That was a roller coaster of an experience tonight. Was a concert before the parade and full festival tomorrow. Pictures later my phone is super dead right now.
So, the evening started out bad. Really, really bad. Apparently there was a second event going on nearby, literally half a mile away, and I followed the wrong signs. Paid 10 bucks for parking for the privilege of following some rednecks into a parking garage. I am not sure I've ever felt like a bigger idiot in my life. I was misgendered immediately, which threw me off because at that point I was still thinking it was pride related parking, and wound up just beyond embarrassed and sick to my stomach. Got my car and went to the right place, already a bit soured. Perked up a bit when I paid the cover for the concert, because one of the people at the front was an older trans woman and so I immediately felt like I was less alone after having been among a few scantily clad gay men as I had walked to the grounds. The volunteer girls doing wrist bands were so sweet, almost had identical shoes to one and a very similar watch band and her friend was freaking out over it.
So I wandered around a bit, getting the feel for the area. Wasn't small but wasn't huge. I've been to far bigger festivals and far smaller of late. (The parade and festival tomorrow will be same place so should be about the same size.) Music was going, what you'd expect. Dancy pop, the obligatory remixes of Lady Gaga, etc. I spent way too much money. Immediately I got the trans flag and put it on like a cape. Because when else am I going to be able to wear a cape? I also bought a trans flag bracelet and a trans heart pin to go with my flag pin. Had a delicious but way too expensive slushy. Got a picture of the proof that despite it being a pride event it was still Georgia: The "Gator on a Stick" food truck. Tried said gator on a stick. It was... not good. I like gator tail a lot, but this was too fatty and had been seasoned way too salty even for me. Good gator meat is lean and perfect white mean. So that was a waste of 10 bucks. (It was huge, but even then not worth 10 bucks. But... I'm a sucker for food trucks.) I did not come prepared, went and bough an italian ice that I them took about 4 bites of before accidentally pouring on the ground because I was just an idiot all night.
Had two big scares but learned if nothing else: The people at the event are super honorable. I was wearing an overshirt I should not have, so hung my stuff over fence to take it off and tie it around my waste then put back on cape. And I left my purse hanging there, with my keys, wallet, and phone in it. For 10 minutes before I realized what I had done. Ran back and it was untouched! Then I got some other food, went to sit down and realized... the shirt I had tied around my waist was missing and it had both my pins in it as well! New and old. So I rushed around looking for it, and it was just sitting there untouched. I mean, it had been a while, I had waited on the food and everything. (Jerk chicken wrap. Delicious but... had what were either tiny pieces of bone or a stemmy herb that wasn't prepped right, and was off putting having to pick like... shards of whatever it was out of my mouth. Honestly, probably the herbs, but I am careful about herbs with my own cooking for a reason.)
Anyway, I'm burying the lede.
So after about 45 minutes... I'm feeling alone and isolated. I'm questioning what I'm doing there. I mean, no one was judging me... but did I truly fit in? Well, right as I was getting ready to give up and leave, someone runs up to me and says something I can't hear over the music, and gives me the biggest hug. This guy was gorgeous, I mean like movie star gorgeous. I am not sure I've ever seen a more attractive human being in person in my life. What he had said was "thank you for repping the flag" because of my cape. Turns out he is ftm for about 4 years, never would have guessed in a billion years. We talked for a minute, but he was actually a volunteer and had to get back to it. So I felt a lot better, and then immediately a second person runs and gives me a huge hug as well and just says you're gorgeous! The second person was another trans girl, Aaleyah, who I am now friends with on twitter. We talked for a bit, and I just... In the span of 5 minutes I went from feeling isolated and alone, questioning everything, my role in the community, my place in life... to feeling loved and at home. I stayed another hour and 15 minutes or so, and only left because of logistics. (The wig was starting to really irritate my transplant area, I had to use the bathroom, my phone was dead, and I needed water and stuff. I did not come prepared at all.) So I headed out, but begrudgingly.
Bigger events tomorrow, but now I know how to properly prepare. I'm taking my tote, not the purse, stocked with water bottles. No dumb overshirt in Georgia summer weather. No wig, scarf and sun hat. Something to actually tie the cape through the holes, and not just be knotted around my neck like I'm a kid wearing a towel playing superheros. I mean, it's still a cape, but somehow that feels like a more mature cape? Fully charged phone, and nothing on me that I can't put in the toot or risk losing.
