Modern Vespa

It's June! Shoutout to any fellow Scooter Queers lurking around here.

Back at ya'! I'm out here in the California desert, just a short scooter ride north of Palm Springs. We get TWO Pride Months out here -- June (for those of us crazy enough to handle the heat) and November, when all the parades and stuff happen in downtown PS.

Happy Pride, y'all!

Sincerely and genuinely, thank you.



-Fellow Scooter Queer

Anyone have the old cannonball photo of the "Queers on Mopeds" hotel sign?


Does anyone else know what I'm talking about?

I believe this is the month they have the celebration in the city of St Petersburg, Florida
We've crossed paths with it on our vacations to St Pete Beach.
Folks look like they're having a good time!
Saturday my daughter purchased a shirt at the Yellow Springs street fair that says, "I'm headed to Florida with some drag queens and banned books!"

Yeah, she's not dumb. Living here in Ohio- the only place she can wear it is Yellow Springs 🙂

Kids, by the look of things...our only hope!
O.S.

While not a Scooter Queer, I get called one all the time! Can I be an honorary member? In all seriousness, Happy Pride month to all.

OBX Dude -- on behalf of myself and most likely many others who've stumbled onto this topic, I wish to welcome you to Munchkin Land...oh, wait...that's welcome you to the Scooter Queer Sisterhood. Or Brotherhood. Or Their-hood. Doesn't matter, really...we're all, in the original meaning of the word (16th century English, meaning "strange," "odd," or "eccentric") queer for scooters! Ride on, McDuff!

BTW -- I dig the Groucho Marx quote in your sig.

nope

I recently drove from Los Angeles to Telluride, Colorado for work and you don't have to get too far out of town to feel something different in the air. I want to make sure to state right here that everyone I interacted with along the way was uniformly nice and polite and respectful, but I did get a few glares here and there and I saw a lot of tough stuff communicated to the world at large in ways that you just understand when you see it.

When I pulled into Telluride, the first thing I saw was a rainbow flag hanging from a light pole. I'm not queer but I'm not like everybody else and when I saw that I knew I'd be a little more comfortable there than I might have been in some of the other places I passed through, and that's y'all's fault so be proud.

skids

There is nothing unnatural about being straight, or gay, or trans. These things have existed since the beginning of man. It is observed in the animal kingdom (yes, I know, we are animals as well, lol). It's a shame that certain people feel a need to vilify people that are different. If it's not gay people or trans people, it's another minority. Minorities are easy targets. I wish you all the best in your journey. The only advice that I have is keep loving people and pity those that hate others they don't even know.

+1

Having a trans kid has been a journey. I'm glad my wife and I have been able to be supportive as it must be sheer hell to face familial rejection on top of the other struggles. I can't say it's been easy as a parent... I thought I was cool with other gender identities, but the kid coming out as trans with their psychological struggles along with all the rest was challenging. But ultimately, people need to live their lives and you do with queer kids like the rest of them...you just love them.

I agree, there's something comforting about seeing Pride flags around.

Sapolsky has some pretty fascinating insights. Fascinating research.

But enough rambling...Happy Pride!

Happy pride everyone!

I'm straight.
I have two sons - one straight and married, one gay and married.
I have a daughter who is choosing to live single in an asexual lifestyle.

I am proud of them all.

They are all great people, who simply love whom they love.

Lovely to see the supportive parents in this thread!

Well I'm not a supportive parent but how about an ex-spouse?

My first wife and I were married from 1971 until 1999! To say it was hard to learn about her coming out as gay would be a major understatement! There was some tense moments back then but we managed to work through them in a very civil manner. This continues to today, she and her wife live in BC but we still exchange cards on Christmas and other occasions and even some humorous emails on "our" anniversary date! I was the only "non-blood relative" to be asked to be a pallbearer when her mom passed a few years back.

I think her "coming out" was also helpful for some of the younger people in the family who also came out a few years later.

Do I wish it had never happened? Yes!, but I am also happy she was able to find someone else.

ndeed. It's gut-wrenching to hear stories of parents who aren't. I've had a good friend for nearly 50 years, she's been on some rough journeys already, but recently wound up driving 4 hours to pick up her 16 y.o. grandson who got outed and immediately kicked out of the house. She's wrestling with her own understanding as well as trying to support a kid whose life is upside down.

And people wonder why we need Pride?

I've been straight my whole life, but my fraternal twin brother was gay. Sad thing is...he didn't tell me. I found out from our younger brother only six years before my twin died from the effects of AIDS. I saw him a couple of times over his last two years, but he was struggling with health issues by then. He was a tough guy, often tougher than me...damn people who belittle gays or say they are more sinful. We all try to do our best in this crazy world...love those people who have your back and make you smile.

That's a real story. You got caught in the crossfire. It's nice that you were asked to be a pallbearer. You both remain family.

I am glad to read this and other stories on this thread. I have had several parents of LGBTQ+ kids as therapy clients and I admire them greatly.

