I’d say this one was of the best Prides so far. By the time I arrived at the staging area, MAP and Asian Impact were already loading up the truck with the candy, water, and packets. Obviously, because we were actually in the parade, it was hard to see the front and tail end of it, but from what we saw around us, the participants were revved up, in costume, and ready to rock.

City councilman, Sam Yoon stopped by to say hi and take a picture. He told me his daughter’s name was Mimi too, and I said, “Oh, then she must be very pretty.” Heh heh.

Once the horns sounded, the parade was off, and QAPA, MAP, AI, and Masala were on the move. Our banners were raised high and the fuchsia really made them stand out — they looked awesome. All our volunteers (including Scooter) were decked out in the sashes and bandannas that Ellen had made and my only regret was that she wasn’t at Pride to see them in action.

There was so much energy from the crowd. They didn’t even know what we were passing out, but they still wanted it! Sex-packets and Starburst were stuffed into people’s eager hands. We were cheered and whistled at; we really felt the love that day.

Scoots on the move

I dare say the star of the show was our mascot, Scoots, who displayed her rainbow streamers with pride. As we blazed the parade route, I heard (gay) men, women, and children squeal when they saw Scoots approaching. It was sheer madness!

Words don’t do QAPA’s Pride experience justice, so try this video on for size: