u/BicyclingBro

it feels a bit silly that all i wanted to do is dance to Confessions II, which is such a beautiful love letter to the dance floor and all the power and healing and connection that can happen on it, and yet the one area of the venue that was even remotely cool enough to dance in was not playing Madonna most of the night.

it’s especially unfortunate because i genuinely really loved the DJs in 9BN, and their music was fantastic. i truly would love to come to their party (and intend to look them up after this); however, the party i wanted to go to was a Madonna party. the entire reason i went out tonight was to dance to this magnificent new album, and i’m a bit saddened that i didn’t really get to do that.

i understand that heat waves carry significant logistical challenges and i’m sure there are so many complexities involved in planning anything like this that i do not understand, and i really do not mean to disrespect any of that work. that being said, i cannot deny that i’m a bit disappointed to have gone out to go dancing to an album about dancing and found myself unable to really dance to it. i wound up leaving when i realized that the train ride home would both be cooler and i would actually be able to listen to Madonna.

i’m hoping that the Madonna Gayflower boat party will, i don’t know, play Madonna. apparently that is actually a bit of an ask.

that aside, happy fourth everyone 🏳️‍🌈

Howdy you lovely goofy homos.

Now that Pride has finally wrapped up, I wanted to again provide a little space for people to discuss how this year’s Pride treated you. Feel free to discuss any fun adventures, heartbreaks, new friends, new loves, anything and everything!

For organization’s sake, I’ll make several top-level threads below based around all the events that can come to my mind so that people can provide their own experiences, reviews, and recommendations of particular events, but please don’t limit yourself to what I happened to be able to think of! Feel free to post any events you found yourself in, join others’ conversations, or just talk about anything.

Love ya all <3

#🏳️‍🌈

This is so cringe and self-aggrandizing to the point that I hate it, but I’m on a cab ride to a Pride party right now, I’ve been on Tren for a month, and I’ve had some silly thoughts, so pls forgive me.

I suppose I just wanna take a second to say a very genuine thanks to all you goofy ass fuckers. I still find it kinda fucking hilarious that I of all people wound up involved in what I guess is a loosely PED-oriented male self-improvement and gym community, because — and I’m sure this is news to you all — *as a homosexual*, the gym was really never one of those spaces that I ever felt comfortable in for the vast majority of my life. Growing up, I was your pretty typical skinny shy smart kid, easily the top of my class but painfully awkward and incredibly unathletic. Like a lot of self-professed smart kids, I pretty quickly took that lack of athleticism and my insecurity over fitness and everything and twisted it into a kind of perverse virtue; it wasn’t that I sucked shit at sports, but rather that I was an *intellectual* who was above such frivolous matters as fitness or sports or being popular or whatever.

Realizing I was into guys just compounded things. I already felt super out of place in gym class, and now to make things even worse, all these guys that I already really struggled to relate to turned out to be what I was attracted to, which was really rather annoying.

College made things a lot better, but also complicated things a bit, as I made the incredibly unfortunate discovery that hot people can, in fact, also be nice and smart and generally lovely all around, which made it a lot harder to look at my weak ass in the mirror and tell myself my old “you’re an intellectual” cope shit. That kind of stops working once you meet a bunch of annoyingly hot smart people.

It wasn’t really until after college during the pandemic that I really got into fitness, mostly by accident. I’d decided to learn how to ride a bike as an excuse to get outside, since one of the downsides of growing up miles from civilization in the middle of the woods is that I never did that, and after several months I realized that I’d accidentally stumbled into a genuine exercise routine. I started doing some basic body weight exercises, eventually got some adjustable dumbbells and a bench, and after several months, for the first time in my fucking life, I realized that I’d actually put on a bit of muscle, and it felt really really great.

