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The Annual Castro Street Fair was held today, 10/4/92, in The City of course. My new friend, China Boy, asked if I'd like to go with him. I ended up driving because I have a better car stereo, well van stereo. We had a very good time. He's tired right now, he's sleeping in my bed. I think I wore the poor young thing out! He's only twenty five. Gosh it was great! There were thousands of queers and dykes there. I hope those words don't bother you, I use them with great respect. I'm queer and mighty proud of it, so is he, I like that about him, I like him. Being there with him added to my day, a hand to hold, a guy I have feelings for, another queer - like me. We ran into quite a few friends there, some of mine, some of his. There was one cute Asian guy that we both knew, and we just found that out by chance. So many cuties! The streets were packed, so full at times you could not move. The City blocked off many streets, parking was not easy, but we got lucky and saw a pair of cuties pulling out of a space nearby. And then we hit the streets. I had worn a long sleeve denim shirt, tee shirt underneath, a jacket on the back seat just in case. A nice day in Sunnyvale is no promise of good weather in The City, but as it turned out it was amazingly warm and clear, forget warm, it was hot. So were the guys. As soon as we parked I stripped down to the T-shirt, well I left my jeans on too, I'm shy. We walked two blocks to the Castro and there it all was. Merchants by the hundreds selling everything from food, to beer, to T-shirts, jewelry, art, you name it. One of the first booths we came to was run by GAPA, the Gay And Pacific Asians. They had this really cool T-shirt that said "Queer 'N Asian" and I encouraged him to get one. He went to an ATM at the corner of Market and Castro, got some money and bought the shirt. I didn't have to ask him to put it on, he did right away, and I took the shirt he had worn and put it around my waist like the kids do. Fun already, ten minutes after we got there. There was not a single cloud in the sky, the sun was powerful and warm, it had to be at least 85 outside, in October, in The City. I'm starting to see a pattern here, it was like that in June for the parade. As if The City loves it's gays so much, it always makes a nice day for our events. If there were any Republicans there they were keeping it to themselves, in a closet, where they belong. I bought a Clinton Gore button, I told them to keep up the good work. Later on, around the corner on Eighteenth Street, we found my T-shirt heaven. I think it was called the T-shirt factory, not sure, but they had the best selection of gay theme T-shirts I have ever seen, and at modest prices too. China Boy just got up, he's taking pictures of me typing, I hope his shutter is quick! I'll tell you more about the new shirts later, they are in the dryer now, mine and his. It's a big load so I'm using the machine. I bought four shirts there for twenty dollars, and all were good Hanes shirts. One of them said "FAG" in big rainbow colored letters. I changed shirts right there on the street, a few people saw the little patch of hair on my chest, I had to wear it right away. At the corner of 18th and Castro there is a store called High Gear. I had seen this shirt there a few weeks ago, (he just kissed me) it was really cool. Two cute young guys, draped in the American flag, bare chested and probably more, holding up a condom. They told me it was a few years old, out of print, two left in the store. I bought the one that was my size. It will feel good having those two cuties right next to my skin. Eighteen dollars, well worth it. It's a gay thing. We saw a PFLAG booth, I went up to this guy named Daryl and told him how great I felt about what they do, Parents and Friends of Gays and Lesbians. Fantastic people! I picked up a brochure for a kid that just Came Out to me on my gay BBS this weekend. He is 21 and he wants to tell his parents, but he is afraid they will throw him out, a Vietnamese family, he is full of fear and remorse. The poor kid thinks he is bad because he is gay. This world needs a lot of changes. China Boy just ran out to Taco Bell so I could stay here and type. He's sweet. The shirts are out of the dryer now, and here comes China Boy with the food. I'm going to take a little break, I'll be back in a linefeed or two. Ahhh, two Chicken Fajitas and one Chicken Burrito later, Bud Dry to wash it down, OK, here's an inventory of today's shirts. 1) It's like a comic strip, in color, three panels. At the top it says "Dick Around?", below it there is one panel of Dick Tracy kissing Superman, then one of Dick Tracy kissing Robin (Cutie Alert), then Dick Tracy flicking his tongue against Batman's tongue. At the bottom it says "Safe Sex Every Time". I think it's cute. 2) "I'm Straight NOT" 3) A picture of the Golden Gate Bridge with a huge pink triangle under it. It says "San Francisco". 4) The one I paid $18 for at High Gear, two cuties, nude from the waist up, a flag, a condom, and the words "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness". 5) My favorite, the one I wore today, "FAG" in bold rainbow colors. 6) A huge emblem that greatly resembles the Pepsi logo, but instead of saying "Pepsi" it says "Sperm", on the bottom it says "2 liter". Can you imagine how many homophobes I can offend and annoy with this wonderful new collection of shirts ? China Boy got one of the "Sperm" shirts too. I guess we could wear them together somewhere. sometime. I love the First Amendment! I love queers. We had some interesting food, we drank lots of sodas and iced tea, it was hot. I sent a post card to George Bush, some group concerned with womyns reproductive rights had a booth, I told him to get off the backs of women and gays, I told him I will be partying next month when he loses, I gave him my name and address. I signed up as a charter subscriber to a new gay magazine, Ten Percent. It was a liberating day, empowering, noble. The scenery was fantastic. The people were all happy. Some guy with a video camera asked if he could tape China Boy and myself, he in his "Queer 'N Asian" shirt, mine that says "FAG", it was fun, I had my arm around him. I got this great poster from the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. Three panels again, in one there are four gay guys, an Asian, a Mexican, a Black man and a white man, one has a shirt that says "Safe Sex" - the caption says "The Moral Majority". In the second panel a white man is hugging his black male lover, the caption says "Family Values". In the third panel there is a big picture of a condom, the caption says "The Right to Life". China Boy helped me to hang it on the wall in my bedroom. Lots of groups were handing out free condoms, I got a few to replenish my collection. They will get good use. There was free HIV testing on 18th street, I skipped it because I would have to go back to The City for results. I should go down to Lentzen St in San Jose again soon though, it has been five months. Still negative after all these queers, still negative, still negative (apologies to Paul Simon). There was a booth on Market Street giving out free whistles. I took one and put it on my keychain. If anyone tries to bash me I can use it to hail an ambulance for them, or an undertaker. Some guy on this board I call thinks I'm a radical queer.
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