r/mopolitics • u/Stunning_Living9637 • 2d ago
Observations from the parades supporting two different beloved local cultural festivals: one in a red rurality and one in a blue city.
A Pride parade in Portland and a Pioneer Day parade in Utah have a lot in common. And some interesting contrasts.
(I don't think it matters specifically that this is Pioneer Day, I think you would see the similar patterns with any cultural festival in a very red rural area. Nothing here is intended as a specific comment/critique of Utah culture - this is intended as a red and blue culture discussion.)
Similar things:
- People take genuine pride and joy in these celebrations. People feel safe and happy - joy and feelings of community unity are palpable.
- Both parades had some (small percentage of the whole) elements that I felt were too edgy to be considered "family friendly". In the pride parade there was a group furries that had this really angry intense vibe that I thought was over the top in a lot of ways and really brought down the positive vibes. At the pioneer day parade there were multiple militia type groups who had military-style weapons and zip ties and were exuding a sense of threat, anger, and excitement to do violence. Both of these displays gave me the "oof do I really have to explain to my kids why THAT is a thing in our culture?". Both of these groups had gas masks and other sorts of masks that made their appearance alienating and threatening.
- Both parades had surprising numbers of references to monarchy in a positive light. In the Pioneer Day displays the only monarch mentioned was Jesus/Lord. The pride displays were in support of a confusing array of kings and queens, most of them never even being named specifically.
- As someone who lives in Portland, I found that the Pride parade felt comfortable, and the Pioneer Day parade made me uncomfortable. I think someone from the Pioneer Day parade would feel equally uncomfortable at the Pride parade. So both of the parades make a person feel alienated or not based on political valance.
- Both parades celebrate the feelings of liberation and pride experienced by minorities with nonstandard family practices finally obtaining a setting (either geographically or culturally) where they can be themselves.
- Both parades had a significant number of displays sponsored by local businesses. Local businesses were proud and eager to be seen supporting the parade.
Different things:
- The presence of weapons in the displays. At one parade there were no weapons of violence (not even riding crops) except for bubble guns. At one parade there were tools of violence all over the place, often brandished in a threatening manner.
- Overt partisan symbolism was intense at the Pioneer Day display and almost absent at the Pride display. The Pioneer Day parade had displays from multiple Republican Party entities and the crowds responded very positively to them. There was lots of MAGA headwear. The pride parade had one Democratic Party display, and people were unenthusiastic about it.
- There were no LGBTQ displays of any nature at the Pioneer Day parade. There were several religious groups who had displays in the Pride parade. This lead to a very surprising turn of events which is that one of my children partook of the body and blood of Christ for the first time at the pride parade. One of the pastors was giving out these sealed single serve communions to people on the side of the road as their display proceeded along the parade route. One of my kids tried it, but the other was creeped out by the body/blood thing. So at least my kid who is snackish is saved now.
- The outfits at the Pride parade were much more revealing than the outfits at the Pioneer Day event.
- I received an exorcism at the Pride parade (in the form of some sage smoke wafted at me by an indigenous person with the wing of a bird), but was offered no assistance with demons or bad spirits at the Pioneer Day parade.
- I saw more curse words on t-shirts and bumper stickers at the Pioneer Day parade than at the Pride parade. I was kind of surprised not to see a bunch of anti Trump profanity in messaging at Pride. In contrast, there was a lot of cursing language and violent imagery around in the rural place. Strong communications were directed against liberals in general, woke symbology, Muslims, immigrants, and specific Democratic politicians going back as far as Clinton.
- There were no anti-religious slogans or creeds waved at the Pride parade. The Pioneer Day parade included usage of images on flags of a homo/transphobic proclamation to the world.
- The Pride parade has displays about far more specific government policy than the Pioneer Day parade. The Pride parade had multiple displays with slogans like "healthcare is a human right" and things in support of a living wage. The Pioneer Day parade had a lot of political messaging, but it was less about specific policies and more about exuding hostility and threat displays.
- There was no visible police presence at the Pride parade, but lots of it at the Pioneer Day parade. At the Pride parade, traffic control was done by event volunteers. At the Pride event, security was unarmed "street safety" type of people. At the Pioneer Day parade, the security people had deadly weapons on display.
