Europride 2007, Madrid
I had the greatest opportunity to travel around Spain, and I also had the chance to attend Europride, one of the largest and most extravagant gay pride celebrations in the world. As a young gay male, this experience was a once-in-a-life time opportunity that showed me that the world is changing and beginning to accept people for who they really are.
The festivities were held in Chueca, a gay neighborhood in Madrid. Opening night was on Thursday, June 28, 2007, and Chueca was “the” place to be. That night, I took the metro, the local subway system, from Principe Pio, my hotel’s location, to Chueca. As I walked up from the metro, it was almost impossible to get to street level. The streets were filled from wall to wall with people drinking, dancing and having a good time. My gang and I walked further into the crowd where a huge stage was set up. We saw the most lavish drag queens and the hottest guys we had ever seen in our lives. The music was almost hypnotizing, with a techno beat repeating over and over.
While walking around, we bumped into a news crew from Chueca TV, who was interviewing a woman on the street. A young lady who worked for the news station came up to us and asked us where we were from. We told her we were from Texas and I asked her, “When’s the parade and what time did it start?” The parade was the only thing that had been on my mind for three days. The young lady said that it was on Saturday, and that today was the opening ceremonies.
Being gay in Spain hasn’t always been accepted. In fact, being gay was quite difficult until recently. Spain’s government passed gay marriage and gay adoption laws on June 30, 2005. As I compare the gay population of the United States to Spain, I found that being gay in Spain is more accepted than it is in the United States. Everyone seems so much happier and more comfortable about their sexuality, Spaniards don’t seem to mind people being who they truly are and loving who they want to love.
Before I knew it, Saturday had arrived, and the parade was about to begin. Little did I know that this was going to be one of the best days of my life. I finally arrived on Gran Via, the street where the parade was to take place, and just as I expected, a sea of half-naked people greeted me. The men were all shirtless with some of the most amazing bodies I’ve ever seen. The popular rainbow gay flag was in every place that the eye could see, and beautiful drag queens posed for pictures as if they were part of Hollywood’s elite.
The day was very hot. The asphalt below our feet did nothing to help cool us off. The rest of the gang couldn’t take the heat, but I wasn’t going to miss this parade for anything. After my friend left, I continued to walk toward the beginning of the parade. With my camera in one hand and a bottle of water in the other, I found myself in the middle of the 2007 Europride Parade. I was surprised how easy it was to get in on the action. For the first time, I felt like a reporter getting the inside scoop. The beginning of the parade featured many gay and lesbian groups who were marching for a cause. Many were chanting and waving the rainbow flag. As I got deeper in the parade, the crowd got more intense, and elaborate costumes kept getting better and better. Of course, so did the men. Back in San Antonio, we have floats during our parades, but in Madrid they have18-wheelers filled with some of the most beautiful people in the world. The costumes were all very colorful, covered with glitter, feathers and were extremely glamorous. The parade trucks were sponsored by gay organizations, gay websites, gay porn companies and, condom companies. Each sponsor handed out free gifts with the company’s name on it. I received t-shirts, hats whistles, and, yes, condoms.
All in all, the Europride parade was by far one of the best events I could have ever experienced. This celebration of diversity has made me accept myself even more, and has made me realize that I share the same problems and the same ideas with people from all over the world. Over 2 million people attended, gays and non-gays, and I’m proud to say that I was one of them. Next year, Europride 2008 will be held in Burgos and I can’t wait until then, because I will for sure be there!
The people of Spain are truly diverse and know how to have a great time. My entire tour of Spain has opened my eyes and has made me appreciate my life and my country more than ever. I have met people from all over the world and seen places that many people will never get to see. For this, I’m grateful and give thanks to all who made it possible.
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