“Gay Pride … what is it, you might ask? Well, to put it in the simplest of terms, Gay Pride is the promotion of the self-affirmation, dignity, equality, and increased visibility of the LGBTQ community as a social group. The festivals known and celebrated as such were initially started in honor of the 1969 Stonewall Riots. The raid by New York City police on the Stonewall Inn, a gay club located in Greenwich Village sparked six days of protests and galvanized the gay rights movement. America’s first gay pride parade was held on the one-year anniversary of the riots. That is what we have come as a community to celebrate and honor together. Not as a means to push our sex lives in the face of straight people and otherwise. And to answer the people who blindly ask why there are no ‘Straight Pride’ parades and festivals.”
“I mean asking when Straight Pride Month is is like asking where the Non-Handicapped Parking spaces are! They aren’t the ones who have to be afraid to walk down the street, holding hands with the one they love! How many young men and women in this parade and festival, having the time of their lives dancing and drinking and meeting people just like them, are going to ride the buses home tonight, taking off their stickers and stuffing their flags and Pride boas in bags so they don’t trigger any bigots and possibly risk getting attacked or worse?”
“How many gay teens had to sneak out of their homes, not just here but at Pride festivals and parades around the country, to come here just so they could experience that sense of freedom? To be who they were born to be? As opposed to being one of those tragic gay kids who think they’d be better off dead than being themselves?”“Those were the heartfelt and inspired words held by one of professional wrestling’s most prominent members of the LGBTQ community, Carter McKinney who competes under the banner of Sin City Wrestling as Helluva Bottom Carter. Carter, along with his fiance and fellow SCW Superstar - Miles Kasey, were prominent fixtures in this year’s Las Vegas Pride parade as Co-Grand Marshals…”The camera switched over to a news feed where the parade was in full swing, with members of the LGBTQ communities as well as their supporters such as members of PFLAG, floats of all shapes, sizes and designs, local politicians, drag queens and kings alike, dancers and so much more. Carter and Miles even had gotten into the literal spirit of the occasion; both men shirtless and while Carter was clad in an adornment of rainbow peacock feathers and shimmering, emerald green booty shorts, while Miles himself was done up like an angel with rainbow feathered wings and matching spandex shorts
“But the real treat for these two young men came later in the evening at the - if you’ll pardon the cliche - main event of the Festival. Where everyone who was willing or could be talked into stepping into a pool filled with twenty gallons of lime green jello and wrestle for charity. And seeing as how Miles Kasey and Carter McKinney are among the top in their chosen profession, it seemed only natural that they take part…”Cut again once the sun had begun to set and the lights of Las Vegas had lit up, and at the corner of 4th Street and Bridgerton Avenue, the crowd was standing room only surrounding the tarp-lined kiddie pool filled with green jello! Many men, women and non-binary of all ages competed all in the name of the Pride Tree, One-N-Ten, amongst other worthy charities in the greater Las Vegas area. And in the final “match up” of the evening after seven PM, Carter and Miles were right there in the jello, having stripped down to their barest of undergarments; Miles his black boxer briefs and Carter his rainbow ‘mesh’ boxer briefs. Standing back to back, Miles and Carter linked arms and slowly lowered themselves until they sat in the ice cold jello - both men’s reactions beyond priceless with wide eyes and audible gasps.
The referee, a drag queen sporting a black and white striped mini dress, ensured both were ready and blew her whistle!
Carter and Miles released their linked arms and spun around to grapple with the other while remaining on their knees as per the rules! Miles ducked down low but Carter was faster and was practically on his back, wrapping one arm under Miles’s own and the other around his neck from behind. Carter tried to pivot him around but Miles wrapped his own arms under Carter’s legs and used his momentum to roll him back, carrying his own weight on top. As Miles turned around to try and pin Carter down beneath his own weight, Carter turned the tables and rolled through, ending up on top with Miles on his own back! Neither man seemed to mind the position that they found themselves in and the crowd was clearly enjoying the spectacle.
Miles rolled him off and the two grappled in a collar and elbow, where under normal circumstances Miles would enjoy the superior strength advantage, but in the cold, slippery jello, the two rolled around in the jello and against the wall of the pool. Until at least Miles swept Carter’s legs out from under him and brought the crowd to its collective feet, folding Carter in half in the Anvil and literally holding him down as the ‘referee’ checked and blew her whistle!
