Good morning, Netizens...

Our picture of the day, shot by the San Francisco Chronicle on Sunday by Mark Costantini, shows an interesting cross-section of the population of one of my favorite cities as they watch the Gay Pride Parade weave through the city. According to the piece which accompanied an entire set of pictures of crowd responses, the Drag Queen Float had just passed by this area moments before, and the perplexed looks of some of the elderly people in the foreground of the picture seem to suggest they are asking, “What the HECK was THAT?”

Incredible as it might seem, I would tentatively propose that some of America's elderly, among others, may be still somewhat confused by the gay/lesbian/transgendered evolution taking place in contemporary society. It isn't that they are or are not alienated against the proponents of the movements involved; in fact, some of the folks with whom I have spoken live somewhat isolated lives with little or limited access to television or print media. While that might seem an outrageous statement for me to make, these people exist; it is just they seldom appear and live isolated lives.

Here is a question that is apt to raise some eyebrows. If you were amenable to such change, how would you go about introducing members of Dykes on Bikes or a pair of utterly outrageous Drag Queens to an elderly live-alone isolated man or woman? How would you compassionately go about explaining the social changes taking place in American society to someone who does not stay in tune with television?

Dave

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