who's proud now?

After much controversy, the Belgrade Gay Pride Parade happened today...and so did violent clashes in the streets between anti-gay extreme right groups and the police. The local tv news at one point declared a "successful end" to the parade--i guess "successful" because a few hundred homosexuals walked across town and no one got killed--while meanwhile fighting continued all afternoon all over the city. Hm.

So was it worth the chaos? Was it worth destroying the city for? I mean, who benefited from the mess and media drama? Are the gays more proud? Are the hooligans less angry? I don't think the armor-clad RoboCops beat any of them into being more tolerant. And I don't think the gays made any new friends by insisting on an event that everyone knew would only end in violence. (By the way, if you're proud to be something, why not just be it? Why do you need a parade?) All were just pawns in someone else's game.

What a waste of a beautiful autumn Sunday.