Gay Place

POST PRIDEMATIC STRESS SYNDROME

Actually, as of press time, there's no stress here at the Gay Place at all. This year's post-Pride cigarette, unlike last year's (which, due to the Austin Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce's ridiculous public grandstanding of its inner turmoil, never got lit), is being enjoyed in the rapturous arms of lovers and friends on both sides of the QueerBomb and Austin Pride 2010 aisle for some post happy gayness glow. Austin, don't you beat all? You take a fracas and turn it into a fandango. Which is not to say that peace soaks in the valley like so much oil in the Gulf. No, there are still fissures to salve (or not) and dollars to count, so the story is not really over. But this week, we take a moment to enjoy well-earned smoke rings and reflect on an amazing weekend. Our full coverage happens online at both the Gay Place Blog and The Austin Chronicle Pride Guide, which we will be updating continually with links, photos, and videos. In the meantime, our personal favorite moments from the weekend?

• Bishop Yvette Flunder daring to compare and validate the struggles of LGBTQI etc. to the civil rights movement on Thursday at the Multifaith Pride Service.

• The entertainingly drama-fueling and comedic rhetoric voiced by AGLPV to the Chronicle regarding the emergence of QueerBomb. Seriously, even Mario Cantone scissoring Sandra Bernhard would have been hard-pressed to come up with "people who identify as nonheteronormative." Surely there is an honorary degree in Dada for Mr. Peevy in this somewhere?

• Council Member Randi Shade warmly delivering the mayor's official proclamation of QueerBomb Day (June 4) and Silky Shoemaker's stunning speech to a crowd of 1,000-plus gathered on Brushy prior to the march.

• LZ Love, Nakia, the Lisa Marshall Band, and Amy Cook leading the Queer Up Charlie's crowd in an uplifting version of the Staples Singers' "If You're Ready (Come Go With Me)"/"I'll Take You There." And the surprise acoustic Pansy Division set that followed.

There is so much more to tell you and so much more to report. We invite you, dear readers, to share links and media with us as well by e-mailing gayplace@austinchronicle.com. Please join us online at austinchronicle.com/gay.