Recently, I was privileged to be able to participate in the Halifax Natal Day Parade. I was with a float representing Hal-Con, Halifax’s sci-fi,fantasy & gaming convention run completely by much-too-dedicated volunteers. We had a truck and a whole bunch of people in cosplays of various style, including sci-fi, fantasy, steampunk, anime, board and video games, and some original characters. For the occasion, I made a pink “Pride in Star Trek” (The Next Generation) uniform, as shown below.

The concept was real simple, and recognizable, as it would have to be for the masses to “get it” when they saw it. The Star Trek TNG uniforms didn’t come in pink so that was the obvious colour to make it to symbolize Pride, especially if it’s a guy like me wearing it. Rainbow stripes as in the Rainbow Flag was just too much for the mid-section where you see the pink.

To give the uniform flare, though, I picked a bright shiny pink. Then, on the black section, I got a feminine black leaf and flower jacquard print (black on black) that gave the uniform some details as well.

To top it off, for the pips, I used metallic origami paper on heavy duty double sided tape because it was only for the Pride Parade. That’s where I used the Rainbow Flag colours, though, instead of the regular gold/black pips on Star Trek, TNG. I made them extra large so people could see them from far away. This was about visibility, not costume accuracy, although the black shapes were pretty accurate in proportions. The top bottom edge of the black was horizontal, unlike what they seem in the pictures, because I hastily draped the uniform on the dress form for a photo before going to bed late one night.

I forgot to wear my pin in the Parade, though. Shame on me! But tons of people “got it” as so many were wanting pictures of me in it! With all those pictures taken, I just hope I don’t get branded, or remember, as the “gay Vulcan” with my ears and make up put on by my friend Lucia Dodaro. I was the Vulcan equivalent of their homophobia, though, you might argue. I was the happily emotional Vulcan who sometimes danced out of control during the Parade! 🙂

I’ll go find flat beads like those pips and sew them on some day, but probably next year because I will likely only wear this uniform during Pride Parade. I’m single and NOT gay so I’m not exactly keen on sending the wrong messages to the fairer sex, hahaha. I might loan it to a girl for a costume, though, so if I do that before next summer, I’ll put on the beads. She had better have an average or small head with not a lot of hair, though. The collar was a tad wider than it would ideally be for me because as you can see on the shot of the back of the uniform, there was no zipper. You put this thing on like a T-shirt, unlike the real one I have in the blue. It has a zipper in the back and you put it on, frankly, like a dress top. 🙂

The pants I did not make. They were just black pants. If I had time, I would have made them from the same black fabric on the uniform top to go with it. I have the fabric for it. I’ll just finish it off some time and get some shots in the whole thing to add back here. Maybe I’ll send a a photo to George Takei to see if he likes it.

Now, what will I come up with for next year’s Pride Parade???

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