The crowd cheered as Miles assisted Carter to his feet and kissed him deeply before the ‘referee’ raised Miles’s arm and presented him with the 2024 Pride Festival Championship trophy!
June 1 - Las Vegas, Nevada
The feed from before slowly drew back to reveal the scene being televised on the screen of a state-of-the-art, plasma television. Drawing further back, none other than a standing Carter McKinney was seen watching the telecast, a hand over his mouth in a slight blush to his cheeks and neck.
Carter murmured, “I still can't figure out what got into us to do that.”
Carter's boyfriend and now fiance, Miles Kasey, slid up next to him and wrapped a muscled arm snugly around his slim waistline. Miles shrugged the opposite shoulder and answered casually, “This is just a guess but I'd say it had something to do with that two for one special on lemon daiquiris that the one bar was having.”
All Carter could do in response was cast his man a coy look over his shoulder, knowing that it had something to do with loosening him up. That, along with the opportunity to get to wrestle his man in a pool of jello. Not that Miles himself had to have any encouragement. He had practically stripped down to his undergarments and was in the jello by the time Carter had been talked into it.
Miles then said, “What I couldn't believe is that you took a dive.”
“And what makes you think I did such a thing?” Carter asked almost indignantly.
“Come now, love.” Miles smirked, pulling him up against him a little tighter. “You were practically holding me down on top of you!”
“Like you expected me to try and get out from beneath you when you had me full on cowgirl?” Carter asked with a raised eyebrow. Miles was about to respond but just as quickly snapped his mouth shut and said, “Touche.”
Carter was finally able to wrest himself free of Miles’s arms albeit with great reluctance. He had an appointment to keep and knew that the news broadcast distracting him would cause him to cut it close. And considering whom he was scheduled to see, that was simply not an option on the table.
“That being said…” Carter started to speak as he grabbed a decorative envelope off of the accent table by the sofa and grabbed for his keys. “I better get going or I’ll be late. And hopefully before Mom or Grams catch sight of us like that on the evening news!”
But as if on cue, the phone atop the coffee table started to thrum with the humming of its vibrant ring tone. Both men turned instinctively and saw the affectionate name of “Joan McKinney” on the Caller ID and Carter turned to Miles with a mischievous smile.
“Gotta run!” he said, turning and hurrying toward the door. “Get that for me, will you?”
“Carter?” Miles called after him as the humming continued. “Carter!” Miles turned and stared at the ringing phone like a deer in headlights….
The office of Doctor Gail Delacore
“Well, Carter…” Doctor Gail Delacore said as she stood up from behind her desk and walked around so that she could greet him halfway. “It has been awhile.”
“I know.” Carter said, suddenly finding himself feeling like a small child being chastised. “I-I’m sorry but…”
“Sorry?” Dr. Delacore shook her head with a slight frown on her face. “Why?”
Carter sighed and shrugged almost helplessly as he answered, “I know how much you prefer patients to keep in touch and to continue appointments, but work has been picking up, and we just did a tour where we worked everywhere from France to Troy and back to the States.”
“Impressive.” Gail nodded in acquisition. “I admit I do prefer regular appointments to be kept or else we risk losing what progress is made. It sounds as if your career has kept you busy but can I assume that you won’t allow this to continue?”
Carter looked up to meet her eyes and her gaze was firm but gentle, if that made sense. She added, “Work is very important, I grant you. But you must make time for yourself.”
“I will.” Carter nodded, and only then did Dr. Delacore nod, somewhat satisfied. She turned around to return to her desk chair while this served as an open invitation for Carter to have a seat himself. Once seated and it seemed open to continue with the appointment between the two of them, Carter followed up and said, “And I admit, I thought I maybe… didn’t need any more appointments.”
“Oh?” Dr. Delacore leaned against her desk, her fingers of both hands clasped together, her elbows on the surface’s edge. “And why is that?”
Carter paused, as if he were trying to find the right words so as not to offend, but found himself simply drawing in a deep breath and just blurting out the words. After all, Doctor Delacore told him time and again there were no bad manners in her office. You were expected to say what it was that you needed to say. So he said, “Things have just been going so well with Miles…”
“Yes, I saw the news.” The doctor said with the thin wisp of a smile on her face, then added just to make light, “And good for you!”
Carter looked up at her, caught completely off guard by her jesting and teasing, his flesh coloring the lightest shades of a charming red. She just smiled – a genuine smile, before nodding her head toward him. More specifically, toward his left hand.
“Plus,” She said. “I couldn’t help but notice your ring. I assume congratulations are in order?”