No one in my immediate family is LGBTQ+ (including me), but there is a long personal history of allyship. Two of my childhood best friends came out later in life (a third I lost touch with but I'm pretty sure was also gay).

My wife's previous boyfriend came out a few years after she and I met. He and Mrs. mpfrank stayed friends until his death by suicide. She is still friends with his daughter.

Both my daughters have had LGBTQ+ friends their whole lives and our home was always a welcoming place for them. In high school they used to hang out at The Abby in WEHO back when it was a coffee house.

In my professional life, I have had (and have) many LGBTQ+ colleagues and clients, as well as among the clinical therapist interns I train and supervise. At my counseling center, I supervise a Gay Men's Therapy Group and a general LGBTQ+ therapy group that the interns named "Queer Space".

None of this has seemed exceptional to me.

Whoooo-lawd! My late partner and I used to hang at The Abbey...seems like a zillion years ago!

When Trenchleton opened this thread -- June 10, 2024 -- mine was the first response. Yet, I was initially hesitant to post. Wasn't sure coming out as a "scooter queer" to this forum was a good idea. But at 70 years old, do I really care what anyone else thinks of me? Turns out, I needn't have worried.

I just wanted to thank Trenchleton who started this thread and to thank all y'all who responded. Lots of great stories -- some not so great -- but lots of great relationships and support, too. Even in a large community, it is still possible to feel totally alone. (Try breaking in as a screenwriter in Hollywood!) Being on MV -- and particularly this thread -- has been quite a benefit to my life. All from riding a couple of Vespas. Who knew?

Thanks.

Victor

Aw, I'm glad you're able to feel comfortable, Victor! We have friends in Joshua Tree - maybe we'll try and time our next visit in time for PS Pride in November!

Cool! Joshua Tree is just up the 62 from us, not far at all. November? Jim and I -- and both Vespas! -- will be here!

DYH1150

Victor, I have always enjoyed and look forward to your posts. Even though I am Straight, I think you are pretty cool.

The current social environment, being much more tolerant, has got to be good for everyone. Despite this, I expect there still are individuals who are guarded or cautious about their identity. I maintain, the future will be increasingly better for them.

Scooter folks have always been viewed as slightly metro-sexual.

Ride on Victor

Bob Copeland

Victor, glad you're "out" to MV. There must be a tremendous amount of tension in that regard. l You haven't been here that long, but I see MV as a great safe space. I've been around here long enough to know there's zero tolerance for BS here.

I'm not sure what it is about the Vespa/scooter community, but it seems to attract a wider variety of people. If you need to ride a loud beast to feel manly, you're going to struggle with a scooter (not saying you can't ride one, just that you may be less likely to be compensating). And, anyway, what's there not to be loved about scooters?

I was pleased to see this thread come to MV.

While I am a straight man, I have always felt that everyone should be who they are without judgement.

As I was growing up, I found out that, among my father's ten brothers and sisters, one brother and sister were gay.

His sister, June, visited us with her partner TK when I was in middle school, in the late 1960's. They were welcomed into our family.

My wife and I have many friends, but the two couples we get together with most are both gay men couples.

These men are very good friends that make our lives better through that relationship.

That they are gay is simply that they are, making no difference in our friendship.

While my wife has done yoga with one of the partners, I got his husband into scooters.

He bought an Xmax a few years ago.

We now ride to lunch at least once a month.

He has become one of my very best friends.

I am so pleased that the world has become more accepting of people leading different lifestyles.

I hope it can only get better, but I am concerned.

Bill

I feel all kinds of manly when I mount my ET2 50cc and buzz around tha' hood!

Scoots, quite simply, RAWK!

V.

Bill - my younger (2 yrs) brother is also gay. But we joke that he's about 1 pink feather boa away from DRAG RACE! 🤭 (I'm kidding, of course...well, he is gay, but he's not even close to doing drag!)

It was tough growing up gay in Mississippi, lemme tell ya'...

Victor

You could say I ride TWO loud beasts. Not because I need to prove anything, compensate or need attention. I built them because I love riding. I know what you mean though, plenty of those types out there.

I'm straight and a believer. It's none of my business if someone is gay or not. Not relevant. What is relevant is the type of human being you are. I give everyone the benefit of the doubt until they prove me wrong. I'm not perfect in anyway but I do strive to treat everyone as equals. I've said this before but worth repeating, MV is a wonderful community of people of all types. How can I not love everyone here equally?

A few years back my wife and myself agreed to let her friend of many years come live at our home to get his life back on track. He had stopped doing drugs and needed a new environment to help him keep moving forward. Was he gay? Yes. Was it difficult? Yes. Not cause he was gay but because of his addictions and trust. He stayed over a year then found a new place. I believe within 6 months he passed away due to complications with his previous drug use.

I can't imagine how difficult it must be for someone to deal with the hate that gets dished out in this world.

Victor, don't think I've forgotten about getting a date shake with you down there. Soon as it cools off I'm heading over! We might have to hit Hadley's and Windmill Market.🤔

Everyone else, scoot on!

Dude -- you PROMISE it's going to cool off??? 😉 🛵 🛵

It better!