I’d always been interested in steroids, on an academic level I told myself, and so I eventually stumbled on this random guy named Derek on YouTube and found my way to all you goofballs. Now, to be clear, you all are insane, but also, you’re pretty much the first group of straight guys I’ve ever really been able to relate to this in this kind of bro-y way. My vision for this subreddit has always been a kind of supportive gym locker room kind of vibe, which is I suppose kind of funny, because I’ve never actually really experienced that myself (or more, shall we say that the locker room at my personal gym is probably a very different vibe lmao). I guess it’s maybe what I wish I had in middle and high school, but never felt was possible for me because I was too awkward and nerdy and then fucking gay.

But yeah, all of this is to say, despite all the chaos and madness of this place, I really appreciate all you guys and what we have here. Past all the memes and measurements and the strange conspiracies that tinyhermione is secretly a small Indian boy, I think a lot of good stuff does happen in this place. At the very least, you guys have given this goofy small town gay guy an incredibly unexpected community of fellow gym bros that I never thought I’d have, and I’m really thankful for it. It’s hard to describe that incredibly sharp sensation of feeling like you don’t belong in fitness spaces if you haven’t felt it, and so again, I really appreciate you guys for showing me what it feels like to be one of gym bros like I never thought I could be.

So with that, happy Pride bros.

(About to walk into this party now and my ex is here; wish me fucking luck lmao)

L: 7.5”
G: one way to find out

tl;dr, everything is canceled, automatic refunds, some legal shenanigans are probably forthcoming.

> It is with profound disappointment that I must announce the cancellation of ALEGRIA PRIDE 2026, including both the Sunday events at 99 Scott and the Monday VIVA + SUNRISE events. > > This is one of the most difficult messages I have ever had to write. > > Last week, less than two weeks before the event, we were informed for the first time by 99 Scott that the outdoor space, which was the centerpiece of our Pride celebration, was not permitted to operate with amplified music beyond 11PM. This directly conflicts with the event schedule and operating conditions that had been represented to us and included in our agreement with the venue. > > We were further informed that significant issues existed regarding the legal operating capacity and permitted use of the event space. As a result, it became impossible for us to deliver the event that was promised to our customers and that ALEGRIA has always been known for.
> > For 26 years, ALEGRIA has built its reputation on delivering exactly what we sell. The outdoor area at 99 Scott was the centerpiece of the event and an essential part of both the event’s capacity and overall experience. Once we learned that the space could not legally operate under the conditions represented to us, there was no practical way to proceed. > > The number of tickets already sold could not be accommodated in the remaining indoor space, and with less than two weeks before the event there is no alternative venue capable of hosting an event of this size. Continuing under those circumstances would have been irresponsible to our customers and impossible to execute properly. > > Because the Sunday main event cannot take place, Monday’s events must also be canceled. VIVA + SUNRISE was conceived as an afterparty beginning immediately after ALEGRIA+WOW at 5AM, These events were not designed to exist independently. With the cancellation of ALEGRIA + WOW, the first portion of that experience no longer exists. Since most Monday admissions were sold as part of 2-Day Passes, proceeding with VIVA + SUNRISE as standalone events would not be consistent with what was marketed and sold to our customers. > > All ticket holders will receive a full refund. No action required. Additional information regarding the refund process will be communicated shortly. > > The financial damage to our company is substantial. Beyond the direct losses, countless hours of planning, production, marketing, staffing, travel arrangements, and preparation have been invested in this event. We are currently evaluating all available legal options regarding the circumstances that led to this cancellation. > > Most importantly, I want to personally apologize to every customer, DJ, performer, staff member, sponsor, and supporter who planned to celebrate Pride Weekend with us. Many of you have already made travel arrangements and other commitments, and I understand the frustration, disappointment, and inconvenience this causes. > > In more than 25 years of producing ALEGRIA, cancellations have been extraordinarily rare. Anyone who knows me knows that I would never cancel an event unless there was absolutely no other responsible option. > > Thank you for your support, your understanding, and your loyalty throughout the years. You deserve better than this, and for that I am deeply sorry.