Big Gay Memorial Day Picnic 2010

[Goman Fox]

I can't seem to find a larger picture of this for this year's picnic...  Oh well

42nd Annual Big Gay Memorial Day Picnic
Monday, May 31 from Noon - 5pm at:
Kincaid Park -- 9401 W Raspberry Rd.
Anchorage, Alaska

This is usually interesting to go to each year, I know Cat and I plan to go, hope to see some of you all there as well.

[Taylor-MadeAK]

They felt the need to specify "NO NUDITY" this year?  WTF?

No, I won't be going because the poster still makes no mention of anyone other than gay folk being welcome.  Old argument, I know, but it still hasn't been properly addressed.  I just don't go where I'm not invited unless I'm crashing to make a point.

[Goman Fox]

Lol the "No Nudity" thing has been around before, not sure if it was up last year, but I know the year before it definitely was.  It didn't help though.  It surprises me that I still wanted to go to gay events in Anchorage after the first picnic I went to, out in Eklutna where they used to have it.  Cat and I were walking away from the main area along a path, and some guy a ways ahead of us decided to whip out his junk and piss right there in plain sight.  I may be gay, but that doesn't mean I want to see some random guy with his junk out at an all-ages picnic.

[Oni]

I myself find it quite insulting that there is no invite to "others" on that flier. I also find it quite disturbing that they have to put "not nudity" on it. Why kind of community are the "gays" that they have to exclude others, and advertise to themselves that they "will not be striping down naked and running around." This is obviously not an event I would take my children to.

Memorial Day.... How very interesting what is chosen to be remembered.

[Goman Fox]

I'm sure another concern probably comes from the name, "Big Gay Memorial Day Picnic."  Having a picnic on Memorial Day isn't a problem, but when it's the "Big Gay Memorial Day Picnic" it's tying in this event with the holiday itself.  We're honoring people who died by playing Musical (banana) Penises at an event where "No Nudity" needs to be specified (and isn't entirely followed)?

Although I personally don't have a problem with the event, I enjoy going every year we go, I can see where there are concerns.  People talk and say it's a family-friendly event, but the flier doesn't really present it as such.  Saying "All-ages welcome and family friendly" would basically imply "no drugs or nudity" but unfortunately I have so little faith in the gay community that if those things weren't implicitly stated, I don't think they'd be followed as much as they are.

[Taylor-MadeAK]

I myself find it quite insulting that there is no invite to "others" on that flier. I also find it quite disturbing that they have to put "not nudity" on it. Why kind of community are the "gays" that they have to exclude others, and advertise to themselves that they "will not be striping down naked and running around." This is obviously not an event I would take my children to.

Memorial Day.... How very interesting what is chosen to be remembered.

You forgot the QUOTE tags in that post, Oni, because it's pretty obvious you didn't write that yourself.  We can tell you had Jen write that for you.

Other than that, I find it pretty amusing that we're all on the same wavelength here.  That's probably why we never see Herman any more.  But, complain all we want, what's it going to change?  Absolutely nothin'.  Moving on.

Super Mario Galaxy 2 (yes, I just put it on my Wii's hard drive) damn near made me wet myself earlier when it popped up a dialog explaining a powerup I had picked up.  As of Super Mario Galaxy, invincibility powerups are no longer called "starmen," they're "Rainbow Stars!"  The dialog that cracked me up, however, was something like (I sh** you not):

You've picked up a Rainbow Star, Mario!  As Rainbow Mario, you are totally invincible!

For some reason...that made me think of OniC@.

[Oni]

I can write when I care to.

[Goman Fox]

Maybe it's just from his recent head injury.  Knocked a few things in his head in to their proper places.

[Oni]

Maybe it's just from his recent head injury.  Knocked a few things in his head in to their proper places.

Bit me eh'

[Goman Fox]

Bit me eh'

He must be feeling a little better.

[Taylor-MadeAK]

I can write when I care to.

No, you can't.

[mikeylachoy]

In answer to some of the comments posted about the event. We do try to make it family friendly. It is a gay community event.  It does happen to be on Memorial Day and has been for 42 years (hence the strange words "memorial day" and gay Included in the first line.  This title (just so you know and your children will also know) had to be created 4 years ago when Eklutna sold the old picnic grounds and we had to move to Kincaid... a headline was needed to grab attention to the fact that this is the "picnic" everyone knew about every year, was "that big gay thing", and was on"Memorial day".

We are required to inform people that there is no nudity allowed since there are unfortunately some people have no respect and dont care whether a non-profit organization or the community in general loses the right use the picinic grounds.

We are a strictly volunteer organization who have been doing this for 42 years.  If anyone feels we should do things differently perhaps they should consider volunteering their free time and/or making donations to the cause.  here are some of the ways the AKCommunity posters could offer constructive help...
Planning, Shopping/Cook/Prepwork the day before, 8am hauling all supplies (about 5 truckloads worth) out there from Myrna's, clean up after (since, again, there are some people who have no respect), breakdown and hauling everything back.

Last, someone said they'd not seen Herman... he moved to Chicago.