This brought the most sincere and warmest of smiles to the young man’s face, as he found himself simply nodding and he said, “And I have you to thank…”
“No, do not.” She interrupted, holding up a hand to forestall him from giving her any credit that she felt she was not properly due. She said, “It’s the same as I told you in our first meeting. Your journey is your own, Carter. I just helped to guide you along your path.”
“Well,” Carter started to speak up, tearing his eyes away from the moonstone engagement ring on his finger. “That’s why I wanted to talk to you today.” That being said, Carter took the decorative envelope from earlier and offered it over to his therapist, to which she accepted cautiously.
Casting her patient one final look, she opened the envelope to look at the content inside before she returned to look at him. “It’s an invitation.” She finally spoke of the obvious. “To your wedding.”
Carter nodded, biting at his bottom lip before saying, “Yes. I know you prefer to keep everything separate but…” He shook his head and his eyes began to grow misty. “Even if you decline, I don’t think I could live with myself if I hadn’t invited you. Not after everything you did for me.”
The two - doctor and patient - remained locked in one another’s gaze until finally Dr. Delacore looked again at the envelope. She finally yielded and said, “I admit I have never been to Washington state…” And she left the words hanging in the air, a gauntlet for her patient to finally realize and pick up.
He asked hopefully, “Is that a yes?”
Again, there was a lingering pause before the doctor finally nodded, “Yes. I’ll be there.”
Which brought the brightest of smiles to Carter’s face – at least until Dr. Delacore added, “Now… why don’t you tell me the real reason why you’re here?”
Carter stared at her and shook his head, but before he could deny any knowledge as to what she was talking about, she pointed out, “Carter, my sessions are not cheap. You could have just as easily dropped this invitation off to my secretary and saved yourself two hundred dollars. This…”
She held up the invitation.
“Was just an excuse.” She set the card down gently on her desk and steepled her fingers. “Now, why don’t you tell me the real reason as to why you’re here?”
TBC
“Now, tell me that this isn’t prophetic!”
The camera finds the man of the hour, Helluva Bottom Carter, standing in front of a mirror, checking out his reflection and ensuring that he was satisfied with what he was wearing. Atop his head was a gold and jewel encrusted crown, while he wore over his shoulders a cloak befitting a king - even if it was in the design of a giant pride flag while the normally white fur trim was replaced by a fluffy, rainbow boa.
“Here we are, in the month of June - Pride Month as it were, and we have a match where the GO Gym Princess himself is competing to be crowned a King! It’s as if the end result was preordained.”
Satisfied that his crown was on straight - pun not intended - Carter reached over beside the mirror to pick up his royal scepter and he turned around and practically fell back into an elaborate throne set up against a backdrop of the upcoming Supercard, Into the Void XIII.
“I can see the perks of becoming royalty already. I mean, after all, having the opportunity to hold the fates of your fellow roster members in the palms of your hands…”
Carter gazed momentarily at the palm of his free hand as it glided up – and down – the length of his scepter.
“I mean it’s just an opportunity that you just can’t resist. And the outcome of holding that position of power is - let’s face it - too good to be true. If we’re talking about your friends, you can use that power to give them the rewards that they deserve, and if it’s an enemy? Well that’s where you can make not their lives but their livelihoods a living nightmare. I know, I know…”
He nodded graciously as befitting royalty.
“I say what the friends deserve and you might be sitting there and saying to yourself, ‘what they think that they deserve’. And in most cases, you would be right. But in this case?”
He shrugged. “I’d be King and if I say they deserved a special opportunity, as in say… a championship match? Well who would anyone be to try and object? After all, in this case it’s a monarchy, not a democracy. And what the King – and Queen – might say? Would go.”
“That being said, it’s not as easy to become a King as one might expect. Especially when the Kingdom is Sin City Wrestling itself. And while we do not have the right to succession or to fight a war to be crowned, we still have a few hurdles that one must jump through. Obstacles to overcome. You understand. In this case, I have to make certain that luck is on my side, because the Crown hangs in the balance, twenty feet above the playing field and the only way to reach it is to be the first to climb the literal ladder of success, grab the crown and the rest will be recorded in the history books.”
Carter nodded.
