I want you all to know that I love my topic. I couldn’t be more passionate about it, in fact. But as the Sex and Relationships Editor here at Girls Guide to the Galaxy, I often wait awhile before I see an event that really pertains to my content. GreekFest is all about that baklava and the STL Craft Mafia sees to it that Saint Louis has a plethora of art fairs showcasing the crafty goodness of our citizens. Sure, I will be all over the place come February, but things are pretty dry in between. So imagine how thrilled I was when Courtney reminded me that PrideFest 2009 falls under my jurisdiction. (Thanks, Courtney!)

PrideFest is an amazing time. They have an awesome pet parade, and there are drag queens. A lot of drag queens, actually. (IMHO, you can never have enough drag queens!) But above all, PrideFest is a celebration of love. The love our lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered neighbors, friends and family have for each other and their community. I don’t know that I could find a better example of something to be proud of.

This weekend, St. Louisans will be going out in full force to show their support for that love. The dirty d’s are as follows:

PrideFest STL 2009
June 27th and 28th
Tower Grove Park, at the corner of Arsenal and Grand
11 am – 8 pm, both days
FREE, ‘cause the STL is cool like that!

PrideFest STL 2009 will have fan-frigging-tastic entertainment all weekend, from Sandra Bernhard (Yep, the funny chick that did Madonna. Well, one of the many, I presume.) to The Well-Hungarians. The Pet Parade kicks off at 12:00 pm on Saturday, so grab Fluffy or Muffy, pretty them up in an outrageous costume and bring them along for the fun. Want to see real love in action? Commitment ceremonies start at 3:00 pm and will take place in the parks’ Stupp Center. If you just can’t get gay enough, you can also boogie down with Nancy Novak and Girl Friday Promotions at Novak’s (4121 Manchester Ave), St. Louis’ fabulous gay bar (a majorly good hang!) as they party down at the “ULTRA WHITE PARTY” from 7:00 pm to 3:00 am. General admission is $15, with VIP tickets going for $25

Sunday, cleanse those sins away (because you know you + weekend + Pride Party Time = massive sinning) at “Mass on the Grass,” an Episcopal mass at 10:00 am in Tower Grove Park, led by the Christ Church Cathedral, a church that in their own words, “makes explicit our welcome of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people into the ministries and life of this congregation…” Gotta love the inclusiveness! Wind things up with the ever-fabulous PrideFest 2009 Parade at 12:00pm. Be sure to find a spot on the parade route by start time so you can grab some schwag as the floats go by! Hello, dykes on bikes! Sandra Bernhard is the Grand Marshal of the parade this year, so even more outrageousness will abound.

But why should you take my word for it? Here are a few more reasons to go, from people that would love to see you there:

“What started as a 500-person gathering in Forest Park 30 years ago has become one of the largest gay pride festivals anywhere in the U.S. Each year, it draws over 80,000 people in a celebration of life, equality and freedom from persecution.”
- Darin “DSly” Slyman, Associate Publisher, The Vital Voice

On what to expect at PrideFest 2009:

“Diversity, inclusion, tolerance and learning something about others… oh, and maybe about yourself!”
- Gilberto Pinela, co-host of STL TV’s “Best of STL”

“As a straight ally, I go to support my friends. And seeing all of those businesses and the people that go to support, that’s really refreshing to me!”
- Pamela Raymond, owner of The Raymond Experience, sponsor of the ULTRA White Party

I couldn’t have said it better myself. Which is why I let them do it. But they’re absolutely right. Head to PrideFest STL for an amazing weekend of fun, inclusion and of course, the aforementioned drag queens. Seriously. I love ‘em!