises we had previously secured. But we won’t let that stop us from rallying for equality with pro-equality Ohioans from across the state!

Saturday’s rally for equality has been relocated to Stonewall Columbus (1160 N High St), conveniently located just a few minutes from the statehouse. Although we will not be at the state house, this doesn’t change the significant impact we ALL will make tomorrow as we gather in support of equality.

PLEASE HELP SPREAD THE WORD OF THE NEW LOCATION!!!!!
Put it in your facebook status, e-mail and call your friends. Together, we can spread the word statewide in just a matter of hours.

See everyone tomorrow!!

Copied and pasted from QueerCincinnati, although I got the same message via facebook, email and twitter.

I won’t be there, mostly because it didn’t occur to me to make plans to find a ride, but I wish them the best. I will spend some time tomorrow writing to my elected officials about equality. (ETA: Or not, I just got called in to work at retail job and I need the money)

I already spend some time this week writing to my U.S. Representative Steve Driehaus urging him to cosponsor a united ENDA bill, and to help President Obama in repealing DADT and DOMA. If you recall, I voted for Driehaus despite some pretty strong reservations. Since Driehaus won by a rather narrow majority, I will make sure he understands what would turn me from a reluctant voter to an enthusiastic supporter.

For Ohio, we scored 2 good bills and 0 bad ones, although neither of the bills passed. Here’s what they wrote:

Ohio House Bill 502/Senate Bill 305 — These bills would have added sexual orientation and gender identity to the state’s existing anti-discrimination laws.
Status: These bills were introduced March 11, 2008. The bills died when the Legislature adjourned Dec. 30, 2008.

Ohio Senate Bill 385 — This bill would have established standards for comprehensive sexual health education and HIV/AIDS prevention education in public schools.
Status: This bill was introduced Nov. 26, 2008, and referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Human Services and Aging. There was no further movement, and the bill died when the Legislature adjourned Dec. 31, 2008.

“There’s just no other way to say this — 2008 was a hard year at the state level,” said Joe Solmonese in the report’s introduction. He later added, “We hope that key victories in Delaware, Nevada, New York and Wisconsin, where fair-minded majorities have won control of both chambers, as well as in Ohio, where there is now a fair-minded majority in the state House of Representatives, will open the door to pro-LGBT legislation in 2009 and beyond.”