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Originally uploaded by nojam75.
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Originally uploaded by nojam75.
Retired Colonel Grethe Cammermeyer rides on the Wells Fargo Stage Coach as the Grand Marshal for the 2006 Portland Pride Parade.
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Originally uploaded by nojam75.
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Originally uploaded by nojam75.
While Scott, Kevin & Kevin, and I waited for the parade to begin, an anti-gay fundamentalist protester (in the red shirt) argued with parade announcers Derek & Romaine from SIRIUS Satellite Radio. Although I couldn't hear everything the protester argued, it sounded like the typical anti-gay rant (abomination, vain lifestyle, unhappy).
Although it would seem like not engaging the protester would have been a safe tactic, Derek & Romaine did argue with the protester and their exchange was very entertaining. Although a couple of people unsuccessfully attempted to calmly engage with the protester, he eventually moved off the street before the parade arrived. The protester returned once during the parade. I'm not sure what happened, but a couple of police officers seemed to pursue him.
Interestingly, the protester mentioned something about lesbian suicide which could have referred to a study publicized by Focus on the Family last week. The study determined that lesbian and bisexual Canadian, female teens had significantly higher attempted suicide rates than the straight teen women in the study. However, according to WayneBesen.com, the study's principal investigator said the population survey study cannot be used to determine cause and effect.
Last Saturday, Sheena, Scott, and I were shocked to stumble upon something you'll never see in Oregon tourist brochures: beaches for cars. Like most of Oregon, we tried to escape the inland heat at the coast. However, Cannon Beach was packed, of course. So we headed north. We thought we were avoided the ugliness by skipping Seaside, but then we discovered Del Ray Beach and Sunset Beach.
When we first arrived, we made the mistake of parking in the parking lot and walking to the beach. While walking, cars raced passed us and driving onto the beach! When got to the beach, it looked like a WalMart parking lot! As lifelong Oregon residents, Sheena and I were dumbfounded. We had no idea.
It was the most disappointing thing we could imagine. We drove up to Ft Stevens park and had a great time at the Peter Iredale beach and tried to put the ugliness behind us.
