September 17, 2003

Photo Essay: Birds of Paradise

I admit that the inspiration for this photo essay came to me by way of a recent article in the NYT about the scintillating life of "Studio 54"-icon James St. James (now turned into a major motion picture, featuring the career-resurrection of "Home Alone"'s Macaulay Culkin).

For a long time I hesitated to make the images I took at the 1997 and 1998 San Francisco Gay and Lesbian Pride parades public - mainly due to their bizarre and controversal nature. But no longer.

Prudes, rednecks, republicans, and the faint-of-heart take note: Don't bother with perusing these images. You'll just whip yourself in a tizzy, sitting there at the computer, mumbling obscenities and curses about the general "lack of god-fearing respect these people have", while staring at the leather miniskirts, fake eyelashes and exposed nipples in these images.

For the open-minded though who relish San Francisco's unique diversity and share their love of freedom of expression: Go Ahead. Peruse.
And be amazed by these human Birds of Paradise, delighted by their beauty, impressed by their courage, enthralled by their creativity - or in the very least, amused by their fashion mistakes.