“That’s right, a ladder match. Not a regular one on one or even a Six Pack challenge. Either one of those would rely more so on wrestling skill rather than pure, dumb luck, but when you factor in having to fight your way past five other men to climb a ladder without giving any of the chance to stop you, pull you down from the ladder or - god forbid - tip it over, then it becomes a matter of luck and resiliency. Luck, because you have to time everything just right because you have to find a way to climb a ladder when every other man in the match will be fighting like a wild animal to stop you so that he can steal your crown - and resiliency because I’d have to be a damn fool to think something isn’t going to happen that is just going to lay my perky little ass OUT! I could be struck with the ladder everyone else is looking to climb. I could be this close…!”
He said, pinching thumb and forefinger close together.
“... To reaching the top and literally have my hands on the crown when one of those other five pretenders decided to tip the ladder over and send me and anyone else on it flying!”
Carter pursed his lips together and whistled, adding sound effect to the falling gesture and ended it with an ‘explosion’ of a crash landing.
“And the Court in itself? Well it’s a veritable who’s who’ in men who want to hold the power of the throne! Some deserving, some that leave me wondering why they’re even in there! Like that Guy With the Cape…? Ever since Christian Underwood announced him as the final participant in the King For A Day match, he’s been acting as if he’s already the King! Which is a real insult toward those of us who are going to win. The Guy just isn’t all there, if you get my meaning, and I am left to wonder why he was even entered when to date he has never set foot inside of an SCW ring… at least in any official capacity.”
He shrugged.
“Comedy relief, I guess?”
“Then of course you have Lyle Kasey Junior, who has been in SCW ever since the beginning of the 2024 Blast From the Past but so far that first big win has eluded him. Not through any fault of his own because let’s face facts! The man has all the talent he needs right there in his blood. But in a ladder match where falls happen as do accidents, that blood might be more so on the outside toward the end than it was in the beginning. These matches are not easy, or pretty! And considering his run so far, maybe this is a matter of Lyle biting off just a bit more than he can chew?”
“Then there’s the true ring general and the closest we have right now to a locker room leader, and that’s ‘Bulldog” Bill Barnhart! I have to admit that a big part of me would be interested in seeing what a King Bulldog would be like, but of course that would mean abdicating the chance to be King myself and that just isn’t in the cards. Bill is the burly brawler, the veteran of countless battles for crowns and championship titles and that above all else, makes him the biggest threat to overcome if I want to take it for myself.”
“Then of course we have the Queen who would be King! I am referring specifically to Teddy Warren, a pretender in more ways than one. I don't even know where to begin with this guy! Do we start with his sham of a marriage to Kate Steele and the rumors that ran rampant that she was constantly abusing him under the pretense of tough love? Or do we shift our focus to the days where he almost left the Superstars locker room for the Bombshells when he changed more about his outward appearance than just his hair! The man was walking around, making RuPaul look like John Wayne when it came to butchness and masculinity! And under normal circumstances, I would say more power to him! You should always do you! But Teddy changed his character more times than he did his underwear. It reminded me of a few years back when actor Misha Collins caused some fan backlash when he said he was a part of ‘our community’ and the world lit up, thinking he had come out as bisexual at most! Only to have him retract his statement and swear that it was a misunderstanding.”
Carter looked around with a confused expression on his face.
“I’m… not sure how you can misunderstand such a thing, but then we see Teddy doing everything he can to get into the pants of Fenris - only a couple months later announce that he’s a happily married man – to a woman.”
Carter gave his best “WTF!?” expression.
“This man is about as stable as a game of Jenga that’s missing a few extra pieces, and for the sake of the Kingdom, he can not be allowed to overcome any of us and rule in our stead!”
“Last but most certainly not least, is the people’s choice. Their proverbial champion. The underdog of all underdogs – Artie. Please, to Princess Bobbie and Sir Artie, when I say ‘underdog’, I am doing so caringly. And with much respect. I think I speak for just about everyone when the tyrant Christian wouldn’t let Artie back out of the Blast From the Past, we were all hyped and wanted to see him go the distance. When he was in there against men like Sean Parker and Justin Smith – I rooted for him. Hell! The whole world was rooting for him because who doesn’t love the underdog story??? But, when Sir Artie’s chances of reaching the finals had been ruined? I was saddened. We all were. But that sadness, all of that rooting for him, got thrown out the window the moment his name was announced alongside mine in this King For A Day match. After all, there is room enough for only one King in Sin City Wrestling, and unfortunately for Sir Artie…”
Carter stood up from the throne and held his arms outward in a gesture of self presentation, and turned full circle before resuming his stance and gazing at the camera.
“... You’re looking at him.”
