Masked Superhero and Faerie King

Narcisso and I and 500,000 of our closest friends threw a great costume carnival last night in West Hollywood! I think this was more fun than gay pride, since everyone was participating, everyone was "on parade," and there were no annoying barricades corraling folks into narrow, get-trampled-to-death pedestrian zones.

I was watching a CBS Evening News story last night about how kid-friendly Halloween has been hijacked by adults and sleazy costumes. I saw plenty of kids and parents traveling in packs trick-or-treating in my neighborhood. I also saw kids in West Hollywood dressed up, taking in all the craziness of the night. Halloween is for adults AND kids, for people of all ages. It's a night when anyone can wear a wig and make-up, eat disasterous amounts of candy, and revel in their community. Were it not for Halloween, I wouldn't be enjoying a day wearing fingernail polish, nor would I feel the kid in me remembering Halloweens from my childhood. It's hard to find things to celebrate these days, so I'm grateful for West Hollywood's open arms and the spirit of imagination and childhood enjoyed by so many last night. Sure, there were some drunken slobs momentarily dulling the ghoulish sheen of the night, but what I'll remember is a time apart from the daily grind, holding hands with Narcisso as we churned our way through pirates, monsters, super heroes, Bo Peeps, devils, women's sufferagettes, fawns, skeletons, nuns, knights, damsels, nurses, cheerleaders, Marie Antoinettes, and kittens. So lighten up, CBS. Let down your hair WITH your kids, trick AND treat!