This weekend I went to a small town on the coast of England, Brighton, the gay capital of the UK. I left after work and caught a few trains and subways, and arrived around 11:30 pm. I wan't supposed to get in that late, but my train was delayed by a person walking on the tracks. I checked into my hostel, The Kings Arms, and was greeted by a very friendly staff. Upon arrival, I was given a free half pint! The hostel was located in the center of Brighton, and was a bar on the ground floor, hostel on the first and second floors. There were locks on all the doors. The beds, although 3 person bunk beds, were very sturdy and relatively comfortable.
Saturday I woke up early and got a good spot to watch the annual Pride march. It was one of the happiest, funniest, most outrageous parades I've ever watched. The mayor was at the front of the parade in an outrageous outfit, followed by business franchises in the UK, and tons of people in crazy costumes. England past legislation to approve gay marriage in July 2013, so the march was a celebration instead of a protest.
Later in the day, I bought some fish and chips from the pier and sat on the beach watching the waves and enjoying the positive environment.
Around dinner time on the boardwalk, a bunch of the bars had live music playing. I went into a few bars and enjoyed the music. Overall, an amazing weekend and adventure.
It felt very important to me to attend this event. There are only a few places in the world that have recognized the rights of gay people, but I am very happy to see the progress being made. Although there are some places in the world that directly discriminate against them, their general reaction is of peace and hope. The environment of the town was so happy and positive it felt like nothing I have experienced. I talked to a transvestite for a while who was so sweet and happy and positive. It makes me so sad that everywhere she goes she is stared at and laughed at. But in Brighton she wasn't. Everyone looked at each other with open, happy eyes. It was inspirational.
Saturday I woke up early and got a good spot to watch the annual Pride march. It was one of the happiest, funniest, most outrageous parades I've ever watched. The mayor was at the front of the parade in an outrageous outfit, followed by business franchises in the UK, and tons of people in crazy costumes. England past legislation to approve gay marriage in July 2013, so the march was a celebration instead of a protest.
Later in the day, I bought some fish and chips from the pier and sat on the beach watching the waves and enjoying the positive environment.
Around dinner time on the boardwalk, a bunch of the bars had live music playing. I went into a few bars and enjoyed the music. Overall, an amazing weekend and adventure.
It felt very important to me to attend this event. There are only a few places in the world that have recognized the rights of gay people, but I am very happy to see the progress being made. Although there are some places in the world that directly discriminate against them, their general reaction is of peace and hope. The environment of the town was so happy and positive it felt like nothing I have experienced. I talked to a transvestite for a while who was so sweet and happy and positive. It makes me so sad that everywhere she goes she is stared at and laughed at. But in Brighton she wasn't. Everyone looked at each other with open, happy eyes. It was inspirational.