Jessica on the Subway

Jessica on the Subway

Mi first parade, final chronicle

And so at the Zocalo, between looking the arrival of the other groups-cars, and taking pics here and there the parade came to an end. Just the walking part for the event was to continue.
Mariana very kindly waited with me while I was going here and there to take photos, until the clock told her it was her time to leave.

While being there we found a couple of the TvMex girls, that told us that the rest were either somewhere on the zocalo, or have already gone back.
And since my feet were already in Pain, and Mariana was going in the same direction as myself, I decided to go with her, and venture to take a ride on the subway in girl mode.

Mexico City subway its always an adventure on itself, and now I was going to go girl mode, But I was scared of it a bit, for the subway sometimes goes way to full with people, believe its horrible when it goes like that, had it been the case I would have opted to not go. But it went more normal, even part of the trip I went on a seat.
From there we arrived to Insurgentes station, Mariana walked to where she parked, and me back to the hotel to rest a little.

And so it ended my part on the LGBT parade.


Final thoughts.

After the parade, and putting my pics here, a couple of friends asked me things, a couple of question made me think a bit more than others, and so here are my answers, thoughts.

Question 1
Beside the nice moment, the fun, the thrill, does being at the parade left you something as Jessica, as a person??

Yes, its understandable that from the photos and chronicle, that it was mostly joy, emotion, nervousness, fun what went there.
But there was also a part of learning and growing by deciding to do something like it.

For Jessica I think it helped to grow a sense of friendship with some of the girls that walked with me, I sincerely think that to be part of it and share the thrill of it does create a sense of unity with those that participate with you.

As person, first I think that help in decreasing fears, for instance at a start one of my biggest fears of doing it were "what if someone sees me here" but as you walk, and with so many people both walking and seeing, it kind of looses importance to fear that. And yes one could argue that the effect of not fearing that its just for that time, that it will come back, and yes after the euphoria of doing it passes , it slowly returns, it does not fully returns, the level of fear indeed decreases in the long run, and less fear is a way of growing.
Another is self confidence, and it was more for what happened before and after walking, and yes a friend that told me that because of what day and the areas I went, it was expected to get lees weird looks, still not having one does increases that confidence to continue to go out.

Question 2
And did you achieve something by being part of it?? Or do you think something good is achieved of the parade existing??

That me going achieved something not for me, on itself maybe not, but after all some events that look for visibility are effective by the number of participants, and you can say, one more or one less would not be that different (with exceptions), well it is the add of all those one that make it as big as it get, so yes I did achieve increasing how many participated.
On another side I would like to think that those few people that decided to go out of the sideline to say "Hey you look really nice", or "I like your dress, where did you bought it", or just made a supporting smile, take with then a different impression (a good one) of what is like to be a tgirl, but I do concede what my friend said, perhaps they already had one.
Same things as with the photos, More photos were taken (that I noticed) than the ones I took, and yes I do saw that many of the people that took the photo did took it out of morbidity, or to have a pic to say "look from the parade, how could one be or go like that", but there were also the ones that took the photo from a different perspective, from the ones that "I want a photo of someone else that was part of the parade like me", or "This could turn into a nice photo (without regards of who the subject of the photo was)", or even as one person said to me after a photo "Its just that your image is so different, not like some others" (me thinks good image)

And as for what does the parade achieves in general, to star visibility, to tell people that there are people that are living in an specific way, hat are not that afraid (as to be part of it) of being them, that are capable of standing to be themselves.
Another friend who asked it, told me that the way some of the participants dressed or acted achieved more in creating a negative image than any other good thing. Reality is that comparing the outfits and attitudes with the carnival here, I really don’t see much difference. Yes there are exceptions to it, and yes some outfits or attitudes go way too much, definitively looking to defy, challenge or even disturb and alter the observer, but the most of them are not. And it is a thing that depends on the observer, to decide which part he gives more weight, that few ones that went on the wrong side or the most of them that put cheers, talent and imagination (and lots of costumes-outfit needs lot of it).

Kisses
Jessica