[Goman Fox]

The only real issues that have been presented here have been that it feels like it's exclusive to the gay community, and that "No Nudity" on the flier kinda counters the idea that it's family-friendly, since it implies that there's a problem with that happening (which I'm sure there has been, I've seen some of Anchorage's gay community, lol)

At times it just sounds like the "A" in GLBTA just includes straight people that are active in supporting the gay community rather than people who just don't care about labels.  I doubt it's even intentional but I've seen this in different gay events or organizations and it gives off this idea that the gay community isn't interested in anyone that isn't helping them in some way.

And when you say you're required to post "No Nudity" do you mean that literally, as in you have to post those words specifically, or do you mean that you need to do it for people that might show up that don't have the common sense to stay appropriately dressed in a public place?

The only problem I see with that is that stating "No Nudity" specifically implies that there's a problem with nudity, which may make people not want to bring their families or children.  A more appealing way of putting it might be "all-ages" or "family friendly" because that would imply that there be no nudity (since people really shouldn't be stripping down in a public place when kids are present), and it might make more families attend.

I understand that it would mean more for us to volunteer our time and everything, but we are trying to offer constructive criticism here, from a straight man who feels his family is excluded from this "gay event," and from people who feel that the flier doesn't really help in showing that it is family-friendly.  I have to say I don't understand how it isn't constructive to point out that your flier is sending a different message to the community than you're trying to send.

The event itself, I have no real problems with, I just think the flier makes it sound like a gay-only event you might not want to bring your kids to, while everything I hear from people talking about it says it's actually family-friendly.

[Taylor-MadeAK]

If anyone feels we should do things differently perhaps they should consider volunteering their free time and/or making donations to the cause.  here are some of the ways the AKCommunity posters could offer constructive help...
Planning, Shopping/Cook/Prepwork the day before, 8am hauling all supplies (about 5 truckloads worth) out there from Myrna's, clean up after (since, again, there are some people who have no respect), breakdown and hauling everything back.

I have to say, you are not making a good impression with your first post.  See, this statement right here comes across to me (and probably others) as "F*** you, if you don't like what we're doing then come do it yourself!"  That just reinforces the impression that Fox already pointed out:

At times it just sounds like the "A" in GLBTA just includes straight people that are active in supporting the gay community rather than people who just don't care about labels.  I doubt it's even intentional but I've seen this in different gay events or organizations and it gives off this idea that the gay community isn't interested in anyone that isn't helping them in some way.

That is exactly how it appears.  Thank you for being more eloquently spoken than I, Fox.

So, Mikey, instead of listening to the concerns that some of us (gay and straight alike) have been voicing for years about your choice of wording in your advertisement and maybe considering making a change to that wording to make it clear that all tolerant and reasonable people are invited to your event, you're telling us "straight folk" that we're not welcome unless we actively help you manage the event? 

Well Mikey, your message has come across loud and clear.  My family will never attend your event, and I will make damn sure to spread your message far and wide for you.

Last, someone said they'd not seen Herman... he moved to Chicago.

So...you're saying that Chicago lacks the communications infrastructure required to access the internet?

@OniC@: It wasn't my intention to flame, bro, because I know why you decided to kick this discussion up to the folk who could do something about it.  But I think even you'll agree: he asked for it.

Muse: "Free time."  Feh!  No parent I know can use those words in a sentence with a straight face....

[Oni]

In answer to some of the comments posted about the event. We do try to make it family friendly. It is a gay community event.  It does happen to be on Memorial Day and has been for 42 years (hence the strange words "memorial day" and gay Included in the first line.  This title (just so you know and your children will also know) had to be created 4 years ago when Eklutna sold the old picnic grounds and we had to move to Kincaid... a headline was needed to grab attention to the fact that this is the "picnic" everyone knew about every year, was "that big gay thing", and was on"Memorial day".

We are required to inform people that there is no nudity allowed since there are unfortunately some people have no respect and dont care whether a non-profit organization or the community in general loses the right use the picinic grounds.

We are a strictly volunteer organization who have been doing this for 42 years.  If anyone feels we should do things differently perhaps they should consider volunteering their free time and/or making donations to the cause.  here are some of the ways the AKCommunity posters could offer constructive help...
Planning, Shopping/Cook/Prepwork the day before, 8am hauling all supplies (about 5 truckloads worth) out there from Myrna's, clean up after (since, again, there are some people who have no respect), breakdown and hauling everything back.

Last, someone said they'd not seen Herman... he moved to Chicago.

Mikey I would like to point out something here. You have not actually addressed the concerns presented to you.

I emailed the Imperial Court of All Alaska to share the concerns of both Gays and Straight people when it came to the picnic and the flier. I did so in hopes of some one from the ICOAA coming to AKC to help clarify and take our concerns into consideration. 

I feel that I have got the attention of the Imperial Court, though have not actually had any of the concerns of the Members of AKC addressed.  It feels as if you were defending the event, when the only issue we had brought up was the message the flier gives, which was not addressed at all.  We appreciate the work that is done by volunteers putting on this and other events, all we were trying to do was point out another perspective on how the flier is being